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“I’m not gonna beat around the bush, Ava. What we learned about you was an accident, but we took that information to heart. We wanted to protect you. We saw you were considering Craigslist hook-ups and, well, your big brother is my best friend. I couldn’t let you do that to yourself. If you needed help with a certain… issue, we had to see what we could do,” Jasper says.
“And from the sounds of it, Leo… made it all happen,” I add.
Leo smiles proudly, but Ava’s glare wipes it right off his face.
Yeah, not out of the doghouse yet.
“Ava, we’d like to start over with you. We want to get to know you better and for you to know us better. We’re good guys, we are, truly,” Jasper says.
Never thought I’d see him eat humble pie. Or any of us, really. This woman’s made quite the impact on us.
It would probably be better to let sleeping dogs lie. Like, just forget any of this ever happened, that we discovered Ava’s issue, that we ever kissed her, and more. In time, we’d forget the whole thing, which would blow over and maybe even provide a few laughs down the road. Or, maybe Ava will hate us forever. It’s up to her if she wants to do that. We can only apologize so many times.
But I have to say, the hurt on her face is twisting my insides. I’m a crusty bastard, short tempered and quick to draw, but even I am hurt for Ava. No one could look at her face and feel otherwise, even a grumpy jerk like myself.
She looks at her nails. “It’s not a big deal. Just forget it.”
Her tone says anything but.
Jasper leans closer like he’s going to take her hand, or at least try to, but thinks better of it at the last moment. He may need those fingers someday. “Hey,” he says quietly, “itisa big deal. And we think you’ll feel better if you—"
“I’mfine,” she snaps, leaning back and staring at the ceiling.
Well, shit. I’m not sure where to go from here. Neither are the guys. I mean, if someone is bound and determined to hate your guts, there’s only so much a guy can do about it.
A big truck rumbles down the street, shaking the apartment’s large glass windows, and somewhere in the building a door slams.
And right here, in this very place, is a woman whose heart is hurt in a way she may not recover from.
Ava heads for the kitchen. “Anyone want anything?” she asks.
“Water for me, please,” I say.
She returns with a glass, but when she hands it to me, she doesn’t meet my gaze.
The awkwardness is loud and painful and is shining more light on all that’s gone down than if we were actually having a conversation about it.
Fuck.
I have questions. A lot of them. Like how does a woman like Ava get to this stage in life without ever having the kind of sex that culminates in the explosive release that the rest of us know and love?
I just don’t get it. But I also know this is not the time to ask. We have to get her to trust us again.
“I… I get bitchy when I’m embarrassed,” she says quietly.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
* * *
30
ETHAN
“I guessit’s been pretty… shitty for you,” I say.
She’s quiet for an awkward minute or two, staring out the front windows. Finally, she speaks. “I… I haven’t discussed this with many people. Just… Cami and Lana.”
“Ava, can I ask, why is this such a big deal? It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” I say.
