Chapter 3
ALEX
Alex squeezed onto the couch as Ava shifted over to make room for him, ironically sliding closer to Kyle. He wrinkled his nose at the detail, still uncomfortable after what he’d walked in on earlier.
It wasn’t bad enough that Chris Maxwell and Sebastian Bancroft had invaded his home, but now Kyle Carter, a man who had kissed Ava seemed to be growing closer to her with every moment.
He tried to chalk it up to her rough experience, the chemicals, and his treatment to stop the blackouts but that didn’t exactly explain why she had his face cupped in her hands when he’d walked in.
They’d been way too close and looked way too chummy for his taste.
His stomach clenched as the image, now burned into his mind, haunted him. He trusted Ava, but what if the chemicals in her system had caused her to only think she loved Alex?
What if she now realized she wasn’t interested?
Had Kyle’s treatments already started to take hold, returning her to the Ava who had spent nearly two decades married to him but fully planning on getting a divorce?
Alex shifted his gaze sideways, noting Ava’s knee nearly touching Kyle’s thigh. He pressed his lips together into a thin line as he wondered about their behavior.
Ava had easily explained it away, first making a joke, then fluffing it off. Were they hiding something?
The good doctor had kissed her once already. Was it not really over for him? Maybe treating Ava, getting her through this issue with the blackouts had reignited his interest in her.
Alex swallowed hard, staring down at the tea in her hands. When did Ava start drinking tea?
The thought plagued him. When she’d first arrived in the Hamptons, he’d told her Chris didn’t know the real her, but Chris had said just the opposite. Ava had grown and changed. She wasn’t the woman she was when she’d spent all her time with Alex.
Was he right?
Alex worried that he’d misjudged the real Ava. She may have only said she loved him because of the drugs coursing through her system. With her head now clear from the cocktail Kyle had given her, maybe she realized that wasn’t true.
What if Alex had only ever been the safe choice?
The easy fallback? Maybe the way Ava had lit up during their gaming sessions wasn’t love, but just friendship.
Maybe he was never anything more than a distraction from Chris.
And now, with Kyle playing knight in shining armor, patching her up and laughing with her…
what if she fell in love with someone else?
Alex cleared his throat, his muscles taut as he tried to find his voice. “Tea?”
“Doc made it for me.”
The words sliced at his heart like a knife. The answer, so simple and neat, set off a firestorm of envy and insecurity inside him.
“Oh, she doesn’t drink tea,” he said as he leaned forward to glance around Ava at Kyle.
“She does now,” he answered. “No excessive caffeine until we’re in the clear. So, don’t let her talk you into sneaking her coffee.”
“Oh,” Alex said with a nod, “I see. Okay.”
“Thanks for ruining my plans, Doc. I was totally going to get Alex to feed my caffeine addiction, but now you’ve ruined it.”
Kyle chuckled at her comment. “Don’t be bad, Ava.”
Alex’s nose scrunched at the playful exchange grated on his nerves.
Ava patted his thigh a second later. “So, what’s up with PharmaTech? And why am I imperative in this fight?”
Sebastian collapsed into the armchair near Kyle. “Because we’re going to need to do a few on-site visits, I think. And you’re pretty good at getting in and out of places undetected.”
“While Ava has cat burglar skills like no one else, I’m still not convinced this is necessary or a good plan.” Alex shook his head, his lips puckering.
“You concerned my cat burgling skills have slipped?” Ava asked.
He slid an arm around her. “No, but I am concerned about everything you’ve been through lately, Avs. I mean, what if…”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish the statement. He hated calling more attention to her blackouts because he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, like she couldn’t come to him with anything or that he was judging her.
“What if I have another blackout?” she said with a bob of her head. “A valid concern. I share it, too.”
“Sparky,” he said with a click of his tongue, “I’m not impugning your excellent skills…”
“You’re just worried,” she said with a soft smile as she patted his cheek.
The way she did it reminded him of the moment she’d just shared with Kyle, fanning the flames of his jealousy all over again.
