She rolls her eyes. “You don’t have to worry about those anymore.”
“Hard habit to break.” I smirk, both hating and enjoying how easy this is between us. So easy, it’s downright painful. “Ava, what the fuck are we doing?”
“You want to know what I’m doing?” She raises her brows.
“Tell me.”
“Waiting for an apology.”
I contemplate her, knowing she wants that apology from me. What I’ve done, how stubborn I’ve been, has only made me suffer. I’ve made Ava suffer as well, and that is getting us absolutely nowhere.
Well fuck it. I need to rectify things between us.
Now.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
Her expression alights with hope. “For what?”
My girl is going to make this hard for me, isn’t she?
“For making you choose. For not being supportive. For being an asshole. For ending us, all because of my selfishness. For making you miserable. For making both of us miserable.” I could rattle off a few more reasons, but Ava doesn’t let me.
She’s too busy tackle hugging me.
That’s it. That’s all she does. Just wraps those arms around my middle and clings to me. I return the hug, my arms coming around her as I rest my face in her fragrant hair. The scent of her shampoo is familiar, sending a wave of reassurance through me that tells me I did the right thing.
I’ve got my girl back in my arms.
She presses her face against my chest, all snug and warm. We stand there for I don’t know how long, just holding onto each other, until finally, slowly, she pulls away so she can look up at me. She keeps her arms around me and I do the same to her.
“Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear.”
Then she does the craziest thing.
Ava pulls out of my embrace completely, a mysterious little smile playing upon her lips. She turns and starts to walk away, my gaze falling to her ass, watching it shift and move beneath the denim shorts that show off her long, sexy legs. She glances over her shoulder, her expression sexy as fuck, her eyes full of mischief.
Just before she faces forward and keeps walking.
Away from me.
What the hell?
I run a shaky hand through my hair, mind boggled. I spot Ellie sitting on a couch alone, Ava passing right by her, and Ellie watches her go with confusion clouding her face. Looks like I’m not the only one who’s thrown.
Like the pussy-whipped fucker I truly am, I follow after Ava, losing sight of her for a second when I get into the house, only to spot her pretty blonde head start for the staircase. I go to the stairs myself and race down them, my heart pumping, my skin literally tingling with anticipation.
My girl is making me chase her, and fuck me, I like it.
She walks into the main living area, which is crowded with a variety of bodies, many of them in costumes. Some of them even wearing masks. I hear people call out my name, but I ignore them, too intent on keeping track of Ava. Not wanting to lose sight of her for even a second.
I stay back as I trail her, though all she has to do is turn and see me. She never does, though. It’s as if she can sense my presence and is confident that I’m right there, following her every step.
Which I am. She has me all figured out.
Ava heads into the kitchen, where she’s embraced by Hayden and Gracie, who are settled in at the giant granite kitchen counter. They offer her a drink, and she declines. They pass her some weird looking appetizer and she takes a bite, her tongue sneaking out to lick a stray crumb still clinging to the corner of her lip.
My body aches at seeing her tongue. Hearing her laugh. Watching her flip her shiny hair over her shoulder.