On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3)

by Rebecca Barber

  “Okay then.”

  Tyler headed towards the bathroom, pausing to grab a clean towel from the linen cupboard. “Oh Mum?”

  “Yes, Tyler?”

  “What’s for dinner?”

  He watched as a sneaky smirk covered her face, erasing all her worries. It hadn’t been his intention to distract her, but it was working perfectly. “What do you think?”

  “You’re the best!” Tyler called as he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door his mouth watering with thoughts of his mothers roast pork and vegetables.

  Twenty minutes later, Tyler’s cramped muscles had eased, he’d showered and shaved and was feeling a lot more confident. Even though he believed with everything he was that he was doing the right thing, somehow though, after everything he’d been through and everything he’d achieved, he still needed his family’s approval. Their support meant the world to him and he wanted it now more than ever.

  Walking into the dining room, he found his family sitting around the table, sipping coffee.

  Without even waiting for Tyler to sit down, his mother declared adamantly, “Right! We’re all here. Start talking.”

  Chapter 44

  Ava

  All she wanted to do was sleep in. It had been the week from hell. Everything just seemed hard. Too hard. She’d barely achieved anything at work and the mountain was growing each day of things that needed to be looked at, but she didn’t have the energy to care. Her relationship with Tyler had crashed and burned, going down in a spectacular blaze for the whole world to see. Not to mention her body was killing her. The lump on her head had started to subside thankfully, and her stomach seemed to have settled down, as long as she didn’t eat. The only thing in her crazy, upside down life that was going right at the moment was her latest book. Missing a few hours’ sleep had proved to be worth it, because the final book of James and Anna’s story, the one responsible for catapulting her life from mundane and ordinary into the barely recognisable mess she now endured, had been sent to her editor. What’s more, she was happy with it.

  Scrunching her eyes closed, Ava willed sleep but it didn’t come. After ten frustrated minutes, Ava jumped in the shower and mentally made a list of things to do today. She still hadn’t found a place to move into and with a little over a week to go before she was homeless, it was trying her nerves. She tried to remain positive and believe her friends wouldn’t let her down, but it was always there, niggling in the back of her mind. Amanda had offered to let her crash on her couch as long as necessary, but Ava liked her space and would only use it as an absolute last resort.

  After pulling on her yoga pants and one of Tyler’s shirts she’d found, she piled her hair into a messy bun and wandered into the kitchen. After gulping down a large glass of orange juice, Ava started assembling boxes. Today the packing would begin and she was going to be ruthless. Anything she didn’t want, anything she didn’t use, or anything that was just damn ugly wasn’t making the trip. If Goodwill didn’t want it, then it would go to the landfill. It was time to make some changes in her life. Changes that made her feel good. Changes that were purely selfish.

  Four sweaty, dusty hours later, Ava slumped to the floor, exhausted. Glancing around, she saw how much more she had to go and sighed heavily. Considering her apartment was a one bedroom shoebox, she’d crammed a whole lot of crap in there.

  A determined knock on the door made her drag her aching body off the floor. Wiping her forehead with the back of her arm, Ava felt gross. She had the compulsion to hide and wait for whoever it was to go away just so they didn’t have to see her like this. She was a mess. Coated in a thick layer of dust, dirt, and sweat, she smelt and she wanted nothing more than a long soak in a hot bath.

  “Hi.” She tried to smile as she yanked open the door, but the smile died on her lips.

  “Morning, Ava,” Luke’s timbre voice replied as he looked her up and down unashamedly.

  “Nice shirt!” Sam added, winking at her.

  Ava wanted to cry. Or run and hide. Or both. “What are you…you doing here?”

  She watched as they exchanged knowing glances. There was something going on and Ava wasn’t in on the joke. She hated secrets and not knowing, but the lazy smirks on their faces told her everything she needed to know. They weren’t about to spill the beans, no matter how much she tortured them.

  “We’re here to help.”

  “Help what?”

