AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was not in any way interested in speaking to James Eastwood. My Uncle Jonathan’s communication is sparse. I decide to reach out to my uncle first.
Great catching up with you. I have some time next week. I can bring Ava with me. You haven’t seen her since Henry’s funeral. Maybe we can sit in on one of your lectures.
My uncle is a vociferous speaker and hearing him speak on various subjects always interested me as a curious kid.
No sooner than I place my phone down does a notification sound.
Actually, that may not be feasible. I’ll let you know a better time for the three of us to meet.
“What’s wrong?” Ava asks. “You’re frowning.”
I show her the text exchange between Uncle Jonathan and me. “It’s odd. Normally, he’d jump at the chance to see us.”
“Maybe he’s busy with the students or something. You said he’d be a here for a while longer, so no rush,” Ava says. She sits her laptop on the coffee table and turns to me.
“I think you should take a break,” she says, moving my phone and laptop to join hers on the table.
“Oh really? Since when are you in charge?”
“Since right now,” she says, leaning down to kiss me. Ava’s hips grind on my lap, and all thoughts of the strange texts from my uncle are gone.
I used to credit myself as a man who’s always in control, but spending so much time with Ava makes me realize every man has his downfall and, for me, it’s aways going to be her.
“I wish we could just stay in bed,” Ava says. Her warm breath on my neck feels too good, but we need to get going before we’re late. “I should just tell Asher I’m sick. That way you and I can stay here.”
Much as I’d like to go along with Ava’s ruse, I know my friend, and that excuse would not fly. “You know how your brother is. Either he’d stop by here with soup and enough Nyquil to supply all of Manhattan, or at the very least, he’d send one of his assistants to your apartment.”
I shift to my side in time to see Ava pout. “Ugh, you’re right. Asher would do that.”
“Oh, poor you. You have a brother that loves you too much,” I tease.
Ava crosses her arms in mock annoyance. “You’re right, okay? I guess there are certainly worse things. Ash is a damn good big brother.”
“Yes, he is,” I say, thinking that he’s also a damn good friend, and he’d be hurt knowing that I went behind his back and started hooking up with his sister.
“I guess I shouldn’t break our tradition of lunch at Bartholomew’s. We try to meet up at least every two weeks,” Ava informs me.
“Be grateful that you two can do this. Some of us grew up without any siblings,” I say.
Ava sits up at my words. I didn’t mean to be that honest, but something about being tucked into Ava’s bed this morning makes me start tattling like I’m at a therapy session.
“I’m sorry you grew up without any brothers or sisters,” she says, cupping my jawline. “Even though I have Asher, it would have been nice having someone close to my age. One day when I have kids, hopefully, they’ll be able to grow up together.”
Ava talking about kids throws me for a second. I can see her as anutterlyamazing mother, but I don’t know where I fit in that picture with my job that usually has me working nocturnal hours or traveling at a moment’s notice to accompany clients.
I hate the idea of being the uncle figure her future children saw at holiday times, if I was lucky, while some other man got to have Ava anytime he wanted.
“Brandon, are you alright? You’re fisting my poor sheet,” Ava says, looking down at my hand balled up into a fist at the image of Ava moving on with some other man.
I’m losing it over something that hasn’t even happened and is a hypothetical scenario.
“I’m fine,” I say, releasing the innocent sheet and standing up, pulling Ava to the edge of the bed.
I stand between her legs. “Maybe a shower with me can be an incentive?”
Ava’s cheeks redden at my suggestion before she stands to her full height and grasps my hand.
“You know how to bargain,” she says, pulling me along with her.