Ava’s touch, once a source of calm and comfort, had suddenly morphed into a source of worry.
“Ace?” Ava asked.
He pulled himself from his rumination, offering her a forced smile. “Yeah. I’m worried. I mean, I could do it.”
“You need to be behind that keyboard, that’s where you’re best,” Sebastian said. “Look at what happened in Monaco. We need to work as a team. You used your tech skills, and I–”
“What?” Alex shot back, his voice sharp as he leapt to his feet and paced the floor. “You’re awesome caped crusader skills?”
“That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Yeah, right. I’m sure it wasn’t,” Alex answered, running a shaky hand through his hair.
“Ace, calm down,” Ava said. “You’re getting upset for no reason.”
“You’re right, your life in danger is no reason to be upset, right?”
Ava’s brow furrowed as she climbed from her cross-legged seat and stopped him from pacing. “Alex, easy.”
He licked his lips, his insides twisting tighter and tighter as worry swelled.
“Hey, Doc, can you refill my tea?”
“Sure,” he answered far too quickly, bouncing from his seat and grabbing the cup.
“Thanks. Shadow, can you–”
Sebastian held a hand up in the air, standing. “Don’t be too long stroking his ego, Ava. We have work to do.”
Alex set his jaw, his nostrils flaring at the words as Sebastian strode toward the sliding door and let himself out onto the patio.
Ava flicked her seafoam green eyes up to his face. “What’s up, babe?”
“Nothing is up, Ava. Oh, except how you were poisoned by some pharmaceutical giant who also nearly killed you, and now Shadow wants you to risk your life all over again while we’re still not even clear about whether or not you could have another blackout.
” He heaved a sigh, shaking his head as he tried to stop tears from welling in his eyes.
“Oh, and let’s not forget this all is my fault because I am the one who brought you out here. ”
She pressed her lips together as he babbled before she grabbed his hand and led him to the couch. “None of this is your fault, Alex.”
“Are you kidding me? Because I feel like all of this is my fault. You were living your life perfectly fine in Silver Pine, and then I insisted you come out here.”
“Because you loved me, and you didn’t want to lose me.”
“Yeah,” Alex said with a nod, “and now I face losing you at every turn.”
He flung his hand in the air as he leapt from his seat again, pacing.
Ava followed him, turning him to face her before guiding him back to the couch. “Stop. You’re not going to lose me.”
“Well, let’s see, Avs,” he answered, his voice sharper than he wanted, “I’ve been kidnapped, you’ve nearly been killed–”
“So, have you,” she interjected.
“Yeah, well…you’ve been drugged, shot at, nearly strangled, and now, I walk in to find you practically in Doc’s arms.”
“Whoa,” she said, her eyes going wide. “So, that’s what this is about?”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head before he revised. “Yes. I don’t know. Avs, I feel like I’m going crazy here. Everything has me on edge.”
“I know,” she said, taking his hands in hers.
“I know it does. Alex, this isn’t easy for any of us.
Especially given that we’re starting a new relationship.
But I love you. I don’t love Chris. I don’t love Doc.
I don’t love…well, I love Gizmo, but that’s different.
We’ll get through this. But you can’t be snapping at everyone constantly. ”
Alex gave her a sheepish glance. “What about Shadow?”
“Huh?”
“You said you don’t love Chris or Doc, but you didn’t mention him.” Alex thumbed at Sebastian who paced back and forth poolside while staring at his phone.
“I don’t like Shadow either. I love you. I always have. We just…need to get through this so we can start our lives together without all this chaos.”
Alex bobbed his head, biting his lower lip.
“Oh, and maybe with Doc, too, because he’s kind of lonely, and he really wants to be a part of something.”
“I like Doc. I just…don’t want you to fall in love with Doc.”
She smiled at him. “Not going to happen. I like Doc, too. He’s a sweet kid, but he’s not you.”
