Chapter 4 Lincoln
LINCOLN
I was standing beside the staircase with my arms folded, scowling at the crowd like an annoyed dad when I saw her. A woman walked through the door. I couldn’t see her face. Her curtain of wavy espresso hair concealed it. Although I could barely make her out, she reminded me so much of… her.
That familiar ache started in my chest
Don’t think about her. Don’t think about her…
It was hard. Every time I glimpsed a woman with similar features, like the same color eyes or hair, I spiraled back into the past. It had been getting to be too much recently. Sighing, I scrubbed a hand over my face.
I’d been seeing Ava everywhere.
Ava Montgomery. The woman who still held my heart…
but she didn’t know that. She never would, because I’d likely never see her again.
That was probably for the best, since she hated me.
Plus, I heard she was supposed to be getting married soon.
That reminder caused another pang of regret.
Just as my gaze started to drift away from the new arrival, she flipped her hair back and looked in my direction.
My attention honed back in on her, and I froze.
Holy shit.
What were the odds of my ex-girlfriend from an eternity ago walking into my client’s house? Was I hallucinating? Because this didn’t compute. Did I somehow get high from the fumes I’d inhaled when I checked the bathroom upstairs? A couple had been hiding in there, smoking weed.
I shook my head slightly, expecting to return to reality and see a stranger. But… sonofabitch. It was her! My arms dropped to my sides at the same time my jaw damn near touched the floor. The sight of her after all these years hit me like a sucker punch.
What was she doing here? In LA? In Jaden Cole’s house, of all places?
I started moving before I even realized it, cutting through the crowd with a steady stride that masked the storm inside me. Just as I reached her, she finally took her eyes off me and bent down to scoop up her phone.
She put it back to her ear and said, “Yes, Sienna, I’m fine. Thanks again.”
She knew my assistant? Or maybe it was a different Sienna…
My confusion mounted. “Ava…?”
She went rigid as if bracing for an impact. Her wide eyes fixed on me as I approached, slid from side to side as if she were searching for an escape. Finally, she swallowed and then spoke.
“Lincoln,” she returned loud enough to be heard over the music.
That was it. Cool and clipped.
Her icy greeting yanked me out of my stupor.
“What are you—”
“Linc!” Jaden’s excited call cut me off, followed by an aggressive but friendly clap on the shoulder. His smile brightened as his attention slid to Ava. “You finally brought a date to something. My man!”
Ava’s eyebrows shot all the way up at the assumption.
My jaw clenched so tightly that the bone almost cracked.
For one, my ex, whom I hadn’t seen in over a decade, didn’t need to know about my dating life…
or lack of one. But I couldn’t be mad at Jaden.
To me, he was pretty much a twenty-year-old teenager.
He hadn’t quite developed the skill to “read the room yet”.
If he had, he would have instantly picked up on the tension between Ava and me. We stewed in it.
“I’m not his date,” Ava said.
My jaw tightened some more because she sounded disgusted by the idea.
“I’m Ava Montgomery.” She glanced at her phone screen and then back at Jaden. “And you’re Jaden Cole.”
Jaden, ever with a happy-go-lucky attitude, nodded enthusiastically.
“I’m the journalist from Massachusetts who’s going to…” Her lips twisted in a wry smile. “Hound your existence for a few weeks.”
I almost choked on my next breath. “Come again?”
She ignored me and smiled at Jaden.
“Whoa! I was expecting some guy named Walt,” Jaden said. He stuck out his hand. “Not someone as fine as you.”
Ava blinked as if she didn’t know what to do with being called “fine”. “Uh… Thanks…?”
“Suddenly, I don’t mind this whole feature thing.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when Ava’s smile got wider and they shook hands.
“You were skeptical about it, were you?” she asked.
Jaden shrugged. “I mean… yeah… I’m not thrilled about the attention.”
Ava glanced around the crowded living room. “Doesn’t seem like it.”
“This party was my teammates’ idea.”
“I see.”
I scowled as I watched the two, feeling like Ava was already dissecting Jaden. I had hoped to have a chat with her before they met.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ava. Welcome to my humble abode.”
Ava looked around the mansion again and laughed. “The pleasure is all mine, Jaden. I look forward to working together.”
He rubbed his chin and gave her a once-over. “Me too, Miss Montgomery. It is miss, isn’t it?”
She arched an eyebrow, and her eyes took on that teasing glint I was familiar with. “Uh-huh. Please call me Ava, and aren’t you like fifteen?”
Jaden took no offense. He laughed. “She’s got jokes. I'm thinking we're going to have a great time working together, Ava. By the way, I’m legal, so…” He got that silly grin he always got when he was ready to flirt.
“Alright, that’s enough,” I cut in, tired of their banter. I didn’t want Jaden getting too comfortable with the journalist so soon. I studied Ava through narrowed eyes. I didn’t know if I could trust her yet…
“Jaden, why don’t you get back to your guests?” I suggested. “Tonight is just for you two to meet. I’ll have a chat with Miss Montgomery somewhere we don’t have to shout over the music.”
Jaden smiled at Ava. “It was good meeting you, Ava. I guess we’ll talk more another time. Welcome again and enjoy the party. If you need anything, give me a shout.”
Ava nodded. “I will.”
Jaden took off, leaving us to watch each other warily.
Ava plucked a notepad from her bag and scribbled on it.
My eyes narrowed to slits. “What are you recording already? This was just an introduction.” I might have sounded too hostile, because despite my shock after seeing her again, I still didn’t like any media personnel.
She hit me with a cold stare and turned her notepad to me. “If you must know.”
