"Maybe it's better for her to walk away now, Hugo. You're poisonous – whether you want it or not, you hurt and destroy people. You hurt everyone who cares for you. You hurt me in ways that I’d never even try to make you understand."
"It's different this time. I'm different this time. Ava matters."
“And I didn’t? Of course not.” He let out a laugh before shaking his head. “It was always about what you wanted, what you needed. Boohoo, poor Hugo St-John, his mother passed away and his father brought another woman home before her body was even cold.”
I took a step toward him, my fist ready. Whether I needed his help or not, one more word about my mother and he’d end up unconscious on her floor.
“Your childhood was a disaster full of pain, Hugo. I can appreciate that, but should you have stopped and thought even for one second about your pointless vendetta against me and the betrayal that my birth represented, you would have realized that I was never the enemy, but a victim, too.”
“I can’t make up for the past, Ethan. I can’t change it, but I can make sure it won't happen again.”
Ethan nodded silently. "Tell me how badly you want it, brother. Do you want it enough tobegfor it?"
I shook my head; he was goading me. I couldn’t blame him. I would have done the same to him. Ididthe same to him, and yet I couldn’t help being disappointed. Normally I would tell him to stuff it, but all I could think about was Ava and our child, and I refused to let my pride get in the way of us.
When I saw Marie’s face in the office, I knew that something terrible had happened.
As soon as I saw her on the floor, my heart stopped. It was at that moment, in the midst of that paralyzing fear, that I realized I would never be able to walk away from her.
For a few seconds, you could have heard a pin drop.
Finally, I spoke. "Is that what you want? For me to beg?"
He just stood there silently, challenging me.
"Very well," I agreed reluctantly and began to bend my right knee.
"Stop, Hugo, stop!" Ethan put his hand on my shoulder before my knee touched the floor. "I can't believe you would do that. Begging doesn't become you."
"I thought it was what you wanted."
Ethan raised his brow in confusion. "No, I thought I did but—I just thought it was the only thing you wouldn't do. I guess I’m not as sadistic as you are."
I sighed, staring at my brother. The constant battle of emotions was truly taking a toll on me. Honesty might unfortunately be the only way to Ethan’s conscience.
"You have no idea what Ava means to me," I admitted quietly.
Ethan made a hand gesture to me. "Tell me, then."
I couldn’t help but smile a little at that. "The version of Ava that is truly her is so hard to believe. I’ve met so many people and they had all been the same until this beautiful, highly erotic woman just showed up. And on top of being every man’s wet dream, she was highly intelligent, curious and so optimistic about life.” I rubbed the back of my neck. I was opening up, which was already something uncommon, but I was doing it to my brother for the first time. “Ava is one of a kind and she erased all the other women from my mind. She is…" I shrugged, burying my hands in my pockets.
He looked out of the window for a minute before turning to me. “What did you do?” he asked softly and I didn’t need him to tell me what he meant.
What had I done to hurt her yet again after she opened to me?
“I let the past influence my present. I let the assumption that she was too good to be true become a reality and when I finally understood what I had almost lost…” I swallowed painfully as the image of her on the floor flashed in my mind once more.
His eyes widened as his jaw dropped open. "You love her! It was so obvious and I missed it! I never thought this would ever happen. The guy with the cold, dead heart is in love!" He snorted. "There's a blockbuster for you."
I looked at him coldly. "I'm pleased that my predicament is amusing for you, Ethan."
Ethan waved his hand dismissively. "Do stop whining, Hugo.”
I glowered at him. “I’m not whining.”
“Sure, if you say so.” He sighed. “I'll back off, and before you think about thanking me, I'm not doing it for you–this is for Ava and the baby. What I think of you doesn't matter. I know that your money and connections will get her the best out there and she doesn't deserve anything less."
“I agree.” It was not the seal of approval I was looking for, but it would have to do.