Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream #2)

by Rebecca Barber

  “No need,” he gasped as the treadmill levelled out and slowed to a normal walking pace.

  Refusing to be intimidated by his size and charisma, she thrust the paper cup at him. “Drink it.” Tyler accepted the cup but eyed her warily. It had been beaten through his head that he wouldn’t accept anything that was given to him unless it was in a sealed bottle. Uncontaminated. Untampered with. Sensing his resistance, she refused to budge. “Don’t worry, I didn’t poison it.”

  Pushing aside ingrained fears and long established habits, Tyler gulped down the cool water greedily. When he finished, Tyler punched a button on the treadmill and it slowed to a complete stop. Handing back the empty cup, Tyler looked down at her with apologetic eyes. “Thanks for that…”

  “Tina. My name’s Tina.”

  “Thanks, Tina.” He grinned and he saw the spark in her eyes.

  As Tyler stepped from the treadmill, his legs gave way beneath him and he crumpled to the ground. “Shit,” Tyler swore as the cramping in his legs controlled his every move.

  “Oh my God,” Tina exclaimed, running to his side. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, just stupid,” Tyler admitted.

  “Stupid?”

  “Yep. I’m not supposed to run,” he admitted with a sigh.

  “Yet you were doing a great job,” Tina commented.

  “Were you watching me, Tina?” Tyler teased, raising a flirty eyebrow.

  Tyler watched while Tina’s body burned. She flushed red from the top of her shoulders, up her neck and her cheeks as she took an embarrassing stumble backwards. “Well, someone had to. You looked like you were going to kill yourself.”

  Tyler grunted. He’d been caught. The truth wasn’t that he was trying to kill himself but she wasn’t far wrong. He was trying to outrun the pain. Outrun the feeling of hopelessness. Outrun the overwhelming fear of being out of control. But he hadn’t succeeded. All he’d done was manage to get himself dehydrated with a pounding headache and legs that were screaming for ice and massage.

  “Thanks, Tina,” he replied, not knowing what else to say. She was too young and too innocent to understand and there was no way in hell he going to be the one responsible for bursting her naivety bubble.

  “Anytime.” She smiled widely back at him.

  While Tyler sat on the floor and stretched out his screaming muscles, Tina silently wiped down his treadmill and collected her things. “You going to be okay to get upstairs?” Tina asked nervously.

  “Absolutely.” Tyler smiled his widest smile.

  “Okay. See you round.” Tina returned his smile and headed back to reality.

  Just as she pushed open the door a howl of anguish bounced off the walls. Tyler saw her turn at the noise and lock her gaze on him. He’d managed to pull himself to his feet and was attempting to put one foot in front of the other. Seemingly not bothered by the string of colourful language tumbling from his mouth, Tina stepped to his side, wrapped an arm snugly around his waist and half led, half carried him towards the elevator.

  “Sorry about this,” Tyler admitted through his embarrassment as the elevator banged shut and he slumped against the wall.

  “For what?” Tina asked, looking up.

  “Making you help me.”

  “You didn’t make me. I offered.”

  “Still, you shouldn’t have. I’m not safe to be around,” Tyler mumbled sadly.

  “What do you mean?” Tina asked nervously, taking a small step backwards out of reach.

  Tyler felt her pull away and reluctantly let her go. He knew why she was putting distance between them, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to do this on his own. “Not like that, Tina. I might be an asshole but I’m not a creep,” he assured her.

  Tyler heard Tina let go of the breath she was holding. He shouldn’t have freaked her out like that. “I don’t get it. What am I missing? Why aren’t you safe? It’s kinda a weird thing to say,” Tina asked innocently.

  Taking a wild guess at her age, Tyler realised she couldn’t have been any more than fifteen. Barely a teenager. And she was pretty in an unusual way. Her wide green eyes weren’t a shade that he’d ever seen before. They were a washed-out pale shade of forest green and from out of nowhere, Tyler felt the intense need to protect her. “If anyone saw us together, you’d be hounded. Your picture would show up in papers and rumours would be everywhere. Doesn’t even matter if they are true or not,” Tyler confessed with a shrug.

