113The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the picturesque Greek landscape. They followed the winding trail, surrounded by vibrant wildflowers and the sweet scent of nature.They had snuck out of the hotel, hoping Kim on her trip to the saloon wouldn't find out. Sebastian had paid for the manicure and pedicure in a bid to get her out and give him and Ava enough time together."Can you believe how beautiful this place is?" Ava exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with awe.Sebastian nodded, a wide smile spreading across his face. "It's absolutely incredible, Ava. Greece never fails to amaze me."They continued their hike, taking in the breathtaking views around them. The azure sea stretched out endlessly, merging with the clear blue sky on the horizon. It was a sight that seemed straight out of a postcard.As they reached the summit of the little hill, they found a cozy spot to rest. Seating themselves on a moss-covered rock, they took in the serene beauty before them.Ava tur
114Asher had already placed his hand on the door knob and was about to the door open when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and saw an unfamiliar figure, dressed in black suit and dark shades."Are you Asher? Asher Smith?" He asked not bothering with an hello."Who are you?" Asher asked returning the energy."Are you Asher or not?" He repeated a bit louder.Curiosity got the better part of Asher and he replied."I am Asher. Who are you and why are you looking for me?""Have this" He thrusts an envelope to his chest. "I am Sebastian's Personal Assistant. He sent....""Sebastian, as in Ava's friend?" He interrupted."Yes. That is a flight ticket to Greece" He nodded at the envelope. "He asked me to deliver it to you.""What?" Asher was speechless. "Flight ticket to Greece? For me?""Yes boy, it is for you." He said with a crack of smile at Asher's shocked face. "Got to go, see you around!" He said as he turned and jogged down the stairs.Immediately the man zoomed off in hi
115Asher stood in the bustling airport, anticipation coursing through his veins. The moments leading up to this point had been filled with excitement and preparation. Now, the time had arrived for him to finally board the plane that would take him to Greece, where Kim awaited his arrival.He handed his boarding pass to the flight attendant, Asher glanced at the departure gate number, confirming that he was in the right place. The familiar buzz of the airport echoed in his ears, a reminder of the journey he was about to embark upon.He settled into his seat on the plane, Asher's thoughts drifted to the adventures that awaited him. Images of breathtaking landscapes, ancient ruins, and the warm embrace of Kim danced in his mind.The hum of the engines and the gentle vibration of the plane provided a sense of comfort, as if the aircraft itself was urging him forward into the unknown.Settling in, he covered his eyes with the blindfold. He had already told Kim he where he was touching dow
Chapter 116"Everyone, meet my boyfriend, Asher." She said as she went back to his side. "Asher, this is my sister, Ava, and Sebastian, her boyfriend." "Hello, Sebastian, and thank you for bringing me here." He said as they shook hands. "Hello Asher, nice to see you." He replied."Hello, Ava. I have heard a lot about you." "Hi, Asher. She has told me plenty about you too." She smiled. "It is nice to finally meet you.""The pleasure is all mine" he grinned as he took a seat. "Sebastian" Kim called. "Yes, Kim." He answered."Thank you so much. Now, I believe you really love my sis.""Of course, Kim, I have always loved her." He answered, his face screwed up in a frown. Sure love was a farfetched word but as long as it got him the results he wanted, Kim culd believe whatever she wanted. Ava smiled and shook her head. "Kim, you know he loves me, but you are just too stubborn to see that.""The important thing is, I believe him now." She shrugged. "You better take very good care of h
“So, what happens now?” Ava asked, staring into the green eyes of Sebastian which were wide awake. He kept smiling as he looked into her face, thinking about the way their funny story had happened, and where they currently were right now.“Ermm. Right now, I’m famished. How about we get something to eat?” Sebastian asked, withdrawing from the bed and heading towards the bathroom. Ava nodded, lying in bed for him as he freshened up for the morning. She wondered what was going to be her fate now that both she and Sebastian had had sex. It would be so obvious to him now that she is in love with him, and she was still very afraid that Sebastian did not share in this emotion with her.Her emotions were clouded within her own body, struggling to see which path she was jeering towards. And, if the path was right at all or not. She decided to not think about it all, and just emulate her own sister who was always free and direct with whatever actions she took. Some of these days, Ava would bec
“Darling, I just can’t seem to get over you. You look new to me, always.” Sebastian’s dad said, fondling his wife’s arm as they both drove off to Santorini to enjoy each other. They had planned on heading to the Acropolis, but the mom had thought against it, saying what she wanted right now was the beautiful sight of the beach. She wanted somewhere cool where she can feel relaxed, and where the waves of the sea can make her feel comfortable. And, that’s exactly Santorini. Santorini was not a place they had both just learned about. In fact, it was part of the places they had resolved to go to immediately they entered Greece, but some other plans had to cross it out. So, now that they were heading to the beach, one could assume how anxious they were to see the so-called beach everyone had talked about.“Awwn. This place is so beautiful. More beautiful than the way it has been described too.” She said, drawing her husband towards himself, patting his back softly. He cooed gently as the
