The Only One

by Melissa Ellen

  “Nope. I plan to drag Rhett along. Teach him how normal people grocery shop. I’m not sure if he’s ever even been into a grocery store.”

  “Ah….I get it.” She nodded her head in understanding, “You’re needing a little quickie in the backseat.” Her naughty smile slithered across her face like Cheshire cat as she danced her eyebrows up and down. I flushed with embarrassed annoyance, flipping her the bird.

  “Emily! For heaven sakes!” Mom gasped. “Don’t say things like that,” she paused in thought, “I guess that means I need to schedule for my car to be detailed this weekend.” Her voice strived for seriousness, but her giggle broke through the grin she was failing to contain.

  “Mom!” Emily and I yelled in unison. Both of our eyes and mouths wide open. Emily shocked with pride, while I was shocked with mortification. My mom had always been modest and easily embarrassed like myself. I came by it honestly.

  Flustered and unable to respond, I grabbed her car keys from her hand and turned to stomp out of the kitchen. I am sure my face was beet red when I walked into the living. I could feel the warmth in my cheeks.

  “Everything okay, babe?” Rhett asked a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He likely overheard the whole conversation in the kitchen.

  “You.” I pointed at him. “Car. Now.” I couldn’t even form complete sentences.

  “Who would have thought Ava was the domineering one in the bedroom,” Emily laughed, coming up behind me with Mom. I heard both of them still giggling behind my back, joined by Jackson’s deep laugh. I swear. This family. Why did I love them again?

  I glared at Rhett as amusement spread across his face, warning him he better not join in. I could tell his laughter was about to erupt. His face straightened with my glare. I walked past them all, straight out the door, not bothering to look back. Another fit of laughter exploded as I crossed the threshold. Jerks.

  I continued my determined march to the car. I was feet away from the shelter it would provide from their torment when I felt Rhett’s strong arms wrap around me, derailing my progression. My body was airborne as he pinned me over his shoulder.

  “Put me down, Rhett!” I yelled angrily, kicking my legs and slapping him on his butt.

  “No.” His voice was calm and firm, responding with a slap of his own to my bottom as he walked us the rest of the way to the car.

  “You’re such an unreasonable ass,” I tried to wiggle out of his strong hold.

  “Ava,” he warned.

  “Ugh!” I screamed my frustration. “I hate my family.”

  “No you don’t. Don’t ever say those words.” His tone was firm with warning.

  “Fine. I don’t hate them. But I strongly dislike them right now.”

  He chuckled, sliding me down his rock hard body as he placed my feet back on the ground, sandwiching me between him and the car.

  “Give me the keys. I’m driving.” I started to open my mouth to say that I was driving, when he silenced me with the cock of his head and a raised eyebrow. “Don’t argue, Ava.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You don’t know where you’re going.”

  “I’m sure I’ll manage to navigate your little town. Besides, you can give me directions.”

  “Fine,” I placed the keys a little too forcefully in his hands. He kissed me on the tip of my nose and stepped back, opening the passenger door for me as I plopped into the car, feeling defeated.

  We stopped at the bakery first. I ran into the shop while Rhett waited in the car. It was going to be a quick stop, and Rhett needed to respond to a few work emails.

  After we parked at the grocery store, Rhett took my hand, walking us through the parking lot. I felt silly how much I was enjoying running errands with him. It was like we were playing house. I admired his handsome face as we walked across the hot black pavement. Besides his GQ looks, wearing his jeans and gray t-shirt, he oddly appeared to fit in with the other shoppers.

  He was at ease with our little shopping trip as if it was something we did regularly together. I have no idea why the naturalness of him doing every day normal tasks always surprised me. He was confident no matter what it was he was doing. It’s what attracted me to him.

  I grabbed a shopping cart when we walked through the first set of sliding glass doors. He followed me as I lead us through the store, going over the list, checking off items as we placed them in the cart.