  “Help you, silly,” Luke explained vaguely, ruffling her hair with his gigantic paws.

  “So, you going to let us in or what?” Sam asked.

  Stepping back, Ava watched as the two towering men stepped into her apartment. Overcome by not only pure humiliation, but claustrophobia, Ava strode over to the door and pulled it open, letting the cool air filter through. She needed air and a lot of it. For a moment she remained silent with her arms folded over her chest as she watched the men move about her apartment silently. Each wore low slung board shorts, a t-shirt that hugged their impressive muscles, and expensive running shoes. Without a word they started working, taking books off the shelves and filling boxes.

  Feeling out of place, Ava hustled and joined in. Soon, all three were silently cramming boxes closed and stacking them by the door. When another knock at the door came, Ava felt her heart drop. Who could possibly be showing up now? Before she had a chance to climb over the saucepans that littered the kitchen floor at her feet, Sam was pulling open the door.

  “Wow!”

  “And you are?” Sam asked, blocking the opening.

  “Amanda. Is Ava here?”

  “Ava!” he called out. “Someone named Amanda is here?”

  “In the kitchen, Amanda.”

  With a smug smile, Ava watched as Amanda ducked under Sam’s arms, her eyes never once leaving his as she inched across the room. Ava leant back against the counter with a smug smile as Amanda stepped over a box and slid up beside her.

  “Care to explain what the fuck is going on here? And more importantly, why I wasn’t invited?”

  Ava laughed. A full, loud, obnoxious belly laugh. Her whole body reverberated and it felt so good she didn’t want to stop. Ava couldn’t remember last time she’d laughed so hard.

  “Ava, are you okay?” Luke asked with a worried look on his face. He’d emerged from her bedroom, holding the picture from her wall as if it was a piece of priceless art.

  “I’m fine. That can just go in the trash, Luke.”

  Confused, he asked, “You sure?”

  “Absolutely. I never actually liked it, it was just the first thing I found that was the right shape and size.”

  “Good. ’Cause I wasn’t going to say anything but, fuck, Ava. This is ugly!”

  The laughter came again. Not just from Ava. All four burst out laughing as Luke held the picture up and Sam put his fist straight through the centre. “Looks better already,” Amanda snorted.

  While Sam and Luke continued packing, Amanda dragged Ava into the bathroom and slammed the door.

  “Seriously, Ava, what’s with all the man candy?”

  Ava couldn’t stifle the giggle that bubbled up her throat. Luke and Sam were hot, there was no denying that but they were…Luke and Sam. She’d seen them do too many dumb things over the past couple of months to see them as anything more than big brother types. And the things she’d heard, she wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole. “Honestly, I have no fucking idea. They showed up, walked in, and started filling boxes.”

  “So you get sexy slave labour without even asking?”

  “I guess Tyler was involved somehow,” Ava choked out, all the fun and frivolity seeping from her face.

  “Wow! You really do lead a life I don’t understand.”

  Ava shrugged. She led a life that she didn’t understand most of the time. This was all new to her. She didn’t ask for the help, but she wasn’t stupid enough to turn it down either. A knock on the bathroom door startled them both and Ava leapt from the edge of the bath where she’d been
perched.

  “Ava?”

  “Yeah?” She smiled, pulling open the door only to come face to face with the solid, muscular wall of Luke’s broad chest.

  “We’ve got to take off, but most of it’s done. We’ll be back next Saturday with the truck to move it all for you.”

  “Thank you, but you don’t have to do that.”

  “Yeah, we do,” Sam butted in. “We promised Tyler—”

  “Tyler’s not here.” Admitting it shredded Ava’s insides. It was a fact. Tyler wasn’t there. He’d never be again, but it still hurt like a bitch.

  “We know,” Luke consoled, dragging her into his arms and squashing her against his chest. Through his sweat drenched shirt, Ava could feel his heart beating. Ava grabbed a handful of his shirt and sniffed against his shoulder. Feeling Luke tense beneath her she tried to pull away, but the moment she did he hauled her back in close. He wasn’t letting go. “It’s going to be all right, Ava.”

