On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3)
Page 3
“Fuck me!” Ava swore as she turned up the stereo, desperate to drown out the sounds of the storm raging outside.
It took twenty minutes to creep five kilometres but at least she’d pushed past the city limits and was now cruising along the main thoroughfare across town. Exhaling deeply, Ava wiggled her fingers, trying to release some of the built-up tension. Her shoulders and neck ached from holding herself so rigid. Rolling her neck side to side, Ava accelerated, and just as she began to relax, she was jolted.
“Shit!”
But the jolt didn’t stop. Ava attempted to pump the brake to stop herself but she was nothing more than a hapless passenger. Stealing a glance in the rear view mirror, all she could see was a huge, chrome bumper pushing her towards the ditch on the side of the road. Unable to stop herself, Ava let out a blood curdling scream but no one would have heard it over the crunching of metal.
Chapter 5
Tyler
Ava: Hi
The text broke Tyler’s concentration but he couldn’t be pissed. Not when he saw Ava’s name pop up on the screen. Immediately he replied.
Tyler: Hi yourself.
As soon as he hit send he grimaced. Trying to sound casual and nonchalant didn’t work for him. He’d replied too quickly. Sounded too fake. And it had only been two words. Two inconsequential, meaningless words. Shaking his head, Tyler pushed back from his desk and focused on his phone. Willing it to beep again.
Ava: You busy?
It didn’t sound like Ava but Tyler didn’t care. After the silence that had stretched the weekend he wasn’t bothered about appearing too keen.
Tyler: Nup. What’s up?
Before he had a chance to think the phone in his hand lit up and began vibrating madly.
“Hi.”
“H-h-hi,” as Ava’s voice shook, every hair on Tyler’s body stood on end.
“Ava? What’s going on?”
“I-I-I had an accident.”
“Are you okay?” Tyler prayed as he slipped on his shoes and ran his hand through his hair. Every thought, every scheduled event, everything was just gone. Nothing else mattered in that moment more than getting to Ava and seeing for himself that she was okay. No amount of reassurance from her or anybody else was going to cut it. Unless he saw her, held her, smelt her, he wouldn’t believe it.
“Yeah. I’m okay.”
“Where are you?”
Tyler stepped into the kitchen and reached for his keys. It wasn’t until his hand was extended out in front of him that he saw the noticeable tremor in his fingertips. He was scared.
“Short Stack? I need you to tell me where you are.”
Ava whimpered out brief directions before a deep masculine voice came on the line. “Mr. Andrews?”
“Yes,” Tyler answered stiffly. He had absolutely no desire to speak to anyone other than Ava, let alone some guy who was with her, when every fiber of Tyler’s being was telling him it should be him. He should be there with her. She should be wrapped in his arms, where it was safe.
“Ava’s okay. She’s shaken and in shock and she will more than likely have quite a bruise tomorrow, but other than that she’s going to be fine.”
“Who are you?”
“Sorry. I’m Matt. I’m the paramedic on the scene.”
“Paramedic?” The word alone sent Tyler’s blood pressure plummeting.
“It’s just a precaution, I assure you. Ava’s young and strong. She’ll be okay. She probably just needs some sleep. Once the adrenaline wears off she’ll crash pretty fast.”
Slamming the door behind him, Tyler ran down the hallway as Matt continued to babble. Tyler didn’t hear a word. He was on a mission. Taking the stairs three at a time, Tyler almost missed a step more than once but he didn’t slow. “Where exactly are you?”
“We’re just past the main exit on the parkway. There’s really no need for you to come…”
“I’m on my way.”
Sliding behind the wheel, Tyler forced himself to take a deep breath before he fired up the ignition. The last thing Ava needed right now was him freaked out or worse. She needed him in one piece and if that’s what she needed, then that was exactly what she’d get.
