Chapter 25
ALEX
Alex frowned at his laptop as he received another ACCESS DENIED message on his screen. All of the quick decoding tricks he knew hadn’t worked on the encryption protecting the files on the USB drive.
His mind only half-heartedly tackled the task of decrypting the heavy armor surrounding the files on the drive.
He flicked his gaze to the sliding door leading to his pool. Ava had disappeared through it ten minutes ago with the aggravating architect.
As she stepped outside, a twinge of protectiveness had clashed with his respect for her autonomy.
They’d navigated past crises as partners, but now he hesitated, waging an internal battle over intervening or trusting her to handle Chris alone.
He’d wrestled with his desire to protect her versus his respect for her strength on so many occasions before.
Alex shifted the laptop off his lap, rising from his seat. The way the man had insisted they needed to speak right away didn’t sit right with him.
Ava had already been stressed from the morning’s excitement. He’d read it in her features and the way she’d slammed her hand into the steering wheel after losing Raven during the car chase.
He’d wanted to comfort her, to tell her it was okay. But when Ava was upset, no amount of saying the words soothed her. She needed action along with reassurance.
Alex paced in front of the cold hearth, biting his thumbnail. He knew her so well after all the years spent together. Even after they’d drifted apart, they’d picked up without skipping a beat.
The only thing that had ruined their reunion had been her relationship with Chris. And that seemed to be a constant source of pain for the both of them.
He glanced at the sliding door again, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Should he go after her?
The annoying architect hadn’t been very kind to Ava lately, and Alex didn’t want her hurt more than she already had been. He took a determined step toward the door, intent on tracking them down when he stopped, suddenly hesitant.
What if he made things worse?
Chris resented him, that was obvious. Would Ava begin to feel the same way if he kept pushing into their relationship?
Each time he’d brought up his thoughts about Chris being the wrong man for her, she’d clammed up. It didn’t sit well with him.
She had no desire to hear that Chris wasn’t right for her, likely because she wanted to believe he was. Would his desire to pursue her for a relationship that went beyond friendship be the very thing that tore them apart entirely?
He twisted in away from the door, rubbing his chin as he resumed his pacing. What would he do if this came to a head earlier than he expected?
His plan to win Ava back had been slowly deteriorating. He slid his eyes closed, recalling her arrival and his high hopes that first night.
It hadn’t been that long ago, but it seemed like an eternity. So much had happened, and so much had slipped away from him.
He’d taken another opportunity and allowed it to slip through his fingers. With another glance at the bright sunshine outside, he wondered if he’d already lost her.
His stomach twisted into a tight knot as he took another step toward the door, before promptly shaking his head and retreating to the couch.
Going after her now wouldn’t solve anything. In fact, it could make matters worse. If she felt he was pushing too much…
He didn’t want to think about that.
Instead, he tugged his laptop onto his lap, trying to focus his mind on the files.
After a few more frustrating attempts to gain access only to be met with the same annoying ACCESS DENIED message, he changed strategies, combing through online databases for information about heavy encryption methods.
He gathered a variety of information, piecing it together to find a string he could pull to unravel the method and read the files.
As he scanned the various suggestions, trying to select which he’d try first, the room darkened a bit.
The sliding door rolled open, drawing his attention across the room.
Chris, his expression set, stormed into the house, slamming the door shut behind him before he tore across the room, bypassing Alex without even a glance.
Alex craned his neck, staring after the man as he disappeared. A moment later, footsteps pounded up the stairs.
Alex returned his gaze forward, his lips tugging into a wince. Whatever had happened had seemed to leave Chris in a sour mood. Then again, almost everything that happened these days put the man in a bad mood.
His eyebrows pinched as he tried to recall a time when he’d not seen Chris in a mood. He couldn’t come up with one.
He licked his lips raising his gaze to the door. Ava hadn’t come back yet.
Worry settled in his gut at the detail. Chris had raced through the house and upstairs, banging around in his room, but Ava was nowhere to be found. Had something happened?
His heart hammered in his chest as nightmare scenarios filled his mind. His chest tightened as he slammed the laptop closed and shifted the laptop to the cushion next to him.
A loud bang overhead sent his gaze upward. What was Chris doing up there? And where was Ava?