  I was familiar with the store and where everything was located, having grown up shopping here with my mother on a weekly basis. Sometimes, twice a week. I had adopted her methodology of maneuvering through the store, starting at the dried goods and ending at the frozen foods and fresh vegetables. She had explained to me it was so your cold foods didn’t sit in the shopping cart for too long, and your fresh fruits and veggies weren’t smashed and bruised.

  As we neared the end of our route in the fresh vegetables and fruits, I realized I had missed toothpaste on the list. “Crap,” I grumbled, annoyed that I would have to circle back to the other side of the store.

  “What?” Rhett asked looking over my shoulder as I stared at the list, making sure there was nothing else I missed.

  “I forgot toothpaste.”

  “Do you want me to run and get it?”

  “Would you?”

  “Of course, babe. I’ll be right back.” He kissed me on the head before leaving me to pick through the fruit and vegetables. I grabbed the ingredients for the salad and then moved to the fruit to select a cantaloupe for my mom. I picked through them, thumping and smelling them to find a ripe one.

  “Nice melons.” I heard a deep voice I would know anywhere. The bile in my stomach started to rise. I turned to face him.

  “Really, Chris?” I asked, irked by his stupid comment. What did I ever see in him?

  “Sorry,” he shifted his eyes down towards my chest momentarily before looking back up at my narrowed eyes. “They’re nice, from what I remember,” he smirked. The fucking nerve of this guy!

  “You’re about two seconds away from my fist landing on your face,” I threatened him.

  “Whoa!” He threw his hands up in surrender as he stepped closer to me laughing. “I come in peace, Ava.”

  “What do you want?” I asked, not hiding my annoyance as I stepped back to regain the space between us.

  “I just wanted to say hi. See how you were. I never had a chance to talk to you after your dad…” He stopped, not finishing his sentence. His face softened. The concern on his face had my contempt for him momentarily subdued.

  I let out a relenting sigh, temporarily looking away from him. “I’m good,” I said, turning back to him.

  “I’m glad. I heard you finished school. You’re in L.A., now?”

  “Yes.” I kept my answer short, but was feeling ashamed at my coldness. He was trying to be nice. We had went through a lot together in the past. It didn’t matter how it ended. I was over it and happy now. I should give him a break. “How about you? How’s your wife and daughter?” My words came out more accusatory than I intended. He flinched. Maybe conversation with him wasn’t a good idea.

  “We, uh…we’re divorced,” he answered, watching me carefully.

  “Oh. Sorry… I didn’t know.” I was sorry, but not for him. For his little girl.

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s for the best.”

  “Right, well… I should-” I started to end our conversation, not wanting to talk to him any further.

  He cut me off. “Ava, can we have dinner or a drink?”

  “I’m leaving tomorrow.” Why didn’t I just tell him no?

  “It can be another time. I can come to L.A. Visit you for a weekend.” He stepped closer. An irrational fear heightened my senses. The smell of alcohol lingered in the air. Has he been drinking?

  “I don’t think–”

  “Come on, Ava. We were good together.” His hand was on me now. Ice coursed through my veins.

  “No, Chris,” I tried to remove his hand. He gripped tighter. “Let me g
o.” A shaky voice left my lips as I looked up at him.

  “Ava.” I heard Rhett’s protective voice carrying from a few feet behind me. Chris looked passed me, glaring at Rhett and then turned his enraged eyes to me.

  “I thought you two were broken up.” He squeezed tighter, pain radiated through my arm. His voice intense, harsh. I could hear the disgust and accusation in his words. An uneasiness rushed through my body. My stomach sank. He had never looked at me with so much hatred. I shook my head no, not able to verbally say the word.

  Chris’s hand reluctantly dropped as Rhett approached. Rhett’s protective embrace surrounded me as he trained his own intense gaze on Chris, warning him to back off. Chris scowled back at him, sizing him up. A malignant smile spread across his smug face. He took a step back.

