Chapter 33 Lincoln
LINCOLN
Ava’s exposé hit the media hard.
In a great way for her. Not for Rourke, Vauxhall, and everyone else complicit in the wrongdoings. She dropped it on her new independent site. With the help of me and my influential friends, buzz picked up around it very fast, until it was national news.
Currently, the men involved were busy fighting for their lives in the media and wading through a storm of legal battles. Once everything came out, other music artists, actors, and athletes came forward. Apparently, Nyla wasn’t the only one being held under their thumbs by blackmail.
There was a slight hurdle in the beginning, which we expected.
Of course, Silas had made good on his threat.
His PR machine spun, dragging my name into the mud with old business dealings, photos taken at charity events we’d both attended, and a vague quote from a disgruntled former client.
It was all smoke and mirrors, but it was enough to make headlines.
I’d been guilty by association for about a week. The media buzzed with speculation. Commentators dissected my career, my client list, and my silence. Sponsors called… It was hassling, but I endured it because my woman was smart and feisty. She was ten steps ahead.
We had anticipated this move. She had enlisted Alex weeks ago, and together they’d built a counterstrike for Silas’s smear campaign.
After his accusations hit the press, Ava’s follow-up article dropped—complete with timestamps, financial records, and a timeline that proved I’d never been involved in anything remotely criminal.
My reputation took a hit, but it was surface-level. My clients stood behind me, unwavering. Jaden especially. That kid went to bat for me in every interview, every post-game presser. He was adamant that I was the reason he was clean, focused, and successful.
He said in one interview, “Anyone trying to drag Lincoln Ford down is scared of what he stands for. Integrity.”
I admit that one clip almost made me tear up.
As for Derek, the ex-fiancé from hell… With no more payments from the big bad Silas, Derek had retreated to his hole like the rat he was. I’d keep an eye out for him, in case he got it in his screwed-up mind to target Ava again. Everything had settled down, so we could focus on ourselves.
Ava’s cell shrilled in the silence and pulled my thoughts away from the past few weeks and back to the present.
“Aren’t you going to get that?” I asked. “It could be Nyla.”
“It’s not,” Ava said. “The rehab center she’s in doesn’t allow calls this early. Right now, she should be in a group therapy session. They do it every afternoon.”
Eyes back on the road, I turned the car onto a winding road. “Is she still doing okay?”
She beamed at me. “She is. Thanks for recommending that center. She likes it there, and she’s on the mend. She sounds so good—steadier, happier. Her brother has visited her a few times.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah. She has a long way to go, but…”
“She has you,” I finished. I reached over and squeezed her hand. She laced her fingers through mine without hesitation.
Her phone rang again, and she sighed as she silenced it with a swipe of her finger.
“Everything okay?” I asked, still holding her hand.
“Sure. It’s just the editor from The Los Angeles Times again.”
I chuckled. “You say that so casually.”
She smirked. “Alright, I admit I internally freak out every time a big publication like that calls me. I mean, I’m still pretty much a nobody, a beginner investigative journalist.”
“You’re somebody, baby. Your star is on the rise.”
She blushed profusely. “Maybe accepting an offer from one of those media giants would be good for me, but I want to stay independent. Free from all political, corporate, and other influences. I want my name and work to stand on truth and nothing else.”
“I gave her hand another squeeze. “Then keep it that way. You don’t need backing from any of those giants. You’ve already proven that.”
Ava gasped when I pulled into the narrow driveway of a beach house. “Lincoln, this place… This is where we came on our first weekend getaway. It’s still here.”
“Yup,” I said, grinning as I cut the engine.
She covered her mouth, stepping out of the car slowly. Her gaze swept over the structure. “I was nineteen,” she mused.
Coming to stand beside her, I surveyed the place. “And I was twenty-one.” My mind stirred with memories of that weekend so many summers ago.
Back then, I’d rented the place on a whim, thinking it would impress her. But it had ended up being more than just a romantic gesture—it was the first time we’d truly been alone together. Just us, the ocean, and love that was probably too overwhelming for our young hearts.
After I grabbed our bags, we walked up the steps together, and I unlocked the door with the same key the owner had mailed me last week. The hinges creaked as it swung open, revealing the familiar open-concept space with sun-bleached hardwood floors.
“It’s the same,” Ava whispered.
“It is.”
She turned to me with a giggle. “So this is why you insisted on coming all the way to Massachusetts on a whim.”
“Happy birthday… again, gorgeous.”
She jumped up and down like an excited kid in a toy store.
“Oh, Lincoln, this is a lovely birthday gift.” She fiddled with the necklace I’d given her at this same house for her nineteenth birthday.
I was shocked she still had it. She admitted she hadn’t been able to part with it even after I left. “You’re very good with birthday gifts.”
