by Ashley Erin
A grape hits me square in the forehead, a muffled giggle betraying Peyton as she lobs another grape. Picking it up, I crush it between my teeth, enjoying the pop of the skin and the tart juice. Picking up the other grape, I throw it back at her and manage to get it down her top. “This is nice” she mouths at me.
Looking around our group of friends, I nod. “Beats the Vipers.” Mouthing back, she smiles happily and joins the girls in a conversation about waxing. Silence falls around us as Kensi reenacts her reaction to getting a Brazilian. Cringing, I look at Lucas and scrunch my face. “We need to pack this up before they start talking about periods.”
Laughing, we tease the girls as they huff impatiently.
My phone dings notifying me of an email. Checking it, I fist my hand to prevent an audible reaction. I’m not ready to share the news; I want to see how it goes first.
The crunch of gravel beneath our feet is the best sound I’ve heard in a while. The snow is almost gone and even though that means finals start in a couple of weeks, it also means more time outdoors. Noah releases his grasp on my hand when he sees the playground ahead with Lucas racing after him.
“How’s my big brother treating you?” Andie bumps into me, laughing when I stumble. “Whoa! Even the mention of him is sweeping you off your feet.”
“Shut up. It feels insane to be at this point already, but I guess love doesn’t really have a timeline. People may think I’m naive, I just know we make each other better.” The words sound cheesy and Andie smirks at the ridiculous smile on my face, but as she looks at Lucas chasing Noah around the playground, I know she understands.
“You know I get it. Sometimes the people we think are the opposite of what we want are exactly what we need.” She links arms with me, leaning in to whisper, “Lucas asked me to move in with him. Err, you guys.”
“What! That’s fantastic!” Lucas turns, brows arched at my squeal.
“Now that I know you’re on board we can make an appointment with housing. Thankfully they are pretty flexible.” Andie does a twirl; she’s been so much more at ease since her father was sentenced. Laughing, I join her causing Lucas and Noah to stop playing and just stare at us.
“When are you going to tell Dax?”
Andie groans, chewing on her lip. “I don’t know, we haven’t spent a ton of time together between our relationships and Dax starting his job.”
“Wait. What? Dax has a job?” Grabbing Andie’s arm, I jerk her to a stop, cringing as she almost falls from the force of my pull.
“Shit, I can’t believe he didn’t tell you. He started a couple of days after our picnic, working the evenings you’re at home with Noah.” Andie kicks the sand as we sit at the picnic table, watching Lucas help Noah with the monkey bars.
“He never mentioned it. I’ve noticed he isn’t as chatty those nights, but I never thought anything of it. Why wouldn’t he tell me? What’s the job?” My heart throbs at the hurt I feel that he would keep this from me. I thought we were past the point of secrets.
“Parkland was hiring students to paint the areas they’ve been renovating, the hours are flexible, and the pay is decent. I thought about applying too, but I would rather get a job at the library or in Jasper.” Andie weaves her fingers together, a sure sign she is agitated. “I don’t want to be the cause of problems with you two, even if it is his fault for not telling you.”
“I’m not mad at you. I’m not even mad at him . . . Not really. I don’t understand why he wouldn’t tell me, since we’ve all been talking about finding part time jobs.” Smiling at Andie, I try to ease her worry. Instead of dwelling, I wink at her and race off towards Lucas and Noah. She quickly follows, laughing as Noah hangs upside down making monkey noises.
“Where is Mister Dax?” Noah’s face is getting red from being upside down, so Lucas helps him down.
“He is busy today. What, is Uncle Lucas not being as fun as Mister Dax?” Ruffling Noah’s hair, I laugh as Lucas tries to tickle my sides.
“No, Uncle Lucas isn’t as fast.” Andie and I burst out laughing as Lucas stands there stunned. Noah is bent over laughing at his own joke.
Lucas throws Noah over his shoulder, running in circles as Noah laughs until he’s red in the face. Dropping to the ground, Noah rolls away trying to catch his breath. “You’re still slower.”
