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Ava stays silent. Her body is rigid and her eyes are locked on the T.V. She's not showing any sign as to whether or not she believes me so far, which only adds to my panic.
Come on, Oakley, man up.
"The last thing that I remember is fighting with Andre. Everything else is a blur. We're pretty sure I was drugged. I need you to believe me, baby. I woke up in my bed, alone. Andre said he got me a ride home as soon as that girl answered my phone," I explain. My body yearns to move closer to her and wrap my arms around her.
"Okay. I believe you," she mumbles and her shoulders relax slightly. Relief washes over me—until I catch the unshed tears in her eyes. "But you need to tell me what was so important. Why did you need to clear your mind? I think I have a right to know when something important happens to you."
She's right. She always is.
"I'll tell you, but you have to promise that you won't get upset."
She bites her lip and nods reluctantly. "I promise."
"My agent called me that morning to tell me where I'm predicted to go in the draft," I mutter and look away when her face falls.
"And?" Her voice shakes.
My stomach jolts. "It'll be somewhere in the United States, baby."
I keep my gaze on her and when her lips wobble, I pull her close, as if on instinct. With her back in my arms, I feel myself relax for the first time in three days. I bury my face in her warm neck and breathe in the familiar smell of her shampoo.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispers, effectively making me feel worse.
"It doesn't have to change anything. I already told you I’d keep my place here and just travel back and forth."
Her back stiffens against me, making my nerves return instantly. "We both know it will change things. It isn't as easy as just keeping a place here, Oakley," she counters, shaking her head at my suggestion.
I know what she's trying to do. She wants to run.
"What if it wasn't just mine? What if it was ours? Would that make it easier?" I murmur and push down the excitement bubbling inside of me at the mere thought of it.
She moves around in my arms and looks at me with wide eyes. I shrug and cup her cheek, letting my thumb brush across her soft skin. I want nothing more than to plant my lips on hers. I've missed her.
"You're ridiculous," she says and pulls away from me. I hate the empty feeling that swallows me whole when she returns to the opposite end of the couch.
"I just want this to work. I don't know if you do anymore, though." My jaw clenches and I shut my mouth before saying something I don't mean out of hurt.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ava demands, scowling at me.
"You know exactly what it means," I say quietly. "It sure feels like you're looking for something to use as an escape route."
"I have too much to deal with right now." Her sudden change in tone tells me everything I need to know.
Suddenly, a loose thread on the couch becomes the most interesting thing in the room. "What do you mean?"
Her change in breathing makes me look at her again. Tears fill her beautiful green eyes, and I want nothing more than to reach forward and wipe them away. But I stay still.
"Let me help you deal with it then. That's what I'm here for." Again, she doesn't say anything. "What if I wait until you graduate? Will that make it better? Just say the word and I'll wait," I plead.
A slight shake of her head is the only response I get. Pain rises in my chest and I blink rapidly.
"You're really going to sit there and not say anything? How do you not have anything to say? I have a lot I want to say."
I'm angry now. Her silence is only hurting—and frustrating me even more. "Why are you running away from this? Is it just that I'm being drafted, or have you had this planned for a while?"
"Of course I haven't been planning this!" she snaps, furious. "I just can't do it. I can't be that girl again! What happened at that party will happen over and over again. I know you didn't do anything with that girl, I believe you, but it's just going to get worse! I can't deal with it. I'm not strong enough!" she adds in a shout with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm not letting you run away," I say desperately—and I mean it. "I love you, and you love me. That's all that matters."