One corner of Alex’s lips tugged upward at the words. “He’s also pretty bad at Super Mario Brothers three, so…”
“Exactly. And that is my criteria for affection.” Her grin broadened. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s just all so new with us. I keep thinking you’re going to ride off into the sunset with someone else. We’ve never been together before. I’ve always been your third wheel.”
“You have never, ever been a third wheel, Alex. Never.”
“Thanks, Avs,” he said as she leaned forward to cup his cheeks and kiss him.
“Anytime,” she answered. “Now, can we proceed with our discussion on how to take down The Board?”
“Actually, I’m going to do some digging for your on-site mission. Tell Sebastian whatever he has in mind, I’ll be the tech support.”
“Okay,” she said with a nod as he offered her another peck.
“I’ll be in the office.”
She tugged on his arm, not letting go of his hand as he rose. “Hey…game session later?”
“You bet,” he said with a squeeze of her hand. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
He tucked his laptop under his arm as he headed from the living room, peeking into the kitchen to find Kyle leaning against the counter as he gazed out the window at the ocean.
“Oh, hey, you two finished?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah, umm, yeah, hey, about earlier–”
“Look, Mav, I am not after Ava. I promise. Okay? What you saw was just…Ava being super nice about including me. Nothing else.” He raised his hand in the air, placing the other one over his heart.
Guilt roiled inside of Alex. “Yeah, sorry, with everything going on lately, I’m just…I didn’t mean to accuse you. It’s just…sorry.”
“No problem. Yeah, I get it. If Ava was my wife, I’d be protective, too. I mean, you’re living with her ex at the moment. It can’t be easy.”
“I trust her, though. I just… don’t trust us. I don’t trust that I’ll be enough for her.”
“Well, there’s no threat from me. I’m just making sure she’s not going to have another blackout.”
Alex bobbed his head, some of the upset lifting a little. “I appreciate that. You’re a part of our family, Doc. I didn’t mean to sound as accusatory as I did.”
Kyle shook his head, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “It’s forgotten. Don’t worry about it.”
“You’re a good guy, Doc. I’m heading up to do some reconnaissance on our pals at PharmaTech. Keep an eye on Ava?”
“You know it,” Kyle said.
“Thanks.” Alex offered him a tight-lipped smile before he shuffled from the room and climbed the stairs. As he turned into the hall, Chris popped out of his room.
They strode toward each other, neither of them willing to concede the hall to the other. As they came face to face, Alex made a move to skirt around him, but Chris blocked him.
“Seriously, bro?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, seriously. And I’m not your bro.”
“Well, then maybe you shouldn’t be staying at my place,” Alex shot back.
“And maybe I should be. After all, Ava will need me around once she comes to her senses.”
Alex held back from rolling his eyes. “Please. How many times do you have to be told that Ava is not going to fall in love with you again. I don’t think she was ever actually in love with you.”
“No? Well, did you ever stop to think, Mav, that she’s not actually in love with you? I mean…she is under the influence of behavior-altering drugs. Once those wear off…who knows who she’ll actually end up with.”
Chris pushed past him, knocking Alex back against the wall before he twisted to eye him again.
“You may have been her friend, but love? Come on, we both know that’s not what you are to her.
She’s with you because it’s comfortable, and she’s confused.
You were the convenient choice. But now with that chemical haze wearing off, she’ll figure it out.
Just saying…you might want to prepare yourself. ”
With a glare, Chris strode away from him, disappearing down the stairs. Alex swallowed hard, his stomach clenching. Ava had worked hard to put his mind to rest, but the concept of her love being merely chemically induced hit him like a sucker punch to the gut.
What if Chris was right? What if Ava left him for her old flame?
Alex clenched his jaw, staring down the hallway where Chris had disappeared.
The words echoed in his head, threatening to unravel everything.
He pushed them away, forcing himself to focus on the mission.
But as he stepped into the room, the memory of Ava, her head bent close to Kyle’s, their laughter soft and intimate, forced itself back into his head.
And for the first time in weeks, Alex didn’t know what to believe.