“I can’t win with this kid.” Lucas sits on a whale statue. “Andie told you our news?”
“Yeah, she’s pregnant.” Andie coughs and turns away, covering her mouth to hold back her laugh. Biting down on my tongue, I barely hold my straight face as Lucas freezes.
Sputtering, he makes sounds that no one would be able to translate. Finally, we can’t hold in our laughter. “Yes, I told her.”
“Not funny.”
“It was funny.” I sit next to him on the whales head, punching him hard on the shoulder. “C’mon. Don’t be mad.”
Standing, he wraps an arm around me. “I’m not. Now how long do I have until Noah gets picked up by sper . . .” Elbowing him in the side, he notices that Noah is within earshot. “I mean . . . Joe picking up Noah?”
“Any minute. I guess his company is willing to transfer him to their branch in Hinton so he can be closer to Noah. He’s taking Noah to look at some apartments. That means we could shift his overnight visits to when Noah and I have school because it would be close for him.”
“Are you sure he only wants to be closer to Noah?”
“Yes. He’s been on his best behavior since I told him about Dax.”
“Good.” Lucas rests his chin on Andie’s shoulder, kissing her below the ear.
The sound of a horn honking draws our attention to Joe parking his vehicle next to Andie’s SUV. Noah runs to greet him, the three of us following more slowly.
“I’m glad Noah has a relationship with him, but I still hate him.” Lucas’s face is set in a scowl, no attempt on his part to hide his distaste for Joe.
“Wipe that look off your face, for your nephew’s sake.” He plasters a fake smile on his face, and strides forward toward Joe.
“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Sighing, I go to my car ignoring the show Lucas is putting on. Grabbing Noah’s bag, I toss it into Joe’s car and help Noah into his seat.
Andie drags Lucas away, scolding him for being an ass. “Well, I see he knows how to let go of a grudge.” Joe’s voice is tainted with sarcasm, but when I turn to look at him his expression is filled with humor.
“Yeah, he has trust issues.” If I’m honest, I’m still waiting for Joe to slip up in his act and show his true colors. Andie says that trauma changes people, whether it’s for the good or not is up to them.
“I guess I don’t blame him.” Joe smiles wryly. “Well, I better head out. I will let you know when I find a place so you can come and check it out.”
Watching them drive away, I turn and smack Lucas, who is leaning against Andie’s car. “You need to get over his behavior. I have. People change, and they can change drastically and quickly. You know this as well as I do.” It’s a low blow, but he has the grace to look ashamed.
Wiping the paint from my hands, I abandon my current project. None of the layers are turning out how I want them, and I’ve painted over the canvas entirely in black. My meeting with the registrar’s office this afternoon went well. In September, I will officially be an education major with an art minor.
Joe found an apartment, and it’s perfect for him and Noah.
Everything is falling into place, but my mood is foul. I don’t even know why I’m so grumpy, but something is not sitting well with me today. Lucas and Andie left in a hurry when I got mad at Lucas for the TV being too loud.
Slamming the bathroom door, I silently chastise myself for taking out my bad mood on everyone and anything. I even snapped at Dax this morning when he left for class. Cranking the water until it’s running hot, I shed my clothes and glare at myself in the mirror. It’s been ages since a mood like this has hit me. The last time was right before I found out I
was pregnant. Refusing to believe that’s the reason today, I step into the shower and try to figure out what else it could be.
The hot water runs over my shoulders, doing nothing to ease the tension. Going through the motions of my shower, I finally make the decision to take a test. It won’t hurt, and at least I can eliminate that from the reasons behind my mood. Typically, when I get this unreasonably angry, it’s because my head is telling me something is wrong, and I’m in denial. I just need to face it head on.
Turning the water off, I text Nella. Out of all of my girlfriends, I know she is the least likely to spill the beans. I’m barely dressed, my hair in a knot at the top of my head when there is a knock at the door.
“Ava?” Nella’s voice startles me even though I’m expecting her.
“In the bathroom.” Shaking, I listen as her footsteps get closer. She silently hands me the box and shuts the door behind her. Fumbling with the box, I mentally prepare myself for the results. How could I let this happen? We’ve been so careful. Shutting my brain off, I focus on the task at hand.
