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“Good, frazzled, I don’t know. Did you guys know Andy won this significant award?”
We both look at each other and shrug our shoulders.
“I’ll take that silence as a no,” Luna concurs, her breathing unusually heavy over the speaker. “I’m flying out tomorrow but want to organize an intimate dinner for tomorrow night. Just Andy, my parents, Nikki and Rocky, and you guys if you’re free?”
“We’ll be there,” Ava confirms, then closes her eyes momentarily while scowling. “See you then.”
She hangs up the call then lifts her eyes to meet mine.
“Okay, I’m sorry I just assumed you were free or would want to go.”
“It’s fine,” I assure her. “Andy deserves to celebrate his success.”
“Are you sure? I mean, it’s not like a date. We’re going as friends of Andy’s. Well, I’m his cousin, but you know what I mean,” she rushes nervously.
I rub my chin while continuing to lean against the wall. My eyes fixate on her, and notably, she can’t seem to sit still, fidgeting with her jewelry.
“You seem nervous? Is there something on your mind that you want to share?”
“No…” Ava shakes her head vigorously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“Okay. It just seems like you’re kind of awkward around me.” I lower my gaze, hiding my smirk, waiting for her filter to disappear.
“Addy thinks I’m falling in love with you.”
And there it is…
With a dazed stare, my posture stiffens. At the same time, a tightness inside my chest restricts my ability to breathe at a normal pace.
Fuck, I didn’t see that coming.
“And Will thinks we’re going to get married.”
It’s just one explosion after another, detonating while leaving me speechless. I practice my methods to remain calm, trying to think logically about everything Ava just blurted out.
When the shock begins to wear off, my eyes narrow as they fall upon Ava with a grimace.
“That’s a lot of opinions from people who aren’t in our shoes, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” Ava mutters, then glances sideways. “You asked for the truth. There it is.”
I expected neither one of those things to come out of Ava’s mouth. But now, I’m presented with a bigger problem.
Does Ava feel this way?
Sure, the thought has crossed my mind. There are feelings, though probably clouded because having a child together can evoke so many emotions. Is it love? Who the fuck knows. The last time I claimed to ‘love’ someone, I was severely burnt.
And I refuse to go through that again, not if I have a say in the matter.
“So, tell me, Ava. Do you believe them?”
The question is weighted, but so is having a child together. We can’t keep bending the rules or fooling around like we are fuck buddies or whatever people call them now. The one who will hurt the most from our fleeting actions will be our child.
“I like being around you,” Ava says faintly like she’s actually careful with her words for once. “It’s just so easy between us. I mean, you know, when we’re not fucking each other’s brains out.”
Cocking my head, I’m unable to hide my smile. “I feel the same.”
“I don’t know what love is, but I do know this baby will be incredibly loved.”
