*Ava*My breath is taken away, words failing me. I can’t believe Liam’s brought me to Vermont. The weather’s finally warm enough here that Vermont is green and lush. I’ve always known Vermont was this absolutely gorgeous state. But to be here in person with the changing weather, seeing the flowers, trees, and green well-trimmed grass, is another thing entirely. We land in Burlington, and Liam tells me we’re going to stay a night here before we go to Woodstock tomorrow. “We can explore the city a bit, check out the scenery.” I hold in all the squeals I want to let burst from my chest. The thought Liam’s put into this weekend makes me want to melt into a puddle. It’s all so surreal. “We’ll stay in a more secluded area tomorrow, but for tonight, I have reservations at an inn.” I shake my head in disbelief. “This is all so insane.” I touch Liam’s arm. “Thank you for this.” His eyes are warm as he hides a smile on his own face. “Of course.” There is a car waiting for
*Ava*I awaken to the smell of bacon and eggs, and see that Liam is pushing a cart into the room with lids covering each plate. “What’s this?” I ask sleepily. “Just some breakfast to start the day,” he replies. It’s not just some breakfast, it’s a whole gourmet breakfast – and it’s in bed. We eat together under the sheets, and Liam asks me about getting to Woodstock. “Do you want to drive or fly there?” I think about it, but it doesn’t take long to find my answer. “Drive. It’s only a couple of hours away, and it’ll be a pretty great view of the plants, wildlife, and flowers.” He nods. “I thought you might say something like that.” “What does that mean?” I try to tease. “Finish your breakfast and I’ll show you.” Once we’ve cleaned up, packed, changed, and checked out of the hotel, I see what Liam’s talking about. Outside waits a stunning convertible car. It’s sleek black paint with the retractable roof glistens in the morning sun. “You are incredibly
*Liam*I am ready to take this farmhouse down board by board. I consider throwing my phone at the wall, letting the image Mark sent me shatter with it, then hole up here for the rest of Ava and my natural lives.But that wouldn’t be fair to Ava.“What’s going on, Liam?” Ava asks, correctly reading my expression. I hate that I have to tell her this, I know how much this is going to hurt her.I sigh and bring the phone over to her, surprised the screen hasn’t cracked with how hard I’m holding it in my hand.Pulling my chair over to be side-by-side with Ava’s, I reveal the screen that had been hiding against my palm.Mark had sent me a screenshot of a text he received from James Kincaid. And it was blackmail.On Ava and me.Ava gasps and takes the phone from me, gripping it in shaking hands.A photo of me escorting Ava into my Lamborghini sits insidiously on the screen. The smile she’s giving me is not a ‘daughter’s best friend’ smile. And the smile I’m giving her is far
*Ava*When I get home, the apartment is empty, which is a godsend because I just can’t talk to anyone right now. Especially Emma.But just in case she should return, I hurry with my bag to my bedroom and close the door. I proceed to throw myself down on my bed and cry.There really is no help for it.I can’t imagine breaking up with Lucas, but I can see the consequences of our relationship unfolding before my eyes. Emma and my father will likely be furious. Maybe Emma will kick me out. Maybe my dad will stop accepting legal help. Maybe they’ll both stop speaking to me altogether.Then there’s the question of people thinking I fucked my way to the top of the food chain. I’ve worked hard and held down a job while going to school full-time. I’ve paid for my own tuition, knowing Dad wouldn’t have the money for it. When I was young, our financial situation was pretty rocky. Dad worked his way through that, but that doesn’t mean he had a lot left in the bank after saving his busine
*Liam*I button my charcoal, pinstripe vest and look in the mirror to tie my tie. If I was going into battle with James, I was going to make sure my armor was perfect.I shrug on my suit coat last and make my way to the elevator, taking it down from the penthouse to the garage. My town car and Lamborghini sit side-by-side. I choose the Lamborghini. It’s the one from the picture after all. If James can pull power moves, so can I.James, the cocky bastard, chose his own shitty restaurant for the meet. I think bitingly about accusing him of giving people salmonella poisoning, but that isn’t really fair to Chef Jaime, even though the creative Mexican fusion food did suck ass. Tastes like it, too.Maybe I’d just get the most expensive shot of tequila they had to throw in James’ face.I pull out smoothly into traffic and, sooner than I want to be, I’m at Dos Jaimes. I park my car – James wants to think his restaurant is high-end, but he doesn’t even have a valet. For a few momen
*Ava*“Do you love me?”Liam’s words cause my breath to catch. If I’d been driving, we would have swerved right off the road.“You’re asking that NOW?!” I cry.“Now’s the time,” Liam says. “And I really need an answer. Do you love me?”I shift in my seat. “That’s not the point.”“That’s exactly the point,” Liam replies firmly.“Liam, I do love you, but…” I begin.“Good,” Liam interrupts me. “I love you, too.”The expression on Liam’s face echoes the feeling in my heart. I can see that he was hoping for me to say that. My chest swells. My eyes mist.Liam looks as though I’ve made his life. Which is good, because he’s just made mine.“Now I can tell you how things went with James,” Liam says, his smile fading a bit.“You said it didn’t go well,” I remind him.“It went about as poorly as you’d expect. Maybe worse, actually. I ended up punching him,” Liam begins.“I’m sure he deserved it,” I say loyally.Liam chuckles. “He really did. He told me if I didn’t dr
*Ava*I’m starting to think I should have let Liam stay the night. At least then he would have been around to bolster my confidence about my interview today.As it is, I’m trying not to cry. It will ruin my make-up.Emma never came home last night. I’m worried about her and I feel guilty about the whole situation. I keep trying to think of how we could have navigated this better with her, and I come up blank every time.At least my blouse is perfect. And my shoes. And my jewelry. And my skirt. And my … I straighten my jacket. Now that’s perfect as well.I’m about to head out the door when my phone rings. Thinking it’s probably Liam wishing me luck, I answer without looking at the caller ID.It was a mistake.“Hey, beautiful. Answering on the first ring. I must rate higher than I thought with you,” James says once the line connects.My lips turn down in a grimace. “Fuck off, James. Lose my number.” I pull the phone away from my ear and move my thumb over the red “End” bu
