*Ava*The cops ask me a multitude of questions, and I do my best to answer them. It’s frustrating trying to explain everything. I insist that Noah took me from my office, that someone was supposed to be watching over me. Even with all the precautions we still ended up in this situation.The female cop talking to me, who tells me her name is Kierra, is patient. “You’ve been through some serious trauma. I want you to take your time talking to me because otherwise, we’ll miss important details. Can you do that, Ava?” Her voice is soft, and I can see in her eyes, and posture, that she truly wants things to be easier for me. I have my hand still wrapped in Liam’s, but Kierra’s encouraging words surrounding the other cops listening make things easier.We only talk for about ten minutes, Liam insisting after that he’s taking me straight home. “If you’d like to talk to Ava anymore, then come back to my place and you can ask your questions there.”Hearing Liam think of me like that,
*Ava*Two days. Two days and I still haven’t returned to EduRide.I can’t stomach the idea of walking past the bathroom, remembering when Noah jumped me there. How could anyone jump me there?Memories of the bathroom lead to memories of the warehouse and suddenly, I can’t breathe.Maybe it would be different if they’d caught Catherine. But no, she’d gotten away.A dark shadow left to lurk in the corners of my life.Lilian understands, though, and told me to take my time coming back to work.Noah made a plea bargain and is now sitting in prison for kidnapping me. He’s going to spend less time in prison than I want, but I suppose a few years is better than nothing. I just don’t like that he can get out early for good behavior.I shudder, thinking of him trying to kiss me. I’m glad I bit him.“Hey, baby, are you okay?” Liam asks, crossing to the sofa with a tray of hot cocoa.This man always knows what I need. And hot cocoa with a smiley face in marshmallows shakes me
*Ava*My arms have fallen asleep.I peek my eyes open and follow the long line of one arm as it goes up over my head, and realize I’m tied to the headboard.Panic gives way quickly to a blush of embarrassment. Ah yes, we did that last night.My blush deepens when I remember it in detail, Liam tormenting me while my wrists were tied to the bottom of the headboard with my own scarves. We must have both fallen asleep without remembering to untie me.I wiggle my arms and blood begins to circulate again. I can probably get out of this – I’m only loosely tied – but I don’t want to wreck my nice scarves and besides, I want to see Liam’s reaction when he wakes up and sees me like this.Since he isn’t awake yet, I take the opportunity to watch the rise and fall of his muscular chest and memorize every line of his face. He looks so peaceful in sleep.As though he can feel my eyes on him, Liam wakes with a yawn. His eyes lazily wander my body up and down, flaring with desire when he
*Ava***TWO WEEKS LATER**“Dad,” I say, sighing into the phone as I pace our new New York townhouse kitchen. “Calm down.”“I will not! What do you mean ‘I moved in with Liam’? The man’s old enough to be your father!” my father shouts.I hold the phone away from my ear. I probably could have heard him from Chicago without it. “Ouch, Dad, that was loud. And we already established that yes, Liam is a little older than me…”“A little?! His daughter is your age!” my dad continues fuming.“Yes…” I reply with failing patience. “And that’s kind of how we met…”“‘Kind of’?” my father echoes.I swallow. Maybe if he understands the context, he’ll be more okay with our relationship. After all, Mindy and he met at a mutual friend’s party. “Well, you see, there was this party…” I lay it out for him.“He called you another woman’s name and you’re still with him?” my dad grumps.Now I know he’s just trying to poke holes in my balloon. “Dad, I really thought you were over this. If y
AvaI'm weaving through this sprawling mansion, and I swear it's a maze designed to keep people lost. My bladder is about to stage a mutiny, and I can't find a bathroom to save my life. Emma got me this gig as a favor, and I'm going to ruin it by pissing myself in the middle of a hallway. My usual bartending job is a dive compared to this place, and not just because I have made double what I would typically make in tips.The hallway is bordering on opulent, with chandeliers hanging from above and navy wallpaper that just screams money. Every door I have passed in my search for a toilet has had a gold handle—and I think they're actual gold. I wince, doing a little shuffle as I pry open the next door and find another bedroom, my bladder’s insistence interrupting my admiration again.I spot the tub through the open door and chew my lower lip for a moment of contemplation. My bladder threatens me one more time, and I know there's no chance of me making it to the actual bathroom.Bo
AvaI can't believe what I just heard—my dad was arrested for murder?My mind races as I scramble to think clearly amidst the chaos of emotions. I've always considered myself level-headed, but this situation has thrown me through a loop. There was no way it was true, of course. My dad wouldn’t hurt a fly. I scramble to pull up flights for tonight on my phone, sitting in the dark parking outside the bar. There's a late-night flight leaving in a few hours, and without hesitation, I book it. I can't wait until morning to find out what's going on—I need to be there now. I have to take a large portion of my savings out to buy the plane ticket, but it has to be done.My heart pounding, I make the drive home like a bat out of hell and throw the essentials into a bag. Then, I hurry out of our apartment again, making my way to the airport as my mind races. I don't even notice the bustling atmosphere around me—people chatting, announcements over the intercom, the anticipation of departu
AvaEmma manages to pull off a miracle. She gets me in, and not only that, but she insists on taking me shopping for a dress. The gown she chooses is a floor-length masterpiece in a rich, royal blue that clings to my curves in a way that makes me feel both elegant and vulnerable. The low back is definitely more skin than I am accustomed to showing, but I can't honestly say I hate it."Seriously, Ava, you look incredible!" Emma exclaims, her eyes sparkling with excitement.I twist and turn in front of the mirror, still getting used to the sight of myself in such a glamorous ensemble. "I don't know about incredible, but it's definitely ... something."“Something” being that the price tag is worth at least two of my regular paychecks.Emma rolls her eyes playfully. "Don't be modest. You're going to turn heads tonight."I hope so, considering that's the whole point of tonight's excursion. Being added to the guest list of this event means I am effectively trying to become som
AvaI toss and turn in my bed, unable to sleep, the thoughts of Liam swirling around in my mind. He was so kind, and God, he’d looked so good last night—thoughts of his lips against mine are eating away at me. I try to stop thinking about him—aggressively, even—but if it isn’t him, I’m obsessively thinking about how my dad is. It’s not like I can afford to take off to Chicago again, but I can’t get the image of him, so sad and alone, out of my head. I groan, burying my face in my pillow and praying for sleep. It’s too much—all of this is such a mess, and I am so tired.I don’t even notice when I fall asleep until I wake up with the sunrise, still feeling every bit like an exhausted college student.Enough is enough.My hands are clammy as I glance at the clock, wondering if it's too early to call. Seven in the morning isn’t a bad time, right? Theoretically, it’s before most people go to work, so…My thumb hesitates over the contact before following through, and I blow out