  “See you soon, Ava,” he smirked at Rhett before turning and walking off. I let out the breath I had been holding. My hands were unreasonably shaking. I had no idea what I was so scared of. He wouldn’t be seeing me soon. He wouldn’t be seeing me ever again, if I could help it.

  “Babe?” Rhett rotated me gently to face him. I threw my arms around his strong body, hugging him to me, burying my face into his chest. I let his warm, strong body calm my irrational fear.

  After a few minutes, I lifted my head from his chest to look up at him. He hadn’t said anything while he held me, but I could see the stress all over his face. “I’m okay.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Nothing. Let’s go. We need to get home.” He didn’t release me immediately. He held me a few seconds longer debating, whether to push me for answers. My body relaxed when he decided not to. He grabbed my hand while pushing the cart to the checkout.

  I was relieved to be back at my parent’s home surrounded by my family’s easy going demeanors. I put Chris far out of my mind, never wanting to think about him again.

  We ate mom’s homemade lasagna and drank wine as we visited, enjoying one more night together. The only thing missing was my father. He never would say much during our family dinners. He mostly listened to the rest of us, chuckling to himself at our antics. But his presence had always filled the room and would forever be missed.

  As the conversation settled and the night fell, Emily and Jackson used the lull in conversation to make their departure. “I guess we should head out. We need to get Nana home,” Emily said.

  “Don’t use me as your excuse, dear. I’m happy right where I am,” Nana linked her arm with Rhett, who sat between us. Of course she was. She barely let Rhett out of her sight all week.

  Emily rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’m tired and ready to go home. If you want a ride, you old biddy, than you better kiss your beloved Rhett goodbye.”

  We all laughed as Nana pouted, not ready to say goodbye to Rhett. He patted her hand that rested on his forearm, placing a platonic but loving kiss on her wrinkled forehead. “Come on Nana. I’ll walk you to the car.”

  “Such a gentleman. The rest of you should take some lessons. Learn to respect your elders, instead of pushing me around.” She turned her judging eyes on us.

  We all snickered. Rhett stood, helping Nana from her chair to escort her out. I hugged Emily and Jackson goodbye.

  “When are you guys coming to L.A.?” I asked them.

  “Soon. I want to get out there before the summer ends. I’m just waiting for Jackson to determine when he can take vacation from work.” She gave him an accusatory glare.

  “I’ll put in the request Monday. Promise.”

  “Great! Let me know the dates. I’ll take off work, too.” I gave them one last hug, walking them to the door where Nana and Rhett were waiting. Nana released Rhett momentarily while she squeezed me into a bear hug.

  “You and Rhett come back to see your feeble old grandmother soon.”

  I laughed at her. Nana was hardly feeble. “Will do, Nana. I love you. Take care of Mom for me.”

  “Of course, dear. Love you, too.”

  She gave me one last squeeze and kiss on my cheek before looping her arm back with Rhett’s. He moved to escort her out, and we all followed behind. Rhett, Mom and I stood in the front yard, waving them off until they were out of sight.

  I helped mom clean up the kitchen while Rhett took care of some work upstairs in my childhood bedroom.

  Mom put away the leftovers, and I worked silently at scrubbing the dishes and loading them in the dishwasher.

  “Everything okay, Ava?” Mom came up beside me, taking the plate from me to load it in the dishwasher.

  “Yes…Just not sure I’m ready for this time to be over.”

  “Me neither. It’s been nice having you home. This house is too quiet these days.” I looked up at my mom, hating how lonely she must be. I watched her as she placed another dish in the dishwasher. “I’m thinking about selling the house. Moving in with Nana.”

  “Really? But this is our home,” I whined selfishly. The thought of not having the home we grew up in anymore, where my dad spent the last of his days, suddenly made me upset.

  “I know, honey. I’m not sure if I will or not. There are so many memories here….but Nana is getting older and it would be easier to take care of her if we lived together. Her home has more room and has been in the family too long to sell. It’s a family estate, so I couldn’t ask her to sell it.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Anything I said at this point would only make her feel worse. I didn’t want her to sell it, but I didn’t want her to be lonely, either. She was right. Selling Nana’s house was not an option. I would be just as upset about that anyways.