Opening the door, I slide down the wall next to Nella. “Now we wait.”
“Ava, you’re basing this off of your mood, not even your cycle. Just breathe.” Nella reaches over and holds my hand. Resting my forehead on my knees, time passes too slowly, but the time to check arrives too quickly. “Okay. It’s time.”
Standing shakily, I go back into the counter and flip the pregnancy test over. The words are right there—not pregnant. “Oh, thank God.”
The idea of having another child, a child with Dax whom I love, is something I want. In the future. Once we’ve been together for a long time, finished school, found employment. Crying in relief, I hug Nella. “I told you. You’re probably upset because Dax hasn’t told you about his job and you’re holding it in. Go, talk to him and your mood will improve.”
“I know.” Throwing the test in the box and tying it in a bag, I’m grateful when Nella takes it from my hands. Maybe she’s right; I’m just upset that he feels the need to keep a ridiculous secret from me. That’s no reason to be so angry about it, but I hate secrets, and I hate holding things in. Stop acting like a child.
Zoned in on the TV screen, I don’t look up as Andie comes in from her workout. I’m kicking ass in Diablo 3, something I haven’t been able to focus on in weeks.
“Mind if I join you?” Andie collapses onto the couch, taking the controller I wordlessly hand to her. “Where is Ava?”
“She’s at home painting. She was in a foul mood this morning, and I think she wanted to clear her head. I’ve never seen her so grumpy, but I guess we all have our days. It was kind of cute, but she got even more pissed at me when I told her that.” Andie loads her character into the game, and we take off on the next quest.
“Yeah, she’s got a lot on her mind what with Joe moving to Hinton and . . .”
Pausing the game, I turn to look at her head-on. “Since when is Joe moving to Hinton?”
“He found an apartment there last week. His company is transferring him to their branch in Hinton so he can be closer to Noah. Wow, you guys need to work on your communication skills and that’s coming from me.” Andie resumes the game, carrying the weight of my character as I digest the information she’s just told me.
I know I haven’t told her about my job, but that’s only because I wanted to make sure it worked out. This is more serious than a job, though. The more I think about it, the more irritated I get. Why would she keep that from me? The pessimist inside wants to go to the worst possible scenario.
Andie looks over her shoulder at the door when it opens. Eyeing me as she sees who it is. Without looking, I know it is Ava. Normally I would be jumping over the back of the couch, but I’m so agitated I take the low road and keep playing until Andie shuts down the X-Box, and leaves the room with an emphatic look at me.
“Joe’s moving to Hinton? When were you going to tell me?” Keeping my voice low, I know the scowl on my face has brought men to their knees. Ava gets in my face rather than cowering, another thing I love about her. “You are such a hypocrite! When were you going to tell me about your job? Why does it matter if Joe lives closer to his kid? It’s not as if he’s moving in with me, in fact it works better because it will save me driving time and I will have my days off with my kid. I didn’t say anything because it’s not a big effing deal. Just like I didn’t pick a fight over you not telling me about your job because I figured that wasn’t a big deal. But since we’re discussing secrets, how about you admit you might not always be as direct as you say you are.” Floored by the volume of words that have flown out of her mouth, I start laughing. Doubling over when she gapes at me in shock.
“I’m sorry it’s not funny. You’re right, I should have told you. And it’s not a big deal that he lives closer. My suspicious nature took over and turned off the rational part of my brain. I want to know these things though, because you and Noah are important to me.” Reaching out, I pull her into my lap. “I should have mentioned the job. I just wanted to make sure it worked out. I can’t stand the idea of you ever being disappointed in me.”
“Impossible.” She straddles me, silencing anything I was going to say, as she owns my lips. Moaning when she cups me through my jeans, I lift her and carry her to my room. Ava doesn’t waste any time, pressing herself into me as I walk. Setting her on the ground, I quickly strip away her clothes.
