All Chapters of Ava, My Heart: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Late afternoon sun poured through the hospital windows, as Alexander lay in his private ward, alone for the first time in hours. Ava had gone home to freshen up, to bring a few things he’d asked for…his cologne, a change of clothes, and her presence. He missed her already. Alexander exhaled slowly, the leather file in his hand slipping slightly as he read over the figures. His assistant had just left, after running him through a few pressing reports that couldn’t wait, even if he’d been stabbed. Business didn’t stop. Not for blood. Not for pain. He sat up slightly, the bandages tugging at his side. His bare chest was still firm, a light sheen of sweat from pushing himself to stay alert. He flipped a page when the door opened. A nurse stepped in. Young. Curvy. Confident. She smiled. “Time for your medication, Mr. Reed,” she said lightly, then closed the door behind her. Alexander barely glanced up. “Sure.” He rolled his arm toward her as she approached, syringe in hand. She

The morning air was still cool when Ava rolled the car into the driveway. She glanced at Alexander beside her. He hadn’t said much during the drive…just held her hand across the console, fingers curled tight around hers like he was afraid she’d vanish.She parked.“I’ll help you inside,” she said, reaching for her door.“No,” Alexander said, already moving. “I’ll walk.”She blinked. “Alex…”“I’ve got it.”And he did. Slowly. Steadily. He stepped out, straightened up, and walked toward the house like a man determined to reclaim something. His pace wasn’t fast, but his back was straight, and his jaw was set. Ava walked a few steps behind him, just in case.He reached the front steps, unlocked the door, and went straight for the chair by the window…his favorite one. The moment he settled into it, his body sank, like it was finally allowed to relax.He let out a breath. “God… it feels good to be home.”Ava smiled, soft and real. “You sure you don’t want me to carry you next time?”He smir

Deirdre slammed her spoon on the edge of her bowl. Soup sloshed against the rim."That’s it," she muttered.She stood up, shoved her chair back with a loud scrape, and stormed out of the dining room. Her heels clacked sharply against the floor as she moved, every step louder than necessary."Alexander!"He heard her coming. He didn’t flinch.Ava still sat beside him, her head on his chest, hands clutched in his. Her eyes were closed like she was bracing herself.The door burst open."Alexander, I have had enough of this sulking!"Deirdre stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips, face twisted in that tight, scornful look she wore too often around Ava. Her lipstick looked too red, too forced. Her perfectly curled hair trembled with her fury.He didn’t move."Lunch is cold!" she snapped. "And you’re sitting here like a child sulking in his room? What is wrong with you?"He gently let go of Ava’s hand and stood up. Slowly. Carefully. But when he spoke, his voice was sharp."What’s wron

Alexander and his friends were in the living room later that night, controllers in hand, trash-talking each other like they were back in their college dorms. The PS5 had this low hum, the flat screen flashing with color as their characters shot across the battlefield. Every now and then, someone cursed or cheered loudly, and laughter bounced off the walls.Ava had cleaned up the dining area by herself. She’d waved off Jake when he offered to help. She needed the distraction. She needed something normal to do with her hands. Something calm.The smell of lemon and garlic still clung faintly to the air, but the warmth of the evening had cooled down. The adrenaline from earlier had worn off, and Ava’s muscles were aching a little.She wiped her damp hands on a dish towel and paused at the hallway. Something tugged at her.She didn’t want to do it. She really didn’t. But she also couldn’t ignore it.Deirdre.The guest room door was shut. Not locked. Ava stood in front of it for a second. S

The knock came when Ava was halfway through tying her hair.She paused, elastic between her fingers, then glanced at Alexander. He was standing by the dresser, pulling on a clean T-shirt, moving slower than usual because of his side.“I’ll get it,” she said.He nodded, distracted, still focused on his ribs.Ava padded to the door barefoot and opened it without thinking. A delivery guy stood there holding a medium-sized box, brown paper wrapping, a neat white card taped to the top.“Delivery for Alexander Reed.”“That’s us,” Ava said, smiling. “Thank you.”She closed the door with her hip and carried the box into the room, already curious. It wasn’t heavy. It smelled… nice. Soft. Sweet.She set it on the bed.Alexander turned.The second his eyes landed on the box, something in him snapped.“No,” he said sharply.Ava blinked. “What?”“Don’t open that.”She laughed a little, confused. “Relax. It’s probably a gift. You get packages all the time.”“Ava,” he said louder now, crossing the r