  “You…don’t…know…that…” she blubbered.

  “Yeah, Ava. We do.”

  “Hang in there. You’ll see.” Ava turned her head and saw Sam staring intently at her. Ava felt bad. Her being such an upset mess was obviously making them uncomfortable.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just keep going, Short Stack,” Luke told her, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek before fleeing out the door, Sam hot on his heels.

  For a minute, Ava stared at the door, willing them to come back and explain. They never did. Turning to Amanda, she saw her mouth gaping open and shock in her eyes. “Seriously, what the fuck is going on?” Ava demanded, her voice filled with venom and maybe a little hope.

  Chapter 45

  Tyler

  Everything was falling into place, exactly as he planned. His family had knocked him flat on his arse with their unwavering support and encouragement. He knew he should never have doubted them, but anxiety had gotten the better of him. After a long conversation with his father, Tyler knew what he needed to do. What he wanted to do. Now he just had to hold himself together for a couple more days.

  If training was hard, then dealing with Jonathan and his sponsorship bullshit was pure torture. He had no desire at all to keep them. He had one thing on his mind and it had nothing to do with swimming or any of the side show that went along with it.

  It was early Friday morning and Tyler had just finished a gruelling session in the pool. If there was one thing he hated doing was starts. Diving into the water over and over and over again held no appeal to him. He’d rather lap back and forth than practice diving even though he knew it had to be done. The thing that made this a particular frustrating session was the smug looks that Luke and Sam had plastered to their faces every time he saw them. There were in jokes which he only ever managed to catch the tail end of and he would have sworn he heard Ava’s named mentioned more than once. And it was his own fault. He’d asked them for help, which they’d readily agreed to and now he was left regretting his decision.

  As the three men stalked through towards their cars, towels draped around their waists and t-shirts clinging to their still damp chests, Tyler knew he had to ask. If he was going to pull this off tomorrow, he needed them on his side.

  “So…”

  “Hi Tyler,” Sam said smugly. “How may we be of assistance on this fine day?”

  “I’m going to pay for this, aren’t I?”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe!”

  “Great.”

  Luke clasped a firm hand on Tyler’s shoulder and Tyler stopped to actually look at the guys in front of him. He might be paying for this for a long time, but it was worth it. He needed them and when he’d asked, they hadn’t questioned it. Tyler knew these were the type of mates everyone wanted, everyone needed, and not everyone found. He was lucky. Now he was going to press that luck and go after the ultimate prize. Ava.

  Chapter 46

  Ava

  The week dragged on. The longer it went the more stressed and agitated Ava became. She had nowhere to go. The few places she’d looked at were horrible. Either they were dirty and worn, some with light fittings hanging out of the ceiling, others with a weird yellow mould coating the entire bathroom. And the stench. How some people could live in such squalor confused her. One place, the most decent that fit her price range, looked perfect in the photos. Neat, tidy, and reasonable size, but the moment she stepped inside the overwhelming stench of cat piss ruled it out as an option.

  Five o’clock approached and Ava’s stomach churned. Her test results were burning a hole in her handbag. When she’d slipped out at lunch time to get them, she thought it would be simple. Easy. Nothing to stress about. She hadn’t needed something else to deal with, but that would have been too simple. And nothing in Ava’s crazy life was ever simple. Nothing ever went to plan. It was never straightforward. And right now, her life just straight out sucked.

  Unable to sit there a moment longer staring at the screen contemplating the universe, Ava shut down her computer, scooped up her hand bag, and left, waving to Matthew as she passed. He could have stopped her. Questioned her. Demanded to know why she was leaving early, but thankfully in that moment luck was on her side and she was able to skip out without a word.

  In her car, Ava unfolded the letter and reread the results again, hoping the answer had changed. No matter how many times she read them, they remained the same. Positive. “Fuck it all!” Ava growled, punching the steering wheel, desperate to get her frustrations out. Putting the car in gear, Ava took off out of the car park and headed home. She needed some time to digest everything and figure out what she was going to do. Nothing more could happen until she’d done that.

