AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She’s silent for a moment, and I fear she’s rolling her eyes to herself. “I’ll see you later.”
“You will,” I assert. “What time?” I need to know exactly how many hours I’ve got left to sustain his torture.
“Six-ish.”
I smile. “Ish,” I mimic. I hope there’s not too much...ish about it. “I love you, lady.”
“I know you do.” She hangs up, and I stare at the wall of shiny wooden lockers, chewing my bottom lip.Myplace? I thought the debate over our living arrangements had been agreed. Obviously, I was mistaken.
I need to fix that.
But first I need to sweat. I stand and start ripping my suit off, grumbling and grunting as I do, my mind constantly wandering to who Ava has her appointment with. Fuck me, I’m itching to call Freja and pick her brain, but I think I’ve just well and truly burned my bridges there. “Fuck it.” I stuff my feet into my trainers, pull on some shorts, grab a racket, and head to the courts to smack balls at thin air.
Then I’ll swim.
Then I’ll sweat in the sauna.
Then I might take my bike out for a few hours.
I shake my head to myself as I stalk through The Manor, thinking about what I used to do with my time pre-Ava. Sleep. Recover. Drink. Fuck.
Hide.
And repeat.
I get to the courts and flex my battered hand, trying to get a decent grip of the racket. The swelling has subsided, the purple fading to yellow, but I’m not exactly ready for Wimbledon. I switch my racket to my other hand and start to devise a plan that’ll make the most of Ava’s and my time together this evening. It involves constant contact. I’m aching for her, every moment away from her hurting me.
Dependency.
She’s a different kind of addiction. Not as unhealthy, though. Not for me. But for Ava?
I grunt as I smash the ball over the net and check the time. One more hour down.
I swim one hundred lengths of the pool.
Another hour down.
I go to the sauna and sweat, but the silence beats me after just ten minutes, and I have to abandon that idea.
I head for the changing room and get in the shower, plotting my next time-killing exercise. A nice ride in the countryside. Then I’ll go get Ava a key cut for my apartment. Then I’ll go to the supermarket and stock up on chocolate spread and squirty cream. Then I’ll go home. Get comfy on the couch and wait for the glorious moment she walks through the front door. When she gets home to me. My stomach turns at the prospect of enduring this every working day of the week. Weekends won’t be a problem, of course, because she’ll be attached to me.
I reach for a towel and rub at my face, turning toward the lockers. I find Sarah blocking my way. I’m never usually shy. I never usually feel exposed when naked in front of her. She’s seen me more naked than dressed over the years, always the first to storm my private suite in the morning to kick out any women who had fallen into my bed. And yet now, I feel extremely uncomfortable.
I hold the bunched towel over my groin and get a raised brow. I ignore it and step out. “Do you mind?” I ask, shuffling awkwardly around her.
She laughs. “Juliette will be here in an hour.”
“Who?”
“Your personal bank manager.”
“What?”
“Annual verifications? I did tell you this morning.”
Fuck. My plans go to shit in the blink of an eye. “How long will it take?”
“I don’t know. It takes as long as it takes.”