*Ava*I stop short so suddenly that I think I’ll fall over. I wasn’t expecting the site in front of me: Emma, sitting on the couch, waiting for me. I’ve had so many emotions going through my mind from the last few days that I can’t even focus on a single one as I see my best friend. My first thought is that I’m shocked, but then it turns to happiness. Then confusion.Then, fear.A deep-seated, dark cloud forms over my head, creeping in on me.“Oh my God, Emma,” I finally find myself saying. But I don’t get a chance to say anything more. She holds up her hand, cutting me off before I’ve even thought of the next words to say to her. “No. It’s my turn to talk. You and my dad had your time, and now it’s mine. Now, please sit down so I can say my piece.”I don’t argue or hesitate with her. I immediately sit down on the loveseat across from Emma, obedient as ever. We face each other head-on, and I try to look as though I’m not about to burst from inside to outside. Her eyes a
*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
*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 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*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*It’s gotten much later, and the warehouse is mostly shrouded in darkness. Catherine and Noah refuse to turn on any lights. The only reason I can see anything at this point is because of the windows allowing moonlight through. There’s wood nailed to most of the windows, however, not allowing enough light through to really see well. The dilapidated building just stands silently.I’ve been doing everything to keep myself together. Hours of sitting in this chair have me sore in so many different places. My arms have gone numb at this point, same with my ass. My legs are screaming to stand, and my face is still tingling from the duct tape being ripped off. But it’s keeping myself from crying that’s been the most challenging.I refuse to give them the satisfaction of my tears, of my fear. These two really thought they could do this to me? Well, I won’t let them see me break. I’m nothing if not resourceful. Noah has been trying to talk to me, ask me questions, get my attention,
*Liam*Ava’s gone.The man I had guarding her didn’t notice anything. But when I went to pick her up, she didn’t answer my texts, didn’t show up, nothing.Now I’m on the verge of having an aneurysm, no clue if Ava’s safe, or…I swallow, knowing dwelling on the what-ifs is dangerous.The cameras in the lobby of her building have been tampered with. I spend a solid five minutes screaming at the man who’s supposed to be protecting her, but he just stands there, stoic, taking the insults and anger.It’s not very often I raise my voice like this. Keeping something of a cool head around others is important to me. Ava’s really been one of the only people I’ve allowed to see me lose even something of a temper.But the tail, Victor, just listens. He understands the severity of the situation, and when I finally take a breath and have nothing left to say, I point to the building. “Go find her!”He does what I say, and I groan, running my hands through my hair. I can’t believe this
*Ava*“Ah, Ava,” Catherine says, a bite to her tone. She’s wearing her Louis Vuitton heels, which I know from the flashes of red I can see when she walks. She wears a black tank top and a pair of black jeans to match, looking much more put together than Noah does in his dirty t-shirt and jeans. “It’s not nice to see you, but whatever.” Of all the people Noah could have brought into this, how did it end up being Catherine? They’re from completely different walks of my life. What would have brought them together in the first place?Even though I have no idea how she got here, I’m genuinely not even a little bit surprised Catherine has found a way to insert herself into something in my life that might benefit her. She was always very good at that.She continues talking, looking off to the side as if pulling from a memory. “But, I’m very happy you’re here. Now instead of trying to use your nothing father, I can use you. I mean, he was never worth anything to me. Good riddance to h
*Ava*Once I’ve gotten ready for work, I say goodbye to Liam.“I’ll have a tail on you while we figure all of this out. We’ll figure out this entire thing once and for all, put it all behind us,” Liam tells me before I’ve left the house. “I love you.”I kiss him, telling him I love him, too. Feeling more secure now, I head out to work feeling lighter. I don’t notice the tail Liam put on me, thankfully, which made it easier to concentrate on my work. If Lilian knows anything about my ‘tail,’ she doesn’t say anything. She treats today like any other day, which is … nice. I don’t want my job to know I have a stalker.Maybe I’ll meet Liam for lunch today. It would be nice not to eat alone.As though summoned by my thoughts, my work phone rings, and a familiar voice that seeps through me like warm honey comes on the line.“Hello, my love,” Liam says and I find myself blushing at my desk. “How is work going today?”“Liam!” I hiss into my phone, looking up to see Lilian just
*Ava*It feels good to get ready for work. I may still be staying at Liam’s, but it’s all temporary. I’d love to discuss staying here, but only if he wants to. I’m not sure how to broach the subject, honestly. But I wouldn’t have been able to get through any of this without him. So, somehow, I’m going to have to figure out my way to the question.Once I’ve reached the building, I look around for Noah. Since I’ve been in Chicago, I haven’t worried too much about him. But now that I’m back, I can’t stop wondering if he’s lurking around every corner. I don’t spot him anywhere. I check over my shoulder and try to notice anything suspicious periodically. Nothing. Maybe Liam really did scare him away. I wasn’t sure it could be done, but I’m glad I finally have a moment to exhale. One less thing to worry about. I get back into the swing of things, chatting it up with my co-workers, enjoying the work I’m doing. I’m feeling myself thaw little by little. It’s a great feeling, one I