Make Me Stay II: A Second Chance Romance

by Avant, Amarie

  Their mother placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, so I’m guessing that it pays that my frequent flier miles had nothing to do with your ticket.”

  “Not even the first-class upgrade.” He winked. “AC, drive off now, drive off!”

  Just as Verdrena was about to speak, Avery said, “Love ya, Mom! Gotta go.” She pulled away from the curb.

  “Oh, I think Momma just cussed you out, Sis.”

  Avery’s eyebrows kneaded together. “Damn, we haven’t done that to her since you got your second car.”

  When she glanced over at him, he spoke. “I believe I was three car accidents in. But who’s counting.”

  With her driving, it was a quiet ride, lacking in conversation. When they pulled up to the airport for drop off, Avery turned in her seat.

  “So, are you really making money this weekend?”

  “Yes, it’s a twenty-year anniversary that I’m photographing for a friend’s mom.”

  Her eyebrow arched. “What kinda friend?”

  He chuckled softly. “Not a female. Besides, Carly and I, we might try to make this long-distance thing work.”

  “Oh, with free airfare, I guess anything is possible,” Avery retorted.

  “We were going to mention the us thing during lunch after I shot some award-winning photos of Baudelaire.”

  “Then Maxine,” Avery murmured.

  “That’s right.” Antonio hesitated for a moment. “Are you okay with us?”

  “Yeah. As I said, she’s three years older than you are, Antonio . . . that’s just a general complaint, but more so due to my petty bone than a bona fide complaint. I think the two of you make a cute—" In her peripheral, Avery noticed a familiar face.

  Shock washed over her as she watched Donavan exit the airport and disappear into a crowd of commuters.

  “What are you . . .” Antonio glanced behind him.

  “I . . .”

  “Did you see a celebrity or something?” he signed, again glancing over his shoulder through the passenger window.

  “Um, I’m not sure. Now, back to the topic. Whatever your plans are with Carly, understand she comes with a ten-year-old, who I might add is a very smart, little guy. Josh also happens to be my nephew, which in retrospect is probably a valid reason for the two of you not to pursue anything. Antonio, you’re—” He clasped her hands in his, stopping her words.

  “I’m not a kid anymore, AC. And I know Carly’s three years older than me, and I know she has a kid. This isn’t elementary. I’ve always liked her, even when you would’ve slapped the taste out of my mouth.”

  Though questions roamed through her mind as to what her Donavan was doing at the airport today, Avery’s lips pulled up into a smile. “I know.”

  “We talked. Joshua is awesome, but we’ve chosen not to mention our relationship to him until down the road when we ultimately decide to cross that bridge.” He stared at her for a second. “C’mon, Big Sis, what else? Is there anything else that you need to say?”

  “Nothing, I have to get home to honey bun.” She made a gross face while touching a hand over her chest.

  “Ha, you think talking about breast milk will scare me, AC. What are you thinking? Just give me the short version, so you can return to Queen Anya."

  Shrugging, Avery said, “Well, Carly is my girl and all, but she does come with additional baggage. I’m not sure if you can deal with it, and I won’t go into what she’s been through when she was younger, Antonio. I just think about how you were unable to realize how I felt isolated from the deaf community when we were kids—”

  “Avery, I’m sorry.”

  “Bro, I’m not angry with you at all.” She offered him a smile. “But you should just be prepared, if you continue to pursue Carly, a cute face—aka our good genes—won’t cut it. You’ll need to really listen and be intuitive.”

  Antonio nodded, silently heeding her words that weren’t meant to deter but to encourage him to be diligent. Avery could tell he understood. Loving Carly wasn’t going to be a fulfilled boyhood crush.

  A few minutes later, Antonio got out of the car and grabbed his luggage from the trunk. Letting a deep sigh flow through her, Avery pulled out her cell phone to text Donavan, asking where he’d gone today. Last night, he’d left late explaining that his father was asking for him and that he had spent the night there. Carly had confirmed it that morning.