Written in bold, neat letters was:
First impression: Funny. Total sweetheart.
“Oh…”
She lifted a mocking eyebrow.
Clearing my throat, I said, “How about we go somewhere quieter?”
“Is a conversation between us necessary? I’m here for Jaden.”
I gritted my teeth. “Seeing as I arranged all this, yes. Follow me.”
Her reluctance was practically palpable as I led her up the stairs to the quietest spot I could find. It turned out to be a guest bedroom on the opposite side of the backyard, where the music was.
Ava stepped inside and froze. We both did, as if we’d discovered the ghost of our past sitting on the bed just waiting to be acknowledged. I noticed the way she crossed her arms as if she needed a barrier between us.
For a moment, I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think of what to say.
So, I just stared at her. God, she was beautiful.
More than she was when we were kids, if that were possible.
Her heart-shaped face still gave her an innocent air.
Her skin was like fine porcelain with a scatter of freckles across the bridge of her nose that she hated, but I worshiped.
She wore her wavy tresses shorter now, at shoulder length rather than mid-back.
She was still lean with soft curves that I once took pleasure in exploring. But now those curves were more… mature.
I dragged my eyes away from her to regain my composure after my blast from the past.
She spoke first. “I can’t believe this.”
My gaze jumped back to her. “What?”
“You. Here. I…”
I pressed my arms over my chest because maybe I needed a barrier between us, too. “That’s the thing. What are you doing here?”
Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “I thought I made that clear downstairs. Springfield Sentinel.” She pointed at herself. “Journalist.”
My molars clamped together. “What the hell happened to Walt? Allan said some guy named Walt was coming. You are not Walt.” I realized my tone was on the rise because, honestly, I didn’t know how to handle this unexpected reunion.
She snorted. “Clearly. You heard Jaden. I’m much finer.”
She still had that sassiness about her, I see.
A comeback was always on the tip of her tongue.
When I continued to stare at her, she sighed and explained.
“Walt couldn’t make it. I’m a last-minute change.
What is this? Do you not want me here because I’m not a sports-loving he-man? Because that would make you—”
“Of course not… I just…” My hands dropped to my sides. “I haven’t seen you in…”
“Twelve years.” Her eyelashes lowered to hide her eyes. She always had expressive eyes. I suspected she was hiding from me.
I rubbed my nape, suddenly feeling like an inept kid who didn’t know how to deal with his emotions and carry on a grown-up conversation. “Do we… talk?”
Her expression turned to stone. The change was so fast I almost took a step back. “I’m here professionally. The only person I need to talk to is Jaden Cole.”
I gazed at her, taking in her frigid expression and tone. So, she wanted to forget that we had history and be… strangers? Fine. Putting on my professional mask—the one I used to negotiate deals my clients deemed impossible—I took a step closer to her.
“I’m his agent. You’ll be dealing with me quite a lot.”
To her credit, although she had to crane her neck to keep eye contact, she stood her ground. “And why is that exactly?”
“Jaden is new to this whole fame thing. I’m here to make sure no one takes advantage of him. Predacious journalists included.”
Her lips parted. “Predacious…? I’m here to do a feature. A favorable one.”
“I don’t know your true intentions. Until I do, I’ll be watching you.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Protecting your ten percent, are you, Linc?”
“This isn’t about money.”
“Well, if your client has nothing to hide. What are you so worried about?” She hiked her handbag up onto her shoulder. “This unnecessary meeting is over. If you need me, I’ll be doing my job.”
With one last seething glare, she was gone before I could respond.
I stared at the door she closed with a little too much force. Admittedly, I’d always been captivated by her sass. Ava hadn’t changed much. She was just more… confident. She had a tougher attitude, too. I liked it. But I was still wary of her.
A pang of remorse set in the longer I stood there. I inhaled sharply. We reunited—something I never thought would happen. At least, not anytime soon. We didn’t even catch up.
I love you, Lincoln, the ghost of her from my past whispered.
We went from that to being practical strangers, to being enemies.
Shaking off the hurt, I went after her—not her, but the problem. I didn’t want her sniffing around for potential dirt like so many others did.
Downstairs, the party was in full swing. It didn't take long to pick out Ava in the crowd. She stuck out like a sore thumb in her practical outfit. To my chagrin, she was making her rounds, engaging with other guests. At the moment, she was with a player’s girlfriend.
I quickly made my way over to them to hear if Ava was prying into something she shouldn’t be. “Ava.”
Her back stiffened. I couldn't hear it over the music, but I was sure she let out an irritated sigh. “Lincoln.”
The teammate’s girlfriend excused herself, leaving us to glare at each other.
“If I had known that this job involved being stalked by my ex, I wouldn’t have taken it,” she said.
“You’re here to do a feature on Jaden. I’m just making sure you’re not sticking your nose anywhere else.”
“That’s right, I’m here to do a feature, not a takedown. Talking with people around Jaden—brace yourself for this shocking news—is how features work.”
“Talking to people I approve—staff, teammates, and family if they consent. Not random people.”
“This is his house. These people are around him. Fair pickings.”
I scowled. “Your job doesn’t officially start until tomorrow.”
She looked skyward. “Are you going to get in my way like this all the time?”
“I’ll keep you close enough to get what you need. There’s no need for you to go hunting for anything else.”
Her eyes flashed with fury. “It will be best for both of us if you just keep your distance, Lincoln.”
The sliver of pain that flashed in her eyes threw me off guard. I was sure she didn’t want me to see it, but I did. I backed off immediately because I felt guilty about my past sin.
I watched her go, hating that I was making things worse between us. But just as she had a job to do, so did I.