  “How are you and Rhett?” She changed the subject. Like selling the house, talking about Rhett was something I would rather avoid discussing at the moment.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Things are great….”

  She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue, knowing I wasn’t telling her everything. I focused on scrubbing the lasagna pan.

  “What is it, Ava?” She pushed me to continue.

  I let out a heavy sigh, shaking my head. “How can we make this work, Mom? We’re on opposite sides of the country.”

  “You wouldn’t move to New York?”

  “No,” I said without thinking, not sure I even meant it. “I mean…I don’t know…I love my job. L.A. has been good for me.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “I’m not sure I have the strength to be part of his elite world. I don’t exactly fit in. The one time I was surrounded with paparazzi, I had a panic attack. And now, he’s even more in the public eye than he used to be. My life will be under constant scrutiny. Our life.”

  “Forget about the rest of the world for a moment. What does your heart say, Ava?”

  “Obviously, I want to be with Rhett. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.”

  “Maybe it is,” she concluded. I shook my head at her, baffled that she could push my concerns aside so easily. “Ava, if there is one thing I know about Rhett, he will do everything in his power to be with you and give you everything you need and want. That’s not something you should dismiss.”

  “What if it isn’t in his power?” I faced her, both of us stopping our work at the dishes.

  She gave me her signature motherly look, grabbing my hands to pull me away from the sink. She held them in hers as she spoke, “Honey, every relationship has its hurdles. And not one thing you said to me is something I can’t see you two getting over together. That man loves you. I knew it the day I met him. And so did your father. He will move heaven and earth for you, so being across the country is not something I see standing in his way.”

  I hugged my mom to me, breathing in her scent and letting her words and familiar warmth calm my nerves. I knew she was right. Rhett had proven that to me time and time again.

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said, still holding her close.

  “Of course. I want you to be happy, Ava. I know Rhett will make you happy, so don’t let your fears keep you from him. I love you, honey.” She released her hol
d on me, stepping back to look at me again.

  “Love you, too.”

  “Now, head upstairs. I’ll finish up here.” She squeezed my hands before turning back to the sink.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, you need your rest before your flight home tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, unwillingly. “Goodnight.” I gave her one last hug from behind her shoulders as she worked at scrubbing a dish. She patted my hands as I hugged her. I left the kitchen to go upstairs.

  Rhett was at my desk when I walked in the bedroom. He was focused on his laptop with his back to me. I approached him, sliding my hands over his tense shoulders, massaging them to loosen the stress. He moved his hand to mine, pulling me around his body and onto his lap.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hey,” I grinned at him. “Are you almost done?”

  “Yes. I just need to finish up reviewing this last contract, then I’m taking you to bed.”

  “Well, in that case, don’t let me keep you,” I smirked, kissing him on his forehead. “I’m just going to change and brush my teeth.” I stood from his lap, walking towards my luggage to pull out my pajamas and toothbrush before heading to the bathroom.

  I changed and readied myself in the bathroom, taking my time to allow Rhett to finish his work. Exiting the bathroom, I heard my phone ringing downstairs in the dark living room where I left it. I rushed down the steps, reaching for it just before it rung off.

  “Hello,” I answered hastily without checking the caller id. Nobody responded. “Hello,” I tried again. Still nothing. Maybe I missed the call. I pulled the phone away from my face to look at the screen. The call was connected.

  I moved it back to my ear to listen, “Hello?” I tried one more time. Heavy breathing broke through the silence. What the hell?

  “Ava?” Rhett’s voice called from behind me. I turned to look at him, pulling the phone away from my ear. He was coming down the stairs shirtless in his pajama pants. “You coming to bed?”

  “Yeah. Sorry. One second,” I glanced down at my trembling hands holding the phone. I pushed end and scrolled through the history to figure out who had been calling. It was a blocked number.