“Get on the bed.” My voice is demanding, my cock standing at attention as she obeys. Quickly removing my clothes, my eyes wander her body. She no longer tries to hide the silvery white marks on her stomach, her eyes simply aroused as she waits for me to take charge. I love that she will command what she wants when she wants it, but I can demand what I need in return.
Moving over top of her, I roughly grip her hips and thrust inside her tight, hot depths. Taking her hard and fast, I love watching her eyes as she builds up to the point of orgasm; the way they become hooded the closer she gets almost as though it’s too much for her to focus on keeping them open. As she clenches around me, I flip onto my back, carrying her with me until she is riding my dick. Gripping my shoulders like a vice, she moves her body forcefully, taking from me what she needs and giving me everything I want in return. As I feel her body tighten around me, I sit up, fisting my hand in her hair and pulling until her neck is exposed. Biting down before trailing hard kisses over her throat, my orgasm rips through me as she continues to ride me.
“Perfection.” The word sends a shudder through her body. Blue eyes lock with mine as I release her hair, her hands reaching up to tease the strands of my hair while we silently gaze at each other.
“Next time I’m in a piss-poor mood, pull my hair and fuck it out of me. So much better than how I spent the day.” Lifting her off me, gently laying her on my bed, I laugh softly.
“Oh, I love it when you talk dirty to me.” Sitting next to her, I stroke my fingers over her stomach, grinning when she flinches away as I graze her ticklish spot.
Ava captures my hands, telling me all the ways she wants to torture me when I tickle her. Her smile is mischievous as she wrestles me down, her naked body towering over top of me, gloriously beautiful. Letting her pin me down, I try to remember what it was like before her, before I was this happy. The memories are there, but the sting has faded. She has shown me what it’s like to be accepted wholly for who I am.
“That’s a crazy idea.” Realizing too late the words have been spoken out loud, her eyes questioning as she waits for me to elaborate. Breaking free of her hands, I buckle her hands until she’s flush with my body. Her warm skin is sending pulsing shivers throughout my nervous system. Cupping one side of her face, I watch her gulp nervously as I waver over if we’re ready. Going with our instincts has worked so far. “Marry me.”
Her eyes widen in shock, before a smile breaks across her face, and she nods.
“Say the words.”
“I will marry you.”
Pulling her head down, I los
e myself in kissing the woman I never want to live without.
Waking up in Dax’s arms the next morning is surreal. Outwardly, nothing has changed, but inside my entire being feels like it is glowing. Two years ago, if someone had asked me if I thought I would meet the one before I turned twenty-five, I would have laughed. Now as I feel his chest move, hear his heart beat underneath my ear, I know it is right for us.
Running my fingertips along his chiseled stomach, loving the way his abs flex beneath me, I try to wake him up slowly. Resting my chin on his chest, I watch as he sleepily opens his eyes, the happiness from last night filling them as he focuses on me.
“Good morning, Sunshine.” Leaning my head into his hand as he runs his fingers gently through my hair, I wish we could stay in bed all day.
That thought is cut off as my alarm goes off, reminding me that we need to pick up Noah. “Good morning. Are you ready for a day at the zoo?”
“A day with you and Noah? Always.” His eyes light up as we discuss the plan for the day. His love for my son is apparent as he speaks about him, not that I’ve ever doubted his affection.
“So, I’ve been thinking.” Focusing on pulling my pants up, I don’t meet his eyes when I feel him turn to look at me. “I don’t think we should tell anyone quite yet. I want to get through finals before we spring this on everyone.”
I finally look up when he doesn’t say anything, holding his gaze as he searches my face. “All right, I guess that makes sense.”
“You’re not angry with me?” Whispered words show the fear that I’ve upset him. His arms wrap around me, holding me firmly in place as he buries his face in my hair.
“Of course not.”
The zoo is more of a discovery park with animals. The setup is more open than a zoo, focusing on creating realistic environments for the animals, all of which have been rescued and rehabilitated. There aren’t as many animals as there would be at the Calgary or even Edmonton Zoos, but the experience feels like more because you get to see the animals as they journey through their recovery.