Chapter 119“Shouldn’t we spice this thing up?” Sebastian asked Ava, fondling his arms around her waist. He trailed kisses around her neck, watching as Ava moaned down under his lips. The voice of her moans was lustful that it turned him on. He was right afterward. There was something very special about how Ava made her feel that no other girl had made him feel before. It felt special that it tingled his sensation.“How?” Ava asked, turning to Sebastian to see his face properly. She was a little bit shorter than he was, so it was easy for her to look up to him and read his lips for how it moved and formed. “Let’s go out and spend some time together. I mean, we still have more places to explore in Greece.” Sebastian replied, holding up Ava’s cheeks as he slurred through his words one by one. “What are we going to tell Kim? You of all people should know how sneaky she can be sometimes.” Ava said as she unwrapped herself from Sebastian’s grips. She paced slowly around the room before s
“So, where are we heading to?” Asher asked, tagging behind Kim who kept on telling him to follow her from behind. She waved down a car by the streets, and gave them the address of a particular location where Asher knew nothing about.“Yes.” Kim responded the cab driver who had asked her to confirm the details of her destination once again. She opened the door, pushing Asher right into it and entering it herself too.“Why does the place sound so local?” Asher asked, expressing his disapproval in the open. He had probably expected a lot seeing how much Asher had bragged about the places Ava and Sebastian had been to together, and how interesting those places were. It bored him knowing that Kim had only exaggerated the experience after all.“Do you no longer trust me?” Kim asked again, wondering why Asher would not simply trust her and kept on grumbling over and over again beside her ears.“I do, but….”“You can just not go if you don’t want to. It’s not new to meagain, so I can simply g
One month laterThe wedding had been a splendid affair and from the start, Ava was practically forbidden from lifting a finger for herself by Kim, Renee, Violet, and the flock of servants at her disposal due to how heavy she had become and she resorted to staying put unless she risked the ire of the women helping her dress up. Sebastian had planned a proposal with the rest of their friends leaving her in the dark. It was unexpected and it felt real and different this time around, they had come through so many difficulties and they both knew it was the right time to make it all real this time around.At the stroke of midnight on her wedding, Ava was standing at the entrance of the hall already adorned with palatial decorations with cascading floral arrangements hanging from every side of the grand room, sparkling white chandeliers hung high above with delicate draperies completing the settings designed to evoke an atmosphere filled with love and warmth. A group of violinists was posit
It’s been two months since Sebastian was released from the hospital and Ava moved into the mansion with him. The penthouse held too many hurtful memories and she wasn’t eager to go back there and be plagued by nightmares during her sleep. Jake’s trial hadn’t taken a lot of time either, there was a ton of insurmountable evidence against him and the jury didn’t take much liking to him either, or the judge. In reality, no one was going to take the side of a journalist with murderous intentions over New York’s most desirable couple. Their return to the spotlight had been a field day in the media world especially as articles and gossip about their breakup had been going on for a while now, their appearance together had all but quietened every rumor going on about them. Ava was becoming used to being pregnant and after a few weeks of tedious work down at the agency, she had gone on maternity leave that would run well into a few months after she gave birth.One of her favorite parts of be
Damian looked back and forth between Ava and Sebastian and it was pretty obvious that they had eyes for just each other right now, everything else faded into the background. He didn’t need any further clue, his time here was up.“I believe it’s best I give you both some space to talk things through.” Damian cleared his throat, gave Sebastian a nod, and patted Ava’s shoulders as he walked past her. “Do you think they’re going to be fine?” Violet asked Damian as soon as he got to the door. Sebastian spared them a glance over his shoulder before returning his gaze to Violet. “I can’t possibly say for sure but if what I noticed between them was true then we’ve got nothing to worry about.As soon as Ava heard the door shut behind her, she walked towards the bed, maintaining a friendly distance as she pulled out a chair and sat on it. Sebastian didn’t know how to start tackling their issues so he decided to make small talk first, it always worked for him and he was hoping that it wouldn