  The elevator pinged, announcing it had arrived, and Tina slipped back to his side and helped him out of the elevator. They reached his door and Tyler unlocked it and pushed it open.

  “You mean like Ava?” Tina blurted out.

  Swallowing the lump that had mysteriously taken residence in his throat, Tyler managed to lift his head and meet Tina’s wide eyes. “Yes. Like Ava,” he conceded, each word physically causing him pain.

  They stood for a few moments, caught in a daze, not sure what to say. After what felt like a lifetime, Tyler sighed heavily. “Thanks for your help, Tina. I was being a dick. Sorry you had to carry me upstairs—especially when I smell so bad.” Tyler smirked, sniffing his shirt and scrunching up his nose dramatically.

  “Any time, Tyler. And don’t worry about me. I won’t say a word to anyone,” she promised, spinning on her heel and heading back down the corridor to the awaiting elevator. ”I swear!”

  “Thanks, Tina,” Tyler replied, closing the door.

  Ten minutes later, Tyler stood in the shower being pelted with icy cold water, trying to wash away the pain that racked his body. He could hear his phone ringing but ignored it and focused on his hair. When the anger had simmered down and all trace of the sweat had gone, he stepped from the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Glancing at his reflection, Tyler saw a man he didn’t recognise. Sunken eyes and sadness were etched into his features. Deciding to fight back, Tyler soaped up and shaved off the stubble. With only two strokes left, a loud pounding at his door caught him off guard, causing him to nick his neck, leaving a smear of bright red blood. Swatting it away, Tyler stalked towards the door, annoyed.

  Throwing open the door, Tyler didn’t say a word. Just stepped to the side and allowed the intruder to storm in. Instead of offering a polite greeting, Tyler vanished down the hallway and finished up shaving before pulling on a t-shirt and sweat pants and returning.

  “Okay,” Tyler offered, dropping into his recliner.

  “What the fuck, Tyler?” the angry voice snarled.

  “I needed to let off some steam,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

  “Let off some steam?”

  “I was going fucking crazy cooped up in here,” Tyler answered honestly. He knew this conversation would happen but he hadn’t realised it would happen so quickly.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “What’s the big deal?”

  “Surely you are not that dumb! You can’t challenge normal people to a race on the treadmill and expect they will take it well when you beat them. Do I have to remind you that you’re a fucking professional athlete? You should fucking beat them.”

  “Seriously, Jonathan! What exactly are you bitching about?” Tyler asked, befuddled. He thought he was getting his arse kicked for running on a treadmill without supervision. But no, it was about some stupid challenge he didn’t even remember participating in.

  Jonathan threw his phone to Tyler and watched as he took in grainy images. He was running on a treadmill, looking like a man possessed, with two men with more muscles than sense on either side of him.

  “You’re fucking kidding me,” Tyler fumed, forcing himself to his feet as he stalked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

  After silently downing the whole bottle, Tyler risked a glance at Jonathan. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “You seem to be saying that a lot lately, Tyler.”

  “Yeah,” Tyler admitted, defeated.

  “I think from now on you need to do exactly what I tell you to do. No
thing more. Nothing less. At least until things calm down,” Jonathan tried to placate him.

  Reluctantly Tyler agreed. He’d lost everything else. What was his freedom? “Okay.”

  “Okay then.”

  Jonathan stalked towards the door without expanding. “Oh, and Tyler, make sure your tux is clean and ready for Saturday night. You’ve got a fundraiser to attend,” Jonathan added before walking out the door, leaving Tyler alone with his thoughts.

  Chapter 34

  Ava

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Ava snapped, exasperated, hoping that she’d misheard Matthew’s request. But it wasn’t a request. It was a non-negotiable, direct, and specific instruction. And Ava hated it.

  “Ava, come on, you know you’re great at doing this sort of stuff,” Matthew tried.

  “I don’t care if I’m the world’s freaking best. This is bullshit. You know I hate this sort of shit,” Ava countered, grabbing fistfuls of hair and forcing it into a knot on the top of her head.

