Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Ava
The sun is shining, children are running around laughing, cotton candy is being spun, games are being played, and I can’t focus on any of it.
I’m here, I’m participating in one of the many children’s fairs we run throughout the year, but I’m not really present.
I’m too stuck on the completely abnormal behavior River showed last night.
Has he decided to play the same game as me? Is he just messing with me? I’d believe it if he hadn’t run out of my apartment like the devil was chasing him.
He brought me Chinese food. My favorite Chinese food.
I need the girls; I need to run this past them. If they weren’t coming round tonight, I would have called them already, but thankfully, we can have this conversation in-person with home-made margaritas — lots of margaritas.
I’m interrupted from my thoughts by a sweet little girl pulling on the leg of my trousers. Paisley’s been with us for a year now and I pray every day that someone adopts her. She deserves to be showered with love.
“Miss Ava, will you get cotton candy with me?”
I smile down at her. “You know I will, sweetie.”
She takes my hand and confidently leads me to the stand where they’re making all the flavors and colors you could possibly imagine.
We do well as a charity, the money we raise goes straight back to the kids, but we wouldn’t manage half the events we throw without our donors.
Their signs and banners are up around the park we’re using for today’s events, all except one; one that even I don’t know the name of.
They’ve chosen to remain anonymous since they started donating just under a year ago, not long after I joined the company.
It’s that company that’s my favorite, the company that wants nothing back for their good deeds. I send karma their way every day.
“Can I mix two flavors?” she asks me as she stares at the many options in wonder.
“Paisley, you get as many as you want. I’m getting three,” I whisper as if I’m letting her in on a secret that only we know.
As expected, she giggles and turns back to the board ready to pick — I’m sure — a minimum of three different flavors.
***
“You’ve done it again.” My boss and the head of the charity says as we’re gradually winding down and preparing for the guests to leave.
These days and the many others like it, are my responsibility as the events coordinator — that’s my official title but I take on more, and more all the time; it’s hard not to when you love what you do.
“It’s been another great day. I don’t know how we ever survived without you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Donna. Seeing their faces is worth everything we do.”
“Our adoption numbers have increased since we’ve been able to host these events, and that’s because of you, Ava. These kids, these parents, a lot of them have you to thank for bringing them together. I thank you for bringing them together.”
I can feel my eyes stinging at her words. I’m not normally an emotional person, but when it comes to these children, well, anything’s a possibility.
“I also thought you’d want to know that we’ve had a couple inquire about Paisley.” And now the stinging turns to full on tears filling my eyes.
“Oh, Donna, that’s wonderful.” My words are watery with the emotion I’m feeling. “She deserves to find her forever home. They all do.”
***
I’ve made a ridiculously large jug of margaritas, there’s at least two glasses each in there, but I can always make more if we need.
I place the bowl of chips, plate of chopped vegetable sticks and dips on my little coffee table; we always eat separately beforehand, these meet-ups are just drinks, snacks, and endless conversations.
There’s a knock on my door and I open it to find Mia and Harper standing there with grins on their faces — their apartments are close to each other, so they normally arrive together. Bella comes up the stairs just as I’m about to close the door.
“Wait, I’m here,” she calls as she runs up the last couple of steps.
When I shut the door and turn back into my apartment, Mia already has the jug in hand and is pouring out the margaritas.
I love these girls so much.
“This place is gorgeous.” Harper looks around my little place with her drink in hand.
“It’s totally you,” Mia agrees as she hands Bella and me our drinks.
“I love it, Ava. I’m so happy for you, and you’re so close to Reed and I.”
It’s true, her and Reed are maybe five minutes away. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to afford a house like Reed’s — it’s insanely gorgeous and right on the beach — but I’ll definitely be dropping by all the time; he has a coffee machine that dreams are made of.
“Right, take your seats, ladies,” Mia orders us. “It’s quickfire round. Bella, you start. Clockwise rotation.”
Every time we meet, we do a quickfire catch up.
Each of us says the most important thing at the moment, the thing we wanted to talk about with each other the most. We have a habit of getting stuck on one topic, so if we don’t get to that person tonight, we’ll know to circle back to them tomorrow via video or message.
“My wedding dress came today.” We all squeal. She’s going to look so stunning.
“I hooked up with a guy from work,” Harper winces.
“Fuck, yes. We’ll circle back to that,” Mia mutters as all eyes turn to me.
“I think Reed might be right.”
“Cool. So, I’m going back to college to do — I’m sorry…” Her eyes flash back to my own. “Hold the fucking fort. What do you mean, ‘you think Reed might be right’?”
“It’s your turn, Mia. Finish what you were saying, we can circle back.”
“Fuck my turn. Spill. Now.”
The girls’ faces are fixed on mine, they’re all as eager for this information as Mia.
“Last night, my doorbell went, and he was standing on the other side with Chinese takeout.” Mia looks around like he’s still here hiding in the apartment ready to jump out. “He’d ordered all my favorite dishes. I don’t even know how he knew them.”
“Well, shit,” Harper breathes as she falls back against her chair.
“Is he messing with me? Is he doing what I’m doing?”
“What did he say? When you asked him?” Bella prompts.
“He said he didn’t know why he was here, something about it being a mistake and then he ran out of the apartment before I could even process what the hell was going on.”
“Holy crap,” Mia mutters. “Reed was right.”
“No, I mean, he can’t be. Right?” I look around at them, but they all seem just as confused as me. “You all know what he’s done to me over the years. Surely not, he can’t be.”
“Girl,” Mia exhales. “I think we’ve all missed this one. But, yeah, I do believe your stepbrother is in love with you.”
Oh shit.