It took him twenty minutes to reach her. Traffic crawled and the closer he got the more agitated he became as the rubber necking slowed his progress. The moment he rounded the corner enough to see what had caused the drama, his heart sank. Ava’s Mazda was nothing more than a smudge on the bumper, crushed between the chrome and the concrete wall. The rain hadn’t eased. If anything it had gotten heavier as he edged closer. Tyler barely noticed. He barely noticed anything, except the flashing lights of the ambulance with its doors thrown open and a frightened, shaken woman sitting inside.
Flicking on his indicator, Tyler pulled in behind the police car and in one smooth motion, leapt from the car and started jogging towards the ambulance.
“Sir?” a pudgy officer in an ugly fluorescent yellow raincoat called out.
“Yeah?”
“Can I help you?”
“No. I need…I need…” Tyler’s eyes flickered to Ava, who hadn’t seen him yet. As Tyler’s frantic gaze shifted between Ava and the policeman, he found himself clenching his fists tightly. He could deal with anything. Later. Right now he just needed to know she was okay.
When the officer nodded, Tyler took off. The closer he got, the clearer the image. Ava was fine. He could see that. She wasn’t broken. She wasn’t bleeding. She wasn’t even crying. Her hair was plastered to her face, her makeup was smudged, and she was wrapped in a grey cotton blanket, but Tyler had never seen anything more beautiful.
“Are you sure you’re okay to get home, Ava? I can…”
Tyler didn’t let the guy finish. Call it jealousy; call it possessive, he didn’t care. The only person leaving there with Ava would be him. “She’s fine. I’ve got her.”
As he spoke, he watched Ava’s eyes widen, almost unnaturally so before they filled with tears and toppled over her eyes lashes.
“Ty-ler,” Ava hiccupped as the sobbing started. She grabbed at her chest as Tyler stepped into the open doors, dominating the space.
“Mr. Andrews,” the blond, blue-eyed paramedic acknowledged as he stepped up and moved away from Ava, almost intimidated.
“Matt?” Tyler’s voice was calm but strong. Inside however, Tyler was anything but. The desire to shove Matt out of the way and drag Ava into his arms was almost suffocating him. In his arms she’d be safe. She’d be okay. She’d be right where she belonged.
“Thanks for coming. You right to get her home?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay then. Ava, you’ll be okay. Just take some aspirin for the pain if you need it and get some sleep. You’ll be bruised for a couple of days, probably a bit stiff and sore, but if it gets worse or anything else happens, you need to go straight to your GP.”
“Thanks, Matt.” Ava smiled. Barely.
Tyler watched as she unwrapped her shoulders from the blanket and shivered in the cool air. Without a word, Tyler shrugged off his jacket and as soon as Ava was within reach, he draped it over her shoulders before tucking her against him.
“Mmm,” she murmured against his chest as she snuggled as close as she could.
“Take care of yourself, Ava. And Tyler, you might want to get out of here before anyone recognizes you.”
“Thanks, Matt. You ready, Short Stack?”
At the mention of her nickname, Ava smiled—the first genuine smile Tyler had seen in days. Maybe there was still hope. Maybe they could get past his stupidity and selfishness, because as Tyler led Ava back to his car, he realized it didn’t matter. Nothing did. Nothing except being together. He’d take every moment he could get. And in those moments when they weren’t together, he’d wish they were. But he wouldn’t push her for something she couldn’t give. None of that mattered anyway. Now he just had to make Ava believe it. Perhaps a task that was easier said than done, but damn it, he’d die trying.
Ava’s head snapped up so quickly Tyler heard the protest in her neck. Turning at the sound, he was surprised her eyes had widened even further if possible and they looked panicked. Sucking in a deep breath, Ava stared straight out the window, “Would you mind if we went to my place instead? I…I don’t have any spare clothes with me and what I really want more than anything is a hot shower and to get out of these wet clothes.”
He couldn’t mask his surprise. In eight months together Tyler had never been to Ava’s apartment. He’d never been inside and he’d never once picked her up from out the front. Every time they’d arranged a date, Ava had cleverly found a way to get him to pick her up from work or meet him there.
