Elena’s gasp rings loud throughout the room. “You didn’t hit him back did you?”
“Nah.” He shakes his head, picking up another forkful of potatoes and I breathe a sigh of relief that he hasn’t said anything. “Not until he punched Ava anyway.”
“Shit,” I mumble right before I hear several chairs scrape across the floor.
Tonight is not going to plan, at all.
“He what?” Ty thunders. “Charlie? You know about this?”
I look up to him and watch his face turn a weird shade of red, opening my mouth I go to say something but Charlie shakes his head at me, then says, “Yeah, it’s all sorted.”
“Sorted?” Trevor growls, you can see where the brothers get their protectiveness from. “My Avie was assaulted and you didn’t think it was necessary to tell me?” His eyes swirl with anger as he watches Charlie.
“Well... I...” Charlie stammers, his eyes looking at everything but nothing at the same time.
My eyes fill with tears and I try to push them back. This isn’t what was meant to happen tonight.
“Guys,” Kay says softly, putting her hand on Ty’s arm, trying to get his attention. When none of them listen to her, she says it again, only louder this time. “Guys!” They all turn to her. “Can’t you see how much this is upsetting Ava. Sit down.”
All eyes swing to me and in that moment I really, really wish that my non-existent super power would kick in but, alas, it doesn’t and I sit here not knowing where to look.
Needing something, not quite sure what, I look up and my eyes find Corey’s.
I keep eye contact with him for three seconds, then look away, breaking the connection.
Pushing back on the chair, the legs scraping against the hardwood floors, I announce, “I think I’ll go to bed, it’s been a long day.”
Nobody speaks as Ava gets up and leaves the room with her head down, her eyes not looking at anyone and her movements stilted.
My eyes follow her until she’s out of the door and I have to keep my feet planted to the floor so I don’t go after her. The pull is nearly too much to resist but I manage to focus on everyone at the table.
I can see how much they all love her, with the way that they reacted, but as an outsider, I can see how she doesn’t need that reaction.
Knowing she’s been hurt sends my blood pressure through the roof, there’s nothing more that I want to do right now than to find the piece of shit that did it to her but there’s no point in acting on it.
At least... not yet.
“You better fill me in, Jackson,” Ty growls from opposite him. I stay silent and listen carefully, intent on soaking in every last word.
“I’m going to go and check on her,” Kay says softly, pushing back her chair.
“His name’s Scott, he’s on the baseball team at her college and it just so happens that he hates me.” He smirks. “When he saw me and Ava walking out of there, he came over and grabbed her arm.”
My hands clench into fists under the table and I take a deep breath, keeping myself under control.
“He punched me and when I didn’t react, he went to punch me again but he hit Ava instead. So I stood her by one of the door men and beat his ass.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.
I turn my eyes to Ty and can see the sense of pride shining in his eyes at what Jackson had done. My hands uncurl and I pick up my fork, ready to dig back into my dinner until he opens his mouth again.
“Fucker is her roommate’s boyfriend too.”
There’s two seconds of silence before all hell breaks loose.
Eli sits there looking up at all of them and chuckles. Looks like he’s used to seeing them act like this.
I get it, I do. They’re trying to protect Ava but anyone can see that this isn’t the way to go about it.
My stomach flips and my skin tingles as I look up, spotting Ava in the doorway, her face telling a thousand words that she will never speak. When her eyes find mine, I know I have to do something to ease the pain I see reflected back at me.
What was meant to be a nice meal, has turned into all the brothers, and Trevor, planning on how to best protect her.
What they fail to see is that she’s doing just fine on her own, she’s a grown woman now. My eyes trail a path from the boots she wears, up her legs that are clad in black skinny jeans, and up to where she’s holding herself around her waist, her t-shirt drifting up slightly with the movement.
“Enough,” I say low in my throat. When they all carry on shouting at each other, I push back in my chair and stand. “Enough!” I growl, banging my fist on the table.
All eyes turn to me and for a second I feel like I shouldn’t have said anything, then I meet Ava’s eyes and how they silently thank me is enough for me to carry on what I’m saying.
“You’re all here trying to get her out of that apartment and discussing how to best keep her safe. Have any of you asked Ava what she wants?”
None of them say a word as I tilt my head to Ava and they all swivel their heads around to where she’s standing.
“Didn’t think so,” I growl, stepping away from the table and walking in her direction, my eyes not leaving hers. “Don’t plan her life for her, let her live it.”
I hold my hand out to her when I’m a few feet away and say softer this time, “Let’s go and get some dessert.”
She stares at my hand for a beat, then something leaves her as she slouches and places her small, soft hand in mine, her lips lifting into a slight smile.
I lead her into the kitchen and open up the freezer, pulling out a big tub of ice cream and two spoons, then meet her back in the doorway. Taking her hand in mine again, I walk us out of the house and down to Trevor’s cabin, not a word being said between us.
She stays silent for the next hour as we sit and eat the ice cream straight out of the tub. I don’t push for conversation, knowing that she’ll talk when she’s good and ready. So instead, I sit with her and enjoy just being in her company, close enough to actually touch her.