  Avery bit her lip as she thought about how the morning had played out. She’d been so busy making extra bottles of breastmilk that they hardly had a moment to speak more. When she’d texted Donavan, he’d even said he’d be home within the hour so that Carly wasn’t running the B&B while caring for Anya. With a red laser gaze, she focused on the phone, awaiting his response.

  DONAVAN: I’ll be home soon, AC.

  Her lips tensed. She re-texted, “But where did you go?”

  She stared at the phone, not tearing her eyes away from the three dots until a taxi driver pulled alongside and argued with her for not hearing his honking. The dots stopped moving, and Donavan hadn’t responded. She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and looked out the side view mirror, driving away.

  49

  Donavan

  So that it could not be tracked in another state, Donavan had turned his cell phone off and removed the chip before his flight to New York. He’d texted Avery last night, right before leaving his Dad’s house to apologize again for spending the night at his dad’s and encourage her for the therapy session this morning.

  Donavan drove away from the airport. When he was in familiar territory, he parked outside of a donut shop. Leaning back in his truck, he took a deep breath. When he reinserted the chip to his personal phone and powered it on, he saw a text message from Avery that forced the air out of his lungs.

  She knew. Precisely what she was aware of he had no idea, but Avery was too smart of a woman not to catch on. Maybe she didn’t know, he considered.

  He replied, “I’ll be home soon, AC,” hoping that it was enough to placate her curiosity. It had to be just curiosity. The seed of hope in him at least thought so. The reality was that he’d known this woman all her life, and this day of reckoning was coming way too soon. While angry glaring at an inexperienced driver in an SUV, inching its way into the tiny spot beside him, Donavan felt his palm vibrate with not one, but two messages.

  Reluctantly, he glanced down to read them.

  AVERY: But where did you go??

  He started to type a response but thought better of it. He couldn’t trick her, and he refused to lie.

  “Don’t be a pussy,” he whispered to himself. His beefy thumbs poised over the screen again. With a huff, he again tried to play it cool.

  DONAVAN: Be home soon. Grabbed a bite. Hanging out with Tripp

  “Or about to hang out with Trip,” he muttered. It wouldn’t be a lie if he did.

  DONAVAN: But I’ll stay in the area and grab Josh and Jr, so you don’t have to. You know summer camp doesn’t like them to leave too soon . . .

  He tapped his cell phone in his palm, waiting for Avery to answer. About twenty people passed in and out of the shop with donuts and coffee before Donavan recognized that neither of his responses had sat well with his woman. Fuck!

  * * *

  Because they lived in different neighborhoods, the kids attended summer programs in different locations. Carly had planned on transferring Joshua to the program that Junior attended so that she could drop him off on the way to work, but the program had been full by the time she’d thought to make the switch. Fortunately, Joshua’s released about twenty minutes earlier than Junior’s, helping Donavan make it to pick up Junior in the nick of time. While he was navigating traffic toward the front of the youth center, he asked Joshua, “You’ve got one more year in elementary. You ready for middle school?”

  “I guess.”

  “It’s the worst.” Donavan joked.

  “Yeah right. Not for cool kids like you.”

  “I wasn’t a toddler, runnin
g around with tatts, Josh.”

  His nephew tossed his head back and laughed. “So, you and Auntie Avery are the coolest. Hey, I was thinking of something.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Do you think you can get my mom to get us a dog too?”

  Donavan patted the top of his head, and Joshua pushed his hand away. “Okay, too old for that. I’m probably not the right person to be vouching for you right now. You should remind AC how she was dangling over the ballroom, and then you helped rescue her. I think that will help get her in your corner when asking your mom about a dog.”

  “Maybe Auntie will ask for me?”

  Donavan pulled to a stop. “Maybe. Just lay on the charm, be suave about it.”

  Joshua nodded. “I can do that.”

  * * *

  The moment they arrived at Baudelaire, Joshua went running toward Avery. She sat outside on the porch with Anya glancing around. While Joshua started making a case, she glared at Donavan, and then gave Joshua all her attention.