“You sure?” Tyler tried to remain calm, cool, and collected, but the trembling in his voice gave away the truth.
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
They drove in silence for a while, the rain pounding on the windscreen and the light fading fast. Even though they were barely crawling along in the traffic, Tyler’s heart was racing. He knew the next words would hurt, but he didn’t have a choice. After the day Ava had endured, the best thing he could do for her was suck it up and be the bigger person. Now wasn’t the time to make her feel bad. Just one look at her reminded him that she was feeling miserable enough.
“Ah, Ava?”
“Yeah?”
“Where exactly am I going?”
Ava giggled. It lit up Tyler’s whole world. As the sound crackled through the car, it brought a smile to Tyler’s face he couldn’t hide.
Chapter 6
Ava
Outwardly Ava was smiling and giggling and doing everything that was expected of her. Inwardly, she was a mess. Freaking out was an understatement. Confusion was total. Ava wasn’t sure if she was still shaken up by the accident or the idea of Tyler being in her space. Racking her brain, trying to remember if she’d picked up the dirty underwear from the bathroom floor, if she’d stuffed the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, or if she’d put all of her girly bathroom crap back in its various cupboards, Ava started to hyperventilate.
“You okay?” Tyler’s concerned voice filtered through the car but barely registered.
Grasping at her stomach, Ava struggled to suck in breath after breath. “Pull over.”
She wanted to say please. She wanted to scream now. But she was too afraid to open her mouth. Without a word, Tyler flicked on the indicator and pulled onto the shoulder. Ava didn’t wait for the car to come to a halt before leaping out and sinking to her knees in the mud. She heaved and heaved until the contents of her stomach ended up in a puddle beside her.
Ava didn’t feel Tyler’s warm hand rubbing circles on her back until she fell back on her haunches and gasped air. “Yuk.” Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Ava ran her tongue across her teeth, causing her to gag once again.
Every bone, every muscle, every fibre of her entire being ached. Between the accident and the disgusting moments in the mud, her body had been through hell, and her mind couldn’t keep up. Sitting there in the mud, covered in sweat and her own vomit, Ava forgot Tyler was beside her.
“Better?”
Tyler’s voice shook Ava from her own pity party.
“I wanna go home.” Ava sounded like a miserable child and she knew it. It didn’t matter. She was just telling the truth.
“Come on. Let me take you home.”
“Th-thanks.”
Ava held out her hand, hoping Tyler would pull her to her feet. Somewhere in the trip between the office and here all of her energy had been sapped. Tyler didn’t help her stand. Instead Tyler scooped her into his arms, kissed away the rain drops that beaded on her forehead, and placed her on the backseat of the Jeep. Without a word, he grabbed a blanket from under the seat and wrapped it around Ava’s trembling shoulders before closing the door and climbing behind the wheel.
Pumping up the heat, Tyler slipped back amongst the cars. “Where am I going, Ava? What’s your address?”
Ava mumbled her address before she slumped down and fell asleep.
“Hey Princess!” Tyler cooed into Ava’s ear what felt like a moment later. “Come on, Short Stack, time to wake up.”
“Mmm…”
“I don’t…I don’t know which apartment…” Tyler’s voice shook.
Glancing up, Ava looked at Tyler’s nervous eyes and all thoughts of exhaustion and pain evaporated, replaced by guilt. All consuming, total devastating guilt. Tossing the blanket aside, Ava wiped her hands on her thighs and opened the door. Springing from the car, Ava was at Tyler’s door before he had a chance to realize what was happening.
“Want to come see my home?”
“I’d love to.”
Taking Tyler’s hand, Ava led him to the front door and stuffed her key in the lock. As soon as the door gave, the embarrassment swallowed her and she remembered why having Tyler in her home was a bad idea. The foyer was littered with abandoned mail, while mailboxes overflowed with catalogues and other assorted junk. Years of cigarette smoke permeated the threadbare carpet. The paint on the once cream coloured walls peeled and flaked onto the floor.