It isn’t until I’m back at Ty and Kay’s later that night that I realize how much I wish I could have stayed with her. That was what I’d done when she first moved into Trevor and Elena’s. They’d allowed me to stay on the couch that first night she was there.
That was also the last night that I had seen her.
She had been so fragile and broken. I’d wished for nothing more than to not have to go away just so I could stay with her. It wasn’t fair on so many levels. She’d come to rely on me after what had happened to her and then I was gone.
Just like that.
But from what I saw of her today, there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s better now.
There’s still something that screams out to me in her eyes though, something that I can’t leave alone.
I need to see her again but how and when is something I’m going to have to plan out.
Spending the night in Jackson’s room is like going back into the past. I haven’t been in this room since I left for college and just being in here brings all of the memories back. The nights spent crying, the nights spent staring at a wall without a single emotion. But I also remember the nights that I wasn’t plagued by memories, the times when I would put my head on the pillow and fall straight asleep.
Tonight is one of those nights where all I do is toss and turn, not being able to switch my brain off. I can’t get Corey out of my head, the way his eyes watched me and studied my every move.
I smile as I think about him taking me outside to the cabin, armed with a tub of ice-cream. We didn’t talk much but it was the kind of silence that’s comfortable, the kind I only ever experienced with him.
Shaking my head, I try to get him off my mind, I’m thinking too much into things and wishing that things were there when they’re not.
Watching the sun rise through the window, still lying on the bed, I sigh. Two hours’ sleep is all I’ve managed and even though my eyes are sore, I know that there’s n
o point in trying to get back to sleep, not when I have so much filling up my brain.
Lifting off the bed, I walk to the bathroom that adjoins the bedroom and jump straight into the shower to get ready for the day.
Throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I push my feet into my boots and go straight to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. The pot is fresh and I grin, knowing that it means Trevor is up and no doubt in his cabin.
Filling up my cup and pouring a fresh one for Trevor, I make my way outside and to the cabin, already being able to hear his power saw.
Pushing through the door, I walk right in front of him so that he’s knows I’m there. The last thing I want to do is startle him and make him have an accident.
“There’s my, Avie, I wondered how long it would take before you came down,” Trevor says, a smile on his face as he switches off the table saw he’s using.
I walk closer to him and hand him his coffee, his arm comes around my shoulders and he gives me a side hug, planting a kiss on my head. I smile and relish in the comfort that he brings me, especially after the night I had last night.
I’d spent so much time in here before I went off to college, I loved being in here and learning how to use all of the tools. There was never a dull moment when you were in Trevor’s company, he never failed to make me laugh.
His brown eyes are always full of warmth and even though he towers over me, like most of the men here do, I’m not intimidated by him. I just see him as a giant teddy bear.
“Hey, Trev.” I smile when I pull away and lift up onto the work counter. “What you making?”
“Dunno.” He shrugs then laughs. “I’m improvising.”
I chuckle and sit and watch him for hours, truly amazed how he can make something so spectacular out of a piece of wood. I love watching him and the silence and rhythm that he has while working, brings me a sense of peace.
By the time Jackson comes into the cabin, I’ve lost track of time. He announces that lunch is ready and we all file out, back towards the big house.
I fully intended to spend the afternoon with Elena but when she’s called out to help an injured animal, my plans are foiled and I’m left with nothing to do but sit on the steps on the front porch, watching the sky.
Trevor and Jackson left to go fishing just after lunch so I’m all alone. In the past, that would have scared me but right now, I feel the best I’ve felt in a while.
The sound of a car driving up the road has me on alert but knowing that it’s Charlie, I sit back on the step and close my eyes. Elena said she was going to call him to come hang out so I lean my head back, letting the warmth of the sun wash over me.
“You know you should always be aware of what’s around you,” the deep voice says out of nowhere, making me jump out of my skin.
“Shit!” my eyes fly open and I grab my chest, willing my heart to stop racing. “You scared the crap out of me, Corey.” I gasp, lifting my hand to try to shield my eyes from the sun.
He pushes his sunglasses up onto his head and my eyes follow his movements. “Sorry.” He shrugs stepping closer, shielding me from the glaring sun.
I swallow as I take him all in, his jean shorts grip to his legs in all the right places and his sneakers almost sparkle with how new they are. My eyes follow the path up and over his chest that’s covered in a dark blue t-shirt and I’m practically salivating at the sight of him. Nothing, and no one, has ever had this effect on me.
Stop, don’t think of him like that, I warn myself.
“I hear you have nothing to do.” He raises a brow and grins, causing his dimple to pop out. I nearly sigh at the sight of it, I shake my head to try to get rid of the thoughts. I’m not the kind of person to sigh over a dimple, at least, I think I’m not.
“And what would make you think that?”
“Someone may have mentioned it in passing,” he says, almost as if he’s been caught out.
He shuffles his feet and looks away, and my brows shoot up when he clears his throat. Is he... nervous?