  After picking up a family sized cheese pizza, garlic bread, and a bottle of Coke, Ava trudged up the stairs and slammed the door behind her. For the rest of the night, the world didn’t exist. She was going to gorge herself stupid on pizza and watch crappy TV and pretend her life wasn’t falling apart. Turning off her phone, she dropped it in the bottom of her handbag and tossed it on the bench.

  A pounding on the door woke Ava from her sleep. Wiping the dried drool from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, Ava ran her hand through her hair, catching her fingers in the knotty mess.

  “Just a second,” she called out, barely recognising her own strangled voice. Standing up, she put her foot straight on top of the leftover pizza in the box by her feet. “Fuck!”

  “Ava! Is everything okay in there?”

  Giving up on trying to make herself presentable, Ava hopped towards the door on one foot, wiping the cheese and tomato from her foot with a crumpled napkin. Yanking open the door, Ava came face to face with a wall of muscle.

  “Morning, Ava. Your removalists have arrived,” Sam declared with a smile.

  “Big night?” Luke winked and Ava’s stomach lurched. Without a word, Ava took off, ignoring everything, and barely making it to the bathroom before vomiting violently.

  “Shit, Ava! Are you okay?” Luke asked, standing in the doorway looking concerned.

  “Ah,” Ava sighed, sitting back, leaning against the cool tiles. Silently Luke handed her a glass of water and stepped back like it was something he could catch. A moment later, he helped her off the floor and settled her on her bed.

  “Why don’t you just sit here for a minute?”

  “Okay.”

  “Sam and I’ll start taking stuff down to the truck.”

  Leaning back against the bed head, Ava hugged the spare pillow to her stomach. It still smelt like Tyler, making her heart ache as well as her empty stomach. With her eyes closed, Ava mumbled, “Mmmm.” She could hear them moving about her apartment but couldn’t keep her heavy eyes open, quickly slipping into dreamless sleep.

  Ava was hot. Too hot. Flicking open her eyes, Ava found herself perched in a nest of pillows covered with a blanket. Kicking it off, Ava swung her legs off the side of the bed and the room whirled around her. For a few long moments she sat there sucking in deep,
fortifying breaths, praying for the dizziness to subside.

  A loud crash jolted her from the bed and a moment later Ava was standing in her nearly empty living room. Soundlessly tears coated her face. All of her stuff was gone, leaving only a trail of dust.

  “Where’s…where’s my stuff? The fridge, the lounge, my desk?” Overwhelmed, Ava started panting wildly.

  “It’s in the truck.”

  “Don’t you fucking get it? I’ve got nowhere to go. Where were you planning on taking it?”

  “Didn’t you talk to Tyler?” Sam asked, confusion all over his perfectly tanned face.

  “Fuck, Sam! I haven’t spoken to Tyler in over a week. And it doesn’t matter what he says. He isn’t part of my life anymore, so his opinion doesn’t matter.”

  “Ava—”

  “What, Luke? Seriously! What have you got to tell me that could possibly change any of this? Make any of it better? ’Cause if you do, please tell me what it is. I’m begging you. Right now, I need something to make this better.”

  “Call him,” Sam butted in.

  Ava stepped backwards and into the wall. She was shaking with emotional overload. Sliding down the wall, she sat on her butt and stared up at the two men towering over her. She should have felt intimidated, worried, or afraid, but she knew Luke and Sam wouldn’t ever hurt her. They were here to help her, or at least they thought they were helping.

  “Here,” Sam said, handing her the phone he’d just pulled from his pocket and hit dial on.

  With wide, terrified eyes, her gaze never broke with Sam’s. Holding the phone to her ear, Ava waited while it rang.

  “Sam! Hey, what’s up? How’s it going at Ava’s? All packed up?” Tyler gushed.