He rose from the couch, determined to seek out Ava. Before he could take a step, the door rolled open, a chilly burst of sea air sweeping past him as Ava stepped inside.
In an instant, he read her features, pinched and tense.
“Avs? Are you okay?”
Her eyes found his, and she shook her head before she cast her gaze to the floor.
“What happened?” His heart seized. If Chris had laid a hand on her, he’d rip the man limb from limb.
Her lips tightened into a thin line as she raised her right hand. Noticeably missing was the engagement ring from the bothersome builder.
His heart leapt, hope rushing through him despite himself. Guilt quickly chased any optimism away. Ava looked heartbroken, and he was ready to celebrate.
He crossed to her and pulled her into his arms. “Aw, Ava, I’m sorry.”
She clung to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as she buried her face in his chest.
His features tightened as he stroked her hair. He had no idea what happened between them, but he could kill Chris for making her cry.
But right now, she needed him, and he was determined to be there for her. He wanted to make all the pain go away.
It wasn’t the first time he’d nursed her through a breakup, but he hoped it would be the last. He couldn’t let anyone else take her away from him.
His mind spun in a thousand directions as he gave her the time she needed to calm down.
She pulled back, sniffling and wiping at her cheeks.
“You want to talk about it?” he asked softly.
Before she could answer, a persistent banging ricocheted through the tense silence.
Chris appeared in the doorway to the foyer, his suitcase behind him.
He scoffed as he studied the closeness between Alex and Ava. “Well, this is just the perfect way to end things, isn’t it?”
Alex’s nostrils flared as he glared at the man.
“I’m leaving. Maybe one day you’ll realize what you’ve thrown away. But I’m not going to stick around while this disaster unfolds. You made your choice, Ava. I hope it’s everything you’ve dreamed of.”
His biting words made it obvious how bitter he was over the breakup. Alex wondered how it had come about, but even without that information, he’d still defend Ava.
“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Alex growled.
Chris huffed out another laugh. “That’s typical. You going to hide behind your other boyfriend, Ava?”
Her lips tightened as she flashed him an angry glance, her eyes still tear-filled. “That’s not fair. You didn’t give me much choice, Chris. What did you expect me to do?”
Alex’s forehead creased at the words, wondering how the break-up had unfolded.
“I expected you to pick me. Is that so crazy? I wanted you to actually do what you said you were going to—divorce your husband and come home with me.”
She crossed her arms, shaking her head, a glint of defiance in her eyes. “That’s not what you demanded, and you know it.”
“Whatever,” he said, tossing his hands in the air. “You want to keep excusing your bad behavior, you can do that. I’m sure he’ll back you up, and you two can bond over something else.”
“I will always back Ava up,” Alex said. “And since you can’t seem to be bothered unless she’s playing by your rules and being the Stepford wife you wanted, I would suggest you do what you threatened when you appeared here a minute ago and leave.”
“Whoa, someone’s aggressive suddenly. Think you’ve won? It’s more than clear to me now where I stand in all of this. So, maybe you have. You got what you wanted, Alex. Ava’s staying with you. I hope you’re happy, though I wouldn’t count on it lasting very long. Seems Ava’s only out for Ava.”
Alex screwed up his face at the biting remark as the man grabbed hold of his suitcase handle and whipped it around toward the door.
He paused, twisting back to face them, his eyes cold and calculating. “Remember this day, Ava. You’ll regret it.”
With that he strode away, leaving an iciness in the air behind him.
A second later the door slammed shut, startling both of them and sending an air of finality on the bitter conversation.
He slid his eyes sideways to Ava. She dropped her chin to her chest, pinching the bridge of her nose as another sob escaped her.
“Hey,” he said as he slid an arm around her. “He’s just mad. None of what he said was true.”
She allowed him to guide her to the couch and ease her onto it as her tears continued to fall. “He’s right.”
Alex perched on the coffee table in front of her, taking her hands in his. “No, he isn’t.”
“How did I make such a mess of everything?” She set her chin in her palm as she avoided his gaze.
His lower lip bobbed as he tried to come up with a suitable answer. “Maybe you didn’t.”
She finally snapped her gaze to his, those green eyes filled with pain and upset, breaking his heart. “How do you figure that?”