Ava made her way outside the building and towards the parking lot, it was lonely, just how she wanted it to be. She didn’t want any disturbance or interference from anyone. All Ava had wanted was for Sebastian to wake up from his coma. She spent days at his bedside, urging him to come back to her and he eventually did but she ran. There was no telling why she ran and she didn’t even have any logical explanation as to why she did it, the only thing she could say is that she was scared shitless and that was all she could say. She would eventually have to go back and talk to him afterward but she didn’t know if she could bring herself to do it. “Hey, sis.” Ava looked up to see Kim walking towards her flanked on either side by Renee and Violet, they all wore worried expressions on their faces and she could tell from their hesitation that they didn’t know if they should come any closer or maintain a healthy distance. “How did you guys find me?” Ava asked, her eyes were fixed to the g
“I’m only trying to look out for you,” Kim sighed. “I’m tired of seeing you crying after a couple of months where you think you’re in love and your troubles are behind you. It hurts me as much as it hurts you, Ava.” “I know,” Ava smiled sadly. Kim was right, she’d always been eager to jump right back into it without putting provisions in place in case her assumed fairytale moment didn’t come to pass. But things were different this time around, she had been through a lot and as a result, she’d been forced to put herself first for now before anyone else and if anything was going to happen, she would be the last person to instigate anything. She’d done enough and it wasn’t going to work, she wasn’t going to invest her time lifting a finger. She’s done enough already. “Things aren’t going to be the way it once was. I promise you that.”“Tell me you’re sure you know what you’re doing?” Kim nibbled on her lower lip. “I can’t promise you I know what I’m doing, Kim. But my heart is in the
“You really should stop feeling this way and making us feel like we’re strangers as well,” Kim frowned. “We’re here because we love and care about you, that’s the truth. You’re part of our lives so I don’t see how you keep interfering in what you’re a major part of. You’ve got to accept that so you’d stop feeling like you owe us something because you don’t.”Ava sighed. “Okay, you’re right and I’m sorry for feeling this way. It’s unusual to see a lot of people wanting to help me at the same time and that’s why I reacted that way,” “It’s okay, we don’t hold it against you. We know your past and how you’re still getting used to a couple of good gestures. Kim suffers from the same problem as well.” Violet assured her. “So, you mentioned that Sebastian woke up a while ago?” Kim asked, eager to steer the conversation away from their childhood. She wasn’t prepared to visit memories that she had worked so hard to repress. “Yes, he did. He wasn’t a hundred percent conscious and the doctors
Ava walked back into the hospital room as soon as the doctor mentioned it was okay for her to return. She walked back into the room to see Sebastian soundly asleep. “Is everything alright, doctor?” Ava sounded worried. “Did he go to sleep on his own or did he pass out?”“We gave him a sedative to keep him under for a couple of hours until he regains his full strength, he should feel much after he wakes up this time around and that’s what we’re hoping for. When that happens, we can then begin the final stage of his recovery process.” Ava nodded. “Thank you, doctor. We’re so grateful for the help you’ve rendered.”“It’s my pleasure to help. I’ve known Sebastian since we were both boys and my father has been the Bancroft’s family doctor for decades. He’s like family to me as well.” “Do I need to call you guys once he wakes up?” Ava asked, her eyes fixed on Sebastian. “You don’t need to, we’d be counting down the hours ourselves and carrying out checkups before midnight. You’ve got no
It’s been a week since the ugly incident and Sebastian hadn’t woken up yet. Ava was struggling to pull it together but she knew she didn’t have any other option, she couldn’t afford to break down right now not when she had to look after herself and the baby as well given the fact that the pregnancy was entering into its crucial phase.The doctor urged her to give him time and be patient till he decided to come around. His vitals were good and his condition was improving, he was going to wake up any moment from now, the doctor would always say giving her a warm smile in return. The conviction in his voice always seemed to calm Ava’s nerves so she waited calmly until Sebastian decided to come around.She was in his hospital room, sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed, her knees were pulled up under her chin with her face buried between a historical romance novel by Nora Roberts. Reading helped her calm down and forget her worries and she’d been doing a lot of it during the past f
“Life isn’t meant to be fair to everyone,” Damian offered Ava a soft smile. “It’s just the way life is and we’ve got to make the best out of what we’re given.”“Sebastian doesn’t deserve this,” Ava grumbled.“No one does but shit happens.” Damian shuffled his feet as he struggled to find a comfortable situation. “Do you think he’s going to come out of this? Be honest with me. I could use that right now if you don’t mind.”“Sebastian’s tough as nails. He’s one of the most stubborn men I’ve ever met and if there’s anyone I know who’s going to come out of this, it’s Sebastian.”“Thank you, Damian.” Ava rubbed her arms, trying to calm her nerves. “You’re welcome. If there’s anything you need, please, do not hesitate to inform me.”“I’m good. Besides, I have a lot of people doting on me already and you have work to do.” “If you say so but I’m still here if you need anything.”“I should’ve done this a long time ago but I want to thank you for talking to Sebastian and managing to convince