Chapter 19
Skylar
Ava and I didn’t have the DTR—define the relationship—talk I wanted to have before she went back home, so I’m not sure how to approach her this morning. But I brought her favorite coffee, just to let her know I’ve been thinking about her. When am I not thinking about her?
I spent all of yesterday convincing myself not to text her and beg her to spend the day with me. I missed her more than I thought possible. It’s like part of my heart was ripped out of my chest, and the other half was reaching for it.
God, I sound like a sap.
But we have a big case in court this week, so I can’t let my feelings for Ava distract from my job. Once this case is closed, I’m going to take her to lunch and ask her point-blank to be my girlfriend.
Ava’s smooth voice floats through the air as I make my way to her desk, and even though I see her practically every day, the sight of her still takes my breath away.
She’s got her hair half up in a small claw clip, loose tendrils framing her face.
I can’t tell what she’s wearing from behind the desk, but if I had to guess, it’s a sweater with pressed trousers.
She doesn’t look well rested, and part of me feels like it’s my fault for keeping her awake Friday night.
I clear my throat, mostly to stop my mind from recalling in fine detail what happened over the weekend. I’ve thought about it so many times, it’s a wonder I was able to get anything done since I saw her last.
The sound catches Ava’s attention, and I watch in real time as her eyes light up, and her face breaks into a heart-stopping grin when she notices me.
Has she always done that? Has she always looked at me like I’m special? Why haven’t I noticed?
She tucks the phone under her chin, making affirming noises to whomever is on the other end as she waves for me to come closer.
I walk the short distance to her desk and set down her cold brew on a coaster. She mouths “thank you” before continuing the conversation on the phone.
She clicks her mouse a few times, saying something about appointment times, but I’m not paying much attention because I’m transfixed by the way her lips form around the vowels in the words she’s saying.
What the fuck, Skylar? Get it together.
“Mmhm. Of course, goodbye, Mr. Puffer. We’ll see you Thursday.” She hangs up the phone then immediately takes a sip of her drink, humming in contentment when the vanilla hits her tongue.
“Thank you for the coffee. How did you know I forgot mine this morning?” she teases, turning her full attention towards me.
“I didn’t, but now I’m extra glad I got you one. Everything okay? You rarely forget your coffee.”
Ava takes another sip and shrugs. “It’s been a rough morning.
The kids didn’t have a good time at their dad’s, and the transition was harder than usual.
Everyone ended up in my bed last night, and we woke up later than we should have.
Gus didn’t want to go to school, and Zoe was acting like she’s never put on shoes in her life, so it was just…
a hectic morning. I’m hoping we can be back to normal tonight and the rest of the week isn’t like this. ”
My heart tugs in my chest. I want to ask questions and help her get to the bottom of why the kids had a bad weekend, but I don’t know if it’s something I can ask now that we’re… whatever we are.
“I’m sorry, Aves. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Ava shakes her head. “No, but thank you. Actually—never mind.”
I’m desperate to know what she was going to say. “Tell me.”
Ava shakes her head again. “No, you’ve got a busy week with the Stokes case. I don’t want to add more to your plate.”
I reach over the desk and grab her hand, making sure I have her full attention. “You let me decide when my plate is full, okay? I want you to ask me for help if you need it. Let me be there for you, baby.”
Ava’s eyes widen, and she looks around the empty lobby area. I don’t feel bad for calling her “baby,” and I’m not scared of people finding out about us, but it feels like Ava might be.
It stings a bit more than I thought it would.
“You can’t call me that right now,” she whispers as her cheeks turn a lovely shade of rose.
“Why?”
“Because it makes me want to pull you into the bathroom.”
“Wait, what?”
“Skylar,” she whines, looking around again. “All I want to do is feel your body on mine again. I want to kiss you so badly, it’s all I’ve thought about the whole weekend.”
“So you’re not… embarrassed by me or regretting what happened?”
Ava’s eyebrows kiss as she furrows her brow. “What? Absolutely not. I didn’t know how you wanted to go about whatever this is at work. We can go to HR right now and fill out the forms if you want, but I want to have a more in-depth conversation about our relationship before we do that.”
I can’t help the satisfied smile spreading across my face. It was silly of me to think Ava wasn’t serious about us. I was all worked up and worried for nothing. Of course, she wants to be cautious. But to offer to make it official with HR?
“Ava, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” I tease.
Ava’s cheeks turn even redder. “I wasn’t planning on doing that at—” she looks at the time on her watch, “almost ten on a Monday morning in the office, but yeah, I am.”
She sounds so sure. So concrete in her decision.
My heart thuds in my chest like I’m a teenager who just had her crush ask her on a date. I guess, in a way, I am. I’ve been pining for Ava for years, and my teenage self is screaming, giggling, and kicking her feet because she just asked me to be her girlfriend.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen.
I’m speechless.
“Did I go too fast? I didn’t mean to move too fast. Shit,” she curses, and it snaps me out of my stupor. I can’t have my girl anxious.
“No, no. You didn’t—I mean—it’s not too fast, Ava. I was planning on sitting down with you at lunch next week to have this conversation. I just wanted to give you time and space to make sure this is really what you want.”
Ava and I both turn our heads towards the low vibration of voices coming down the hall. Cursing under her breath, she grabs my hand and leads me to an unmarked door I know is a supply closet, pushing it open and shoving me inside.
She flips the lights on, and we both look around at the shelves filled with office supplies.
“Way to shove us both back into the closet,” I mutter, and Ava giggles.
“Sorry, I just… didn’t want to be interrupted.” Her hazel eyes are more green than gold today because of the green sweater she’s wearing.
Her eyes are bright and vulnerable until she realizes how close we are. She looks down and catches my chest heaving against hers, and when her eyes meet mine again, they’re wide with lust.
I watch her throat bob with a harsh swallow. “I already told you I want you, Sky. And I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. This,” she moves her finger between us, “is what I want. I went home and had to stop myself from begging you to come over because I missed you so much.”
I tuck a loose strand of chestnut hair behind her ear and cup her cheek. “I had to do the same. I missed you as soon as you walked out the door.”
“This feels like an alternate reality. Or some kind of fever dream.”
“I feel the same way. But feel this?” I take her hand and place it over my rapidly beating heart. “It’s real.”
Ava rolls her lips into her mouth as she nods, like all of this is overwhelming her.
I can relate.
“Let’s get through this week, okay? Then we’ll go to HR and sign the paperwork. It’ll give us time to breathe and get things in order.”
Ava nods again. “Okay. That sounds good. I um—will you—” She takes a deep breath. “Will you come over for dinner sometime this week? Or this weekend? I know you have the Stokes case, but I want you to spend time with me and the kids.”
“Of course. Can I bring dinner on Friday? The hearing is on Wednesday, so I shouldn’t have to stay late. We can have a movie night.”
“I’d love that. Zo and Gus will too. It’s a date.”
Then, drawn together like magnets, our lips connect in a kiss that feels a lot like a pinky promise. They mold together, and everything buzzing with anxiety inside me settles.
As much as I think both of us want it to go further, the kiss stays gentle and chaste since we’re at work.
“See you for lunch?” Ava asks as she pulls away.
“If I can get this brief finished, then yes.”
“Sounds good. Well, thank you for the coffee. I hope you have a good day. Let me know if you need something.”
“Anytime, baby. I’ll text you updates.”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” she grumbles with no heat as she opens the door to the closet.
As we walk out and go our separate ways, all I can think is I might be the death of her, but that woman?
She’s my life.