“You know what?” I say, lifting up and brushing my hands down the back of my jeans. “I don’t have anything to do. What did you have in mind?”
He turns back to me, his eyes full of... something. I can’t tell if I’m reading too much into it or if there really is something between us. “You got a swimsuit?”
“Erm...” I swallow. I haven’t worn a swimsuit since I was taken and I don’t want him to see the scars. I know he’s seen them before but not since they were new and raw. They’re different now, I hate the way they’ve healed; how puckered the skin is.
“Change into shorts and that’ll be good enough,” he says, sensing my unease.
I smile, thankful that he knows what I’m thinking without me having to say anything and I go back inside and change into some shorts then shove my feet into my sandals.
Grabbing my cell, I meet him back out front, nearly stumbling when I see him leaning against his car.
It isn’t one of the usual trucks that most of the guys drive around here. No, this is one of those old sports cars that he’s done up. I have no doubt that he loves that car, the shiny red makes it stand out in the crowd and I can almost smell the leather seats from here.
“So,” I clear my throat, walking towards him. “Where are we going?”
He smiles wide. “The lake.”
It takes all of my strength not to touch her leg as we drive, my eyes can’t stop wandering over to her creamy white skin.
When I’d heard that she was all alone, I knew straight away that I wanted to take her out. My mind immediately went back to our conversations all that time ago, remembering how she said she always wanted to go to the lake.
Now that I’m back, I fully intend to make sure she gets to do all the things that we talked about. I’m almost grateful that I remembered because it gives me an excuse to see her again. When Kay had said that she was on her own, I jumped at the chance of seeing her and went straight over there.
Now though, I’m kind of regretting it because telling her to change into shorts was a huge mistake. Just the site of her legs has me squirming in my seat, I shouldn’t be looking at her like this, she’s too young and been through too much. She doesn’t deserve me looking at her in this way so I turn my eyes to the road and concentrate on driving, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.
“So...” I clear my throat. “How’s college going?”
“Yeah, good,” her melodic voice replies, not missing a beat.
“Kay said that you were seeing someone, a therapist?” I almost face palm myself, way to bring that up asshole.
I see her squirm in her seat out the corner of my eye and open my mouth to change the subject but she beats me to it.
“I was... seeing someone but she talked about me to one of the lecturers so I don’t see her anymore.” I nod, thinking she’s about to stop when she carries on saying, “To be honest, I didn’t get anywhere with her anyway. Nothing was changing so I’ve been going it alone.”
“Yeah?” I smile, proud that she’s doing what she needs to and that she knows she’s the only one who can truly make a difference to herself. “And how’s that been going?”
“Good.” She tells me. “I go to the gym a few times a week and I meet Jackson at work as well. The only place I would go to before was to class and work.”
“Wow,” I say, my brows lifting. “Looks like you’re better off on your own.”
I pull the car to a stop in the make shift parking lot and see the water in the lake glistening from the sun. I love it here and I knew as soon as she said about the lake all that time ago that I’d bring her out here one day.
“I am. I mean, don’t get me wrong,” she says, spinning in her seat to face me. “I still have a long way to go but I’m getting there.”
I swallow as my eyes dip to her full lips, wanting nothing more than to press mine against them.
Dammit, I’m going there again.
Pushing open my door, I step
out, needing to get a little space to clear my head because she’s been firmly in it for the last eighteen months and it’s only got worse since last night.
I can’t get her off my mind, I can’t get the image of her sweet face out of my head or the shape of her lips and how soft they look and now, to add to that, I have to watch her in those shorts all day.
I’m not meant to be thinking of her like this, that isn’t in my plan.
The plan was to protect her, like a sister. It had been my plan from the first moment I saw her but I can’t deny that something draws me to her and I need to get over it... fast.
I pull a blanket out of the trunk and walk around to where she’s waiting at the front of the car, looking out at the water.
“Ready?” I ask.
She turns her head slowly, a grin spreading across her face. “Yeah!” Slipping her sandals off and picking them up, she runs straight for the water, her hands high in the air. I laugh as I watch her throw her sandals on the small patch of sand that surrounds the lake, right before she dives into the water.
Making my way to where she’s thrown her sandals, I place the rolled up blanket down and stand with my hands on my hips, waiting for her head to pop back up.
“Ahhh! Shit... It’s so cold!” she shouts when she breaks the surface.
“Well, yeah.” I smirk, then grab my t-shirt at the back of my neck and pull it over my head, running and diving straight in after her. I hear her scream as I hit the water and I can’t help but chuckle as I surface.
“Goddammit, it’s fuckin’ freezing,” I grunt and tread water, my jean shorts weighing me down.
“I told you,” she says, her teeth chattering.
We both stay in the water just staring at each other, even though it’s beyond cold.
“Tell me what you’ve been up to,” she says a little while later when we’re back on dry land and both wrapped in the blanket.
“Just working.” I shrug. I’m not going to tell her what I’ve been doing over there, not only because it’s top secret but because I hate to think about it.
Flying Free Page 8