  “Alright, sweetheart,” she said. “I’ll do my best to convince your mom to get a puppy, but it’s ultimately her decision and your grandpa’s since it’s his house, okay?”

  “Aw, okay.” He nodded. His face grew long after the dashed hope.

  “Can you do me a favor?”

  “You and Junior watch Anya while I talk to your knuckleheaded uncle?”

  There was excitement in Joshua’s eyes again. He regarded his uncle. “Ohhh, you’re in trouble.”

  When they got upstairs to the bedroom, Donavan moved before Avery. With the grace and confidence of a lioness, she started to move away from his touch. He embraced her in his arms, holding her still.

  “My little bird,” he groaned, rubbing his thumb over her mouth like he often did when he wanted to rattle her brain and force all her thoughts out—and to show her just how sweet and strong his lips tasted against hers.

  She pushed his hand away and nudged her chin toward the bed. “I took the liberty of pulling out all of our luggage, Donavan. I suggest that the next words that come out of your mouth are all fact and not fiction. Unless you’d like to use that luggage.”

  “Okay.” He shoved a hand through his hair.

  “You’re working for my dad?”

  “Yes. Avery, yes.” Anger raced through him as he glanced over at the luggage and back at her. His voice boomed. “You wanna talk this shit out, fine. Ain’t no way in hell that I’m leaving you or my kids! Babe, everything I do is for—”

  “I knew it, and don’t you say you do everything for me. I might slap you, Donavan.” Avery shook her head, and then moved toward the farthest side of the room, locking her arms around her chest. “I even called his crazy black ass, and he confirmed it. Good thing you didn’t just lie to me.”

  His gaze never left hers. Damn, Alexander tried to get him caught up!

  “Carly confessed that you’ve been helping your dad.” She stalked over to his side of the dresser and away from his touch again. Pulling out his drawer, she grabbed the velvet box. “Calculating when it was safe to give me this diamond or is it for someone else.”

  As he stepped toward her, Avery tossed the velvet box at him. He caught it and slipped it into his back pocket. She started toward the door. He grabbed her, pressing her body back against the wall. When Avery gave him her eye contact, Donavan growled. “Don’t fucking say something like that. Yes. Miss Goody Two Shoes, Miss fucking Four-Point-Average, you know those diamonds were yours, and I was waiting for a more appropriate time to give them to you.”

  She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, pausing for a beat. “What is going on with you? It feels like there is something. Are you sure you don’t have PTSD, because either I need to sit with you at a few therapy sessions or I’m going to slap some sense into you! But I’m too angry, Donnie. You’ve never made me so angry in my life!”

  With her refusing to look at him, Donavan had no way of defending himself. He pressed his hand right above her head, continuing to lock her into a tiny space. His other hand caressed her cheek. “Look at me, beautiful,” he muttered, mostly hoping that her heart heard him since she refused.

  She finally glared up at him. Stuck against the wall, she punched at his chest.

  He took every hit, without moving. Then she shouted all the wrong words.

  “Donnie, just leave! I told you already, you have any ties to my dad, then—”

  He clasped her jaw as he stood over her. “Nah, never. I’ll sleep outside in my truck if you’re that mad, but I’ll burn this luggage in the field before I use it to move out.”

  The tears beginning to fall down her cheeks stole the anger he felt for her attempt to kick him out.

  “C’mon, AC . . . Little bird . . . baby . . .”

  Glossy, pretty brown eyes looked up at him filled with disappointment that he’d never forget. “What are you doing for my father, Donavan?”

  “Nothing you wanna know, AC.” His hands fell to his sides.

  She slipped down to the floor, fisting the hair at her crown until her kinks became a vail before her eyes. “This isn’t what you want, Donavan,” she murmured. “This business and all the stuff that we’re doing, is it?”

  Beneath the clumps of puffy hair, her eyes shone so wet and bright that a hole tore in his heart.

  “Avery, I’d do anything that you want.” He leaned against the dresser, heavy biceps folded. “I really did want to do this for Franny, for you. We’re moving too fast. You have these ideas. Paddle boats for the lake.” He pointed a stiff hand toward the window. “Gazebo. Flowers.”

