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“I need a bit of time off again, please?” I ask softly, not wanting to clue him in on my imploding relationship. He’s been gushing about how well things have been going for me since I started this thing with Ava. I don’t want to disappoint him before I have a chance to speak with her.
“Sure, is everything all right?” he asks, tilting his head at me.
I nod. “Everything’s fine, Dad. Just need some time.”
He doesn’t question me any further, only asks me when I need the time and I let him know that I’m leaving early today and getting onto a flight first thing in the morning. I watch his eyebrows jump up at the talk of flying, but he still doesn’t ask any questions.
Good. I’m not quite sure I’d be able to answer them anyway without breaking down in front of him, and that’s definitely not what I want to do right now.
Before I can show him any of my emotions, I’m rushing from his office and then stop to let Selena know she can finish the last of her work and then head home early. She’s concerned, that much is for certain, but I don’t waste any more time on her either.
There’s only one person I want time from, and she’s only two floors down. When I get to her wing, I tap the partition blocking her from Ava’s side of the desk, and I eye it curiously while waiting for Millie to finish her call.
When she hangs up, I slide beside her to log her out of the system, then grab her purse and let her follow me through the rest of the building.
Her heels are clicking loudly against the linoleum floor, then come to a stop once we push through the entrance doors. “What the hell?” she screeches behind me.
I whirl around, my nostrils flaring with anger, and point a thick finger at her. “You are going to tell me what you know,” I seethe.
I’m usually really good at hiding my emotions, but something about Selena and my dad has me wanting to rip someone’s head off. What better person for that than the one who is best friends with Ava? The one who essentially knows exactly why she left instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt.
Has our relationship really been so hard that she felt the need to immediately believe everything Alex said? It hurts. Makes me angry. Everything.
Millie’s laugh sends me over the edge and I blurt out the only thing I can think of to make her take me seriously. “Dammit. I love her, just please tell me what’s going on!”
That causes her mouth to snap closed, her eyes widening at my outburst. It works though, because she grabs my elbow and starts pulling me down the sidewalk.
Her apartment complex appears ahead and I let out a breath of relief knowing that she’s going to listen to my side of things. Maybe if I talk to her, she can talk to Ava about me. One could hope at least.
The door is barely shut behind me before there’s a hot sting coursing through my cheek. I palm the spot, trying to figure out what the fuck that was, but come to a halt when I catch sight of Millie’s nostrils flaring dramatically.
“What the hell was that for?” I grit out.
She shrugs. “You hurt her, it was only right.”
I can respect that. If it was Malcolm that was in this situation, I’d probably be doing the same thing. Well, kinda the same thing. I’d never put my hands on a female.
My chuckle is a shock to us both as I take a seat at her kitchen table. She takes the seat across from me and folds her hands over the table, then leans back against the seat.
“I don’t have all day. Get to talking.”
And I do. I tell her everything, from the moment I met Ava to the moment I walked into Alex just a bit ago. She hangs on with rapt attention, her gaze never leaving mine, but still showcasing the same anger I feel for Alex. She lets out a frustrated sigh and her shoulders slump forward.
“She’s going to kill me,” Millie whispers, but takes a deep breath before rattling off exactly where Ava’s family lives. She wishes me luck, while also promising not to say a word to Ava about me coming there. “Hey, Ryan?”
I turn around just as she opens the door for me to leave. “Yeah?”
“I’m trusting you with her. Make this right.” That’s all she says before ushering me from the house and taking the rest of the day to relax. She seemed excited to hear that I’d compensate her for the rest of the time she’s missing today. It makes me smile to know that she trusts me.
Now there’s someone else whose trust I need to gain back.
I’m coming for you, baby.
Chapter19
Ava
Ilanded in Tennessee yesterday, yet I’m still tucked under my blankets in the spot I’ve been in since then. I’ve done nothing but lay in bed and cry, hating that I let myself get manipulated by both Ryan and Alex within the span of a few months. Will I ever learn from my mistakes?