  “Ava, stop being so dramatic. I knew you’d react like this, but I also know you. You can and you will do this, and it will be amazing. It always is,” Matthew admitted.

  “But why me? Seriously?” Ava huffed as she flopped down in the chair opposite Matthew.

  “Honestly? You weren’t here to object.”

  “Seriously?”

  “That’s the truth. Well, that and everyone around here knows that you can pull off miracles. For some reason you come up with ideas that others haven’t even considered. You see things in a different way. And that is exactly what we want. It’s what I need,” Matthew explained patiently.

  Ava and Matthew had been working together for five years and had one of those brutally honest and volatile relationships. Each knew which button to push to set the other one off like a firework. They fought and argued like an old married couple but they seemed to always pull off miracles. They wouldn’t only meet the ridiculously tight deadlines but they usually made it with time to spare. And that’s what made them a winning combination that no one else wanted to get in the middle of.

  “Seriously, this is bullshit, Matthew.” Ava grimaced, picking up the red folder from his desk.

  As Ava flipped through the pages she instantly noticed the huge gaps in the work and started mentally making lists of all the things that still needed to be done. Never mind that she was coming into the project at the last minute and was the one that had to save this disaster before it imploded and embarrassed them all.

  “How…”

  “Ava, stop. Breathe. I’ve already talked to Christopher. Your whole week has been cleared. Others will cover for you in everything else. Just need to concentrate on this. Take this folder and go home. I want you to work from there as much as you can. If you come in here, you’re going to get dragged into helping someone else or doing a five-minute job, which before you know it becomes ten five-minute jobs, and then you’ll break. I don’t want that to happen. No one does. And we know how much pressure this is going to put on you. But Ava, the reality is we need your help.”

  “No, you don’t. I’m just a last resort because everyone else said no,” Ava grumbled.

  “Ava, no one else was asked,” Matthew said bluntly.

  Ava looked up into Matthew’s face and saw nothing but blunt honesty. He wouldn’t lie to her. Not about this. “Have you even thought about what happens if I can’t do it?” she asked nervously, biting her bottom lip.

  “Hasn’t even crossed my mind.” Matthew smirked.

  “Well, you’re an idiot!” Ava reminded him, flicking through the binder.

  “Everything you need is in there, but if it’s not, just ask. Christopher and I will help where we can but we need you to tell us what to do,” Matthew offered as Ava shook her head with defeat. “Now get out of here! There’s a meeting at eleven across town you need to attend, and after that you’ll be fine.”

  “I hate you, you know that, right?” Ava grumbled, scooping the folder up in her arms and heading out the door.

  “Yep! Fully aware of that.” Matthew teased, full of arrogance.

  “As long as you know.” Ava smiled back.

  Just as she was about to step out the door, Matthew called out to her, “Ava. Good luck. And call if you need anything, okay?”

  Ava didn’t respond but instead just forced a tight smile and disappeared, her mind dancing a million miles an hour at all the things she had to do. First she’d go to the hotel and meet with the function manager, then head to a coffee shop for a much needed caffeine and chocolate hit before she began to muddle her way through the pile of paperwork. If she could figure out where everything was up to and then make a list of what was left to do, maybe, just maybe she could pull off the miracle that everyone expected.

  Five exhausting hours later, Ava dropped her phone onto the lounge beside her and stretched her arms high above her head, grimacing at the loud cracking noises that accompanied her every movement. She’d met with the function coordinator before jumping headfirst into the decision-making. Ava no longer cared if they were the wrong ones, someone had to make the call, and Ava was the only one left standing. So she did what needed to be done. She made more decisions in a couple of hours than she’d made in the last couple of months. She’d confirmed the decorators, the band, and the photographer, and everything was back on schedule. Well, almost everything.

  “Good afternoon and welcome to…”

  “Amanda, it’s me,” Ava said, cutting off Amanda’s practiced, plastic spiel.

  “Oh, hey. What’s this I hear about you getting a week to work from home? Who’d you screw to get that?” Amanda taunted.