“It’s…it’s…”
“It’s okay,” Tyler finished for her as he tucked her under his arm. “Come on, let’s get you warmed up.”
With heavy footsteps, Ava trudged up the stairs, Tyler hot on her heels. Before she knew it and before she was ready, they were standing at her front door. Taking a deep breath and pushing stray stands of hair from her forehead, Ava stepped through her front door. Ava saw the mess that she wished she’d cleaned up before she’d left for work. But after a crappy night’s sleep, it had been the last thing on her mind. In all honesty, everyone should be thankful that she had clean clothes on today.
“Tyler…it’s…”
“Ava…it’s okay. It’s you.”
“It’s a mess. I’m a mess…”
“Ava! Stop! Everything is okay. There’s absolutely nothing to worry or be embarrassed about, okay? Now, I’m going to run you a bath and you’re going to warm up and relax.”
“You’re bossy tonight!”
“You better believe it. Now, the only question you have to answer tonight, the only thing you’re allowed to worry about for the rest of the night is…” Tyler watched as his words sunk into Ava. She shoulders drooped, her eyes were wary, and Tyler felt her tremble beneath him. “What do you want for dinner?”
With a heavy sigh, Ava turned away from Tyler and kicked off her shoes. “You know what…I hate you right now!” Ava scolded as she spun to face him, all her worry gone and replaced with a wide, wild smile.
“I’m going to get out of these wet clothes and you can…well, you can…find you own damn dinner! And Tyler…”
“Yes?”
“Good luck with finding anything edible to eat in my fridge!” With a final giggle, Ava ducked form Tyler’s outstretched fingers and scampered towards the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, Ava had finally relaxed. Between the vanilla scented candles that burnt on the windowsill and the lavender bubble bath in which she was soaking, all the terror that had swamped her was gone. She didn’t even have the strength to worry about Tyler alone in her house, more than likely going through her drawers trying to find answers to questions he hadn’t even asked.
When the door opened and Tyler appeared, Ava didn’t give a second thought to the fact that she was lying there naked with everything on display. “You look…”
“Don’t say it. Don’t even…”
“I was going to say…relaxed.”
“Sure you were.”
With a cheeky grin, the one that had seen Ava already get in so much trouble, he said, “But seriously, Short Stack, I’m dying here. Are you really all right?”
Ava close
d her eyes and rolled her neck from side to side, trying to work out the kink that had settled uninvited. “I’m fine. Promise. But why don’t you give me a minute to get dressed, then we can talk?”
“Or you could stay naked?”
“Nice try. Now out!”
Dressing as quickly as she could Ava nearly gave herself a heart attack when the doorbell chimed. She wasn’t expecting anyone. In fact she didn’t remember the last time someone had even used her doorbell. No one came here. No one but her. Alone. That was the way she liked it. The way she needed it.
Tripping over her underwear as she attempted to walk and dress at the same time, Ava stumbled down the hallway but by the time she made it to the living room Tyler was pushing the door shut with a plastic bag dangling from his long fingers. The smell made Ava’s stomach growl. Loudly.
“Excuse me?”
“What? I haven’t eaten and you got food. I don’t even care what it is right now, just open it and let me at it!” Ava giggled, trying to straighten her night gown.
Moments later they were perched side by side on the couch, stuffing their faces with noodles and crunchy spring rolls.
“Okay, I can’t sit here a minute longer…you gotta tell me what happened?”
Coughing and spluttering, Ava looked up into Tyler’s face and noticed the wrinkles that had gathered on his forehead. She knew he was worried. Genuinely worried. About her. The idea that she was the one that put the fear in his eyes made her cringe. “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, it was nothing dramatic really. One minute I was stuck in traffic, driving along, and next thing I knew I was nothing more than a hood ornament for a truck.” Ava folded her legs underneath her and pushed away her bowl. She’d barely made a dent in it but suddenly food was the last thing on her mind. Goose pimples covered her body as she shivered noticeably.