Chapter 12 Ava Reynolds
AVA REYNOLDS
“So, this is the primary bedroom,” the rental agent said as she pushed the door open wider. “You could fit a king-size bed in here easily, and the bathroom is attached.”
I stepped inside and looked around while she kept giving me the details.
I loved the big windows and soft beige walls.
I appreciated the brand new carpet. The en-suite bathroom had a soaking tub, double sinks, and one of those glass showers that made the bathroom look expensive.
The whole condo had that quiet suburban feel I needed right then.
No stalking sister and brother-in-law. No men posted in the den.
No family always in and out of my business.
No Reek popping up whenever he felt like it.
Just peace.
And the farther I had driven from Saint and Zahra’s house, on my way to the showing, the more I had felt myself start breathing differently.
Their house was beautiful. It was huge, warm, and full of love.
But every mile I got away from it, I felt less trapped, watched, and dependent.
By the time I had pulled into this complex, I already knew moving out ASAP wasn’t just something I wanted; it was critical for my peace and sanity.
Every time I looked at the people around me, I felt more out of place.
Saint made it look like being good to his wife came as easy as breathing.
Icon and Livia moved like a unit without even trying.
Legend and Aria had a whole basketball team of kids and somehow were still in their honeymoon phase.
I could have imagined how polar opposite Big A and Sincere’s reactions would have been to Tempo or Rhythm being pregnant.
Even when everybody was tired or irritated, there was still this sense of love between them that made what I had going on look so toxic.
It was embarrassing, especially after I was dumb enough to sleep with Reek again.
After that conversation in the parking lot, it was obvious he had feelings for me.
But Reek would rather wrestle a grizzly bear than address anything in himself like a grown man.
He’d rather act cold, angry, possessive, and confused than get some damn therapy and deal with why he was the way he was.
And I was done letting his immaturity and stubbornness ruin my experience of having my first child.
I couldn’t keep confusing lust and old chemistry with Reek finally opening his heart to me.
Especially not while he still talked down about our baby and still found ways to speak to me like I had trapped him.
I was disgusted with myself for even letting him back in after that.
“This closet has built-ins,” the agent said as she slid the door open. “And there’s extra storage right off the hallway too.”
I was smiling from ear to ear, because this condo was exactly the kind of place I had been picturing in my head.
The rental agent led me back into the hallway. “And this would be the second bedroom. A nursery would fit really well in here.”
That made me pause. The second bedroom was smaller, but bright with enough space for a crib, dresser, chair in the corner, and maybe some floating shelves. The window looked out over the parking lot and a little patch of trees beyond it.
My hand moved to my stomach without me thinking.
A nursery.
For my baby.
I still wasn’t fully wrapping my mind around that part.
I was really about to be somebody’s mother.
That should’ve terrified me more than it did, but Thailand had changed something in me.
Before that trip, I don’t know if I would’ve had the clarity or confidence to believe I could really do this.
My father had catered to me my whole life.
Then Saint and Zahra stepped in and did as well.
Everybody always made sure Ava was taken care of, comfortable, and protected.
Thailand was the first time I was really out in the world on my own, figuring things out because I had to. Learning how to move through a foreign place without somebody hovering over me every second gave me independence. It gave me proof that I could take care of myself.
Now, I didn’t feel like the girl everybody had always pampered anymore. I felt like a woman who could stand on her own two feet, who could take care of herself and a child.
The agent gave me a minute in the second bedroom before leading me back into the main living space.
“So, this is the open-concept living and dining area. The in-unit washer and dryer are in that closet, and the kitchen appliances are all brand new. You’d also get one garage parking space and one exterior space. ”
I looked out through the living room windows again and pictured myself there, fulfilling orders at the counter, rocking my baby in the middle of the night.
Breathing.
The agent clasped her hands together once the tour was done. “Do you have any questions for me?”
I looked around one more time before turning back to her. “Actually, I do. Can you forward me an application?”
Her eyes brightened. “Absolutely.”