  Ava scowled. “Trust me, I wish it was a cushy week off. Nope. They’ve left me in charge of pulling off the gala on Saturday,” Ava admitted wearily.

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” Ava deadpanned.

  “That’s awesome. It’s going to be amazing,” Amanda gushed. She’d heard the ongoing conversations for the past couple of weeks. Talks about ball gowns and hairstyles and makeup and dates and shoes. Some days they were just too much and Ava wanted to stab herself in the side of the head with a stiletto just so she didn’t have to hear about it.

  “Yeah, fucking fantastic,” Ava growled. “Listen, is Christopher around? I have some questions,” Ava asked hopefully. She needed Christopher to clarify a few details so she could keep going. She knew she had hours of work to be done, not to mention getting herself organised. When she’d arrived at work, Ava had no intention of even attending the gala, and now she was the sole person responsible for the whole thing. Finding a dress also had to be added to her to-do list.

  “Hang on, I’ll check,” Amanda told her, putting her on hold. The whinging and whining music that played down the phone made Ava want to slam the phone and give up. But with the day she was having she was likely to hang up the exact moment Christopher came on the line. Probably not the best thing to do to the guy who signs your pay cheque.

  Without warning, Christopher’s jovial voice came through the phone. “Ava? How’s it going?”

  Ava could picture him sitting at his desk in his high-backed leather executive chair, feet perched on the window sill as he watched the people scurrying below him like ants. His trademark half-smile plastered on his face all the time hiding his real thoughts. “Uh, hi, Christopher,” Ava murmured, suddenly not sure of herself.

  “Thanks for calling, Ava. I was going to get in touch with you later on this afternoon. Firstly, I wanted to thank you for what you are doing. I know it was a huge thing to ask of you at such short notice, but I have every confidence that you are the best person for the job.”

  Gulping down her own emotions, Ava squeaked her reply. “Thanks, Christopher. I wish I had your confidence.”

  “You’ll do just fine, Ava. You always do,” he assured her.

  “Thanks.”

  “But Ava, I want you to know you’re not in this on your own. So, how can I help?” Chr
istopher offered.

  Ava felt her strength and resolve came rushing back. “Actually that’s why I’m calling.”

  “No probs. Shoot.”

  “I’m pretty much fine with everything but the auction. The notes I have only say that there are two types being run on the night. A silent auction which will be open from seven thirty till the winners are announced at ten, and a live auction.”

  “Yes, that’s correct,” Christopher acknowledged.

  “Okay. Well my question is about the live auction. I have no details. All it says is ‘Live auction, ten o’clock. Details to be confirmed.’” Ava read directly from the notes that were scattered about her lounge room in what she lovingly referred to as organised chaos.

  “That’s right, Ava. The live auction is mine. I’ll be the auctioneer, so no need to arrange anything there, and I have all the information on the auction items. I guess if you can just make sure there are some tables to lay out, say, eight items for the silent auction, then make sure the half an hour between ten and ten thirty is free to announce the winners and conduct the live auction, that would be perfect,” Christopher explained, not giving much away.

  “So, basically you’re not going to tell me and I don’t have to worry about it?” Ava confirmed, more intrigued than annoyed.

  “Yeah, that’s about it. How about you make sure there’s a time slot for me, and if everything falls to shit in that half hour, then that’s my fault and I’ll take full responsibility,” Christopher offered.

  Although Ava wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, she didn’t have a choice. Christopher was the boss and if he said trust me, then that’s what Ava had to do. Besides, she had more than enough to keep her occupied without worrying about the auction. “Sounds fair,” she consented.

  After a few more moments of confirming details and swapping information, Ava hung up and tried to focus on the task at hand. The running sheet. Now she had all the imperative bits locked down, it was time to fill in the gaps.

  Ava knew she should be focusing, but when she glanced at the clock, it was already after six and she was completely wiped out. Instead of pushing through and starting the unenviable task of seating arrangements, she poured herself a large glass of wine and slipped into the bath, hoping the bubbles and the wine would soothe away the anxiety that was slowly but surely taking control.