Chapter 49
FORTY-NINE
I was staring at the wall, Rory asleep in my arms, when Ava walked into the house without bothering to knock.
She paused when she walked into the living room.
Honestly, I was surprised it took her this long to show up.
I’d texted what had happened, but told her Liam was here.
He’d stayed with me until today when he went back to Meadowbrook to help out his mom.
Guess they were switching off checking on me.
“Jesus Christ, Drew.” She took one look at me and shook her head in disgust. “You look like absolute shit.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I muttered, not bothering to look at her.
Rory stirred against my chest, and I automatically started patting her back gently, which usually kept her calm.
It was one of the few things I could still do right.
She’d been crankier than usual this week, and it felt like she was punishing me for ruining things with Harper.
She didn’t need to. I was punishing myself enough.
Ava glanced around the living room, taking in the empty takeout containers scattered across the coffee table, the pile of unfolded laundry on the couch, and the general disaster zone that had become my life since Harper left.
I functioned just enough to work and take care of Rory. Anything else was too much.
“At least someone in this house is doing well,” she said, her gaze locked on Rory. I didn’t bother correcting her.
“Have you talked to Harper at all?” Ava asked, settling into the chair across from me.
“No.” The word came out flat, emotionless. “Liam said I should give her space. Let her process everything.”
She scoffed. “Of course that’s what Liam would say. And how’s that working out for you?”
“How does it look like it’s working? But she needs time.”
“Time for what? To take your silence as proof that everything you had was fake?”
Panic hit me first, but I tried to breathe through it. “No, time is supposed to make things better, let her clear her head, and then we’ll talk.”
Her brows furrowed. “I really didn’t think you were that dumb.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re sitting here doing nothing while the woman you love is probably torturing herself with doubts about your relationship.
” Ava leaned forward, her voice sharp. “Tell me something, Drew. If Harper had been the one to keep a secret from you—something that made you question everything about your relationship—and then she just went radio silent after the truth came out, how would that make you feel?”
I shifted uncomfortably, not liking the direction of this conversation at all. “I’m trying to respect her boundaries—”
“You’re being a coward!” The words exploded out of her, loud enough that Rory startled awake. Ava immediately lowered her voice as I soothed the baby. “You’re so afraid of making things worse that you’re not even trying to make them better.”
Anger and fear swirled in my chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I? You love Harper, right?”
“Of course I love her.”
“Then why are you acting like it’s over? Like there’s nothing you can do?”
I snapped. “Because what if I make it worse? What if I push her further away?”
“So instead you’re just giving up? Sitting here hoping she’ll magically realize you didn’t mean to hurt her?”
“What am I supposed to do, Ava?” I’d never felt so fucking helpless and sick to my stomach in my entire life.
“Fight for her!” Ava’s voice rose again. “Prove to her that what you had was real instead of just sitting here wallowing in guilt.”
“She doesn’t want to see me.”
“How do you know? Have you tried?”
“Liam said—”
“I don’t give a shit what Liam said!” Ava stood up, pacing to the window.
“Liam’s never been in love the way you’re in love with Harper.
He’s never been in love a day in his life and wouldn’t know what it looked like if it hit him across the face with a hockey stick.
He doesn’t understand what’s at stake here. ”
“I hurt her enough already. I don’t want to make it worse. If she needs space—”
“What Harper needs,” Ava interrupted, whirling back to face me, “is for you to prove that your love was real. She needs you to fight for her like she’s worth fighting for. Instead, you’re giving her exactly what she expects from you—nothing.”
The word felt like a slap, and my heart dropped to my stomach.
As if understanding that her words had hit their intended target, she came back to sit beside me.
“Stop following the advice of a guy who’s never had to risk his heart for love.
Liam doesn’t know what Harper needs. Really think about it from her perspective, Drew.
She discovers that there was a bet about her.
She confronts you, and what happens? You give some explanation that probably sounded weak even to you, and then when she leaves…
silence. Complete silence. No calls, no texts, no showing up at her door. Nothing.”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I ran my fingers through my hair and didn’t miss the tremble in my hand. “I was trying to give her time to process.”
“I know that’s how you see it, but all you were doing was confirming every fear she’s ever had about you.” Ava’s voice was gentle, like she was breaking devastating news in the softest way she could. “You need to get your ass off this couch and start fighting for her.”
“What if it’s too late?” I asked, panic damn near clawing at my throat. If Ava was right, then I’d been adding fuckups to my fuckup by not reaching out to Harper this whole time. How did I come back from this?
“It’s only too late if you decide it is.” Ava’s voice was filled with sympathy. “But Drew, if you’re going to fight for her, you have to really fight. Not halfhearted attempts that give you an easy out when they don’t work immediately. You have to be willing to put everything on the line for her.”
“So what do I do?” I asked.
Ava smiled for the first time since she’d arrived. “Now you’re asking the right question. You show her that your feelings were real. Don’t tell her—show her. Prove that your relationship was real, that you know her and love her, and that you’re willing to fight for what you built together.”
A sliver of hope permeated the fear and depression that had been pulling me under all week.
I nodded, my jaw setting with determination I hadn’t felt in days. “At least I’ll know I tried. At least I’ll know I fought for her with everything I have.”
“Exactly.” Ava’s lips lifted in a big smile, pride shining in her eyes.
“What do you think, baby girl?” I whispered to Rory. “Should we go get Harper back?”
Rory stared up at me and babbled loudly in a tone that sounded a lot like Ava’s had. I chose to take that as a yes.
It was time to get off my ass and fight for my girl.