  “I mentioned the flowers already?” she murmured. “I’m sorry, I just . . .”

  He gasped. “You want a lot. And this is how I’ll give it to you.”

  “My dad—”

  “No! Not him. Me, by working for him,” he growled, grabbing a tuft of his hair. “Shit, we have enough for a gazebo, the boats too, now that you know. Babe, we have a daughter and a son to take care of too. And my dad. We can do it all now. I understand that owning a business isn’t easy that it takes time to—”

  “To survive, thrive,” she mumbled. “My dad, he would just help us, without asking anything in return.”

  “That’s your naïve, daughter response. Avery, get it through your head!” He slammed a hand onto the dresser. “I don’t want shit from your father that I haven’t—”

  “That you haven’t, what? Jumped into a den of snakes to get?” Her gaze widened. The leeway that Donavan felt like they were making in this discussion was shot back down into the gutter. “I know my dad is not a good person, okay!”

  “You don’t know the half of it. The less you know the better. So just keep being my beautiful woman, expecting the best, and that’s what you’ll get. I just said we have enough to do a gazebo and some of the other ventures you’re interested in. Be happy about it.”

  She reached over and grabbed a boot from the floor, hurling it at him. Donavan caught it an inch away from his nose and placed it down.

  “You sound like Alexander Castle, Donnie! I’m deaf, but can you fucking hear yourself? Just compromise! Just be happy while someone else is hurt.”

  He came to kneel before her. “I’ve been feeling like a failure, Avery.”

  “Where is the man that I want to marry! He’d never say such things,” she said, tears blurring much of her vision.

  “I can’t just do your bidding, AC. We’ve been good. For the last two months, I do what needs to be done around here, right? Things are running right at the B&B. The acreage that we own is to your liking.”

  She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip. “Yeah, everything is to my liking. I can’t believe you’re asking me to be okay, to compromise my moral code for . . .”

  He pawed her cheek. “Avery, I’m standing before you telling you that I haven’t felt like shit! On one hand, that’s okay because you outshine any of my best accomplishments on my best days. You’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me. But on the ot
her hand, I’ve gotta come through for you. So, if you keep coming up with different items that you’d like at Franny’s B&B then I’ll follow through. My dad’s happier, less cranky, Avery. Junior’s puppy just got his shots. We’re happy.”

  “Oh, so you’re just going to list out all the ways the world is a better place because of whatever you do in the dark?” Avery scoffed. “I’m sorry. I love you, Donavan. But I’ve never condoned anything my father has done.”

  “You’ve lived a good life.”

  She sucked in air.

  “Our children deserve that. Babe, I’m not doing this—us—right. I’m going to go do what I have to do for our family! Understand, beautiful?”

  “So, you’re not going to stop?”

  There was a grave finality to his tone as he said, “No.”

  Somehow the sparkle of diamonds flickered before Avery’s gaze. Donavan had pulled the velvet box out of his back pocket.

  “You’re forgetting that I know how to love my father from afar when need be, Donavan.” She placed her hands over his as he started to unclasp the necklace. “I never thought I’d say the same exact words to you that I’ve said to him. Keep your diamonds.”

  She rose from the floor and went downstairs.

  Over the next couple of days, frost slowly crept in between them, finally increasing to the size of an iceberg. Donavan purchased ten pedal boats and stayed around long enough to help a few of the guests get the hang of it while riding with Junior and Sheriff. But neither he nor Avery were willing to compromise.

  50

  Avery

  July

  Avery watched Donavan, holding Anya who he’d dressed in a sparkly navy-blue onesie with an American flag patterned tutu. She wanted to be mad at him—she’d been mad at him for six very long nights. She actually still was, but she couldn’t help but smile at the show of patriotism. Donavan had put their daughter in the very outfit that she was supposed to wear tomorrow on the Fourth and not today. Father and daughter handed out the fliers that Carly had made earlier. The paper outlined the best places to view fireworks.