Dropping the bags, I swept her up into my arms. “I try…”
Our mouths met in a hot kiss that would have lasted longer and evolved into something more if I didn’t have to get her out of here. I had another surprise for her, and we had to leave so everything could be set up. So, I reluctantly pulled away.
“Let’s get settled and head down to the beach,” I said. “I want to see if everything else around here is still the same.”
She smiled eagerly. “Sounds good.”
We ended up exploring more than the beach. We visited souvenir shops and bought a few things. We walked for a while, hand in hand, letting the past and present blur together. She was relaxed and completely unaware that I was stalling.
I checked my watch, thinking that I’d kept her away from the house long enough. Surely, everything was ready.
“Why do you keep checking your watch?” Ava asked as we strolled down the boardwalk.
“It’s getting late. It’s dinner time.” On cue, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I fished it out and read the text.
All set.
Perfect.
“Do you want to grab something before we head back to the house?” She surveyed the various shops and wrinkled her nose. “We didn’t stop for groceries.”
“We’ll get groceries tomorrow. I’ve got everything set for tonight.”
“Oh, are you going to flex your culinary skills for my birthday?”
“You’ll see.”
She gave me a curious look but smiled.
We reached the house just as the sun was vanishing. Ava slipped off her shoes for our trek across the sand. She climbed the steps ahead of me, her laughter still lingering from a joke I’d made about her souvenir choices. One of which included a lobster-shaped oven mitt… I didn’t understand it.
She stopped when she reached the top step and breathed, “Oh, my gosh.”
I smiled, already knowing what had her stunned. I stepped up beside her, watching her take in the scene.
The back porch had been transformed. A round table sat beneath a string of fairy lights. The linen tablecloth fluttered gently in the breeze. The table was lined with silver dish covers. There were crystal glasses and polished silverware. A bottle of wine was in a bucket beside the table.
Ava turned to me, eyes wide. “Lincoln… how did you—?”
The screen door creaked open.
Ethan stepped out.
Ava froze.
“Hey, kiddo,” Ethan greeted her.
“Ethan…?”
He chuckled at her baffled expression and stepped forward to embrace her. “Happy birthday, Ava.”
I watched them with satisfaction as Ava closed her eyes and savored her big brother’s hug.
It had bothered me that they’d been distant because of what I revealed months ago.
Their relationship had always been a close one, and I knew Ava had been troubled by the rift between them. I had to make it right.
When they broke apart, Ethan said, “I helped Lincoln. He told me you two were coming back to Massachusetts for your birthday. He wanted to do something special. I volunteered to help because I felt like an ass for still thinking I had a say in your personal life. I sorted things out with a restaurant nearby, arranged to have the food brought over, and the table set as a gesture of good faith. You two have my blessing—not that you ever needed it. I’m sorry, Ava. ”
She dashed away a tear and laughed. “It’s okay. I just want us to be us again.”
“We will,” Ethan said, squeezing her hand. “After your time with lover boy over there…” He nodded to me.
Ava laughed, and I smirked.
“We’ll talk.”
“Okay,” she said, giving him another quick hug.
“Alright, I’ll leave you to it.” Ethan gave me a firm handshake, which Ava watched with a huge, hopeful grin.
Like her, I was happy about mending things with my childhood friend.
“Thanks, man,” I said.
After Ethan left, our romantic dinner began. Ava gushed about how she loved the surprise and the food. I watched her the entire time, thinking how beautiful she looked— fresh-faced, barefoot, and in a simple sundress. She practically glowed.
We lingered after dessert, sipping wine and watching the stars come out one by one.
“This spot,” I said, looking around the porch. “You remember it?”
Her cheeks turned pretty pink. “How could I forget? We made love for the first time on this porch.”
I smiled. “And I told you right after that I’d marry you someday. It only makes sense that I try again right here.”
“Lincoln…” she gasped, her eyes lighting up.
I knew she’d been waiting patiently for my do-over proposal. But I had to top the first one, so I needed time to think it through.
I dropped to one knee and flipped open the box I’d taken out of my pocket. It was perfect. The stars above us, the ocean behind us, and the woman I’d loved for twelve years standing in front of me.
Ava’s breath caught, and then she squealed.
Before I could even open my mouth, she rushed out, “Yes, Lincoln. Yes! You don’t have to say anything. Everything you said the first time was so beautiful. I’ve been waiting for the right time to finally say yes, as I should have the first time. I’ll marry you.”
I stared up at her with amusement. “Well… alright then.” I slid the ring onto her finger, and we both laughed.
I had her in my arms before I was fully on my feet, twirling her around the porch because I was so damn happy.
When I finally set her down, she cupped my face with both hands. “Lincoln, I never thought we’d be together again, but here we are. I’m so happy.”
I rested my forehead on hers. “Me too.”
Our mouths met, slow and tender. It was a kiss that reminded us of how far we’d come, and it sealed the promise of our future together.
The End.