Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream #2)

by Rebecca Barber

  When she took her seat ten minutes later after washing her face, cleaning her teeth, and stretching out her aching limbs, Ava felt ready. Ready to be home again. Ready to make the changes to her life that she’d always promised herself that she’d make but never before had the courage of her convictions to actually see it through. This time not only did she have the strength to do it but she also had the motivation. It was time. She owed it to herself. Seeing all that New York had to offer had given her the confidence to chase those dreams.

  The seatbelt sign blinked on as the hostesses made their way through the aisles collecting headsets and rubbish, waking people gently and getting them to sit upright again. It was time to land. Time to come home.

  After circling the airport for half an hour due to traffic, Ava was becoming fidgety and frustrated, but glancing around the cabin, she realised she wasn’t the only one. It seemed like every child aboard was awake and clambering to disembark. When they landed with a thud, Ava released the breath she’d been holding and began collecting her belongings. Reaching up into the overhead locker, Ava locked eyes with a gentleman above her and his icy blue eyes. Ava could see how someone could get swept away by his strong jaw and enchanting eyes, but they didn’t hold her captive. Not even for a moment.

  As he handed Ava her backpack, their fingers brushed and Ava waited for the electricity to spark but it never came. Nothing. Not like Tyler, Ava reminded herself. Shaking off the memory, Ava sighed.

  “Thanks,” she acknowledged before slipping the bag on her shoulder and joining the queue to get off the plane. She was almost home.

  Once she was off the plane, Ava stumbled along in a daze as she went through the motions. First, immigration, where she was quickly stamped and dismissed before grabbing her suitcase and joining the customs line. When a big, beefy guy towered over her, Ava visibly shuddered with fear.

  “Card,” he snapped gruffly, his eyes not even looking at her. Without a word Ava handed him the green cardboard she’d filled out meticulously. “What food are you carrying?” he snapped again.

  “J-Just-some chocolates,” Ava replied, barely louder than a whisper, her voice trembling. She’d seen enough of the security shows to know that these guys weren’t there to be messed with.

  “Only chocolates?”

  “Y-Yes, sir,” Ava added quickly as she forced herself not to cower.

  For the first time since he’d approached her he looked down at her and into her face. “Okay,” he responded, shaking his head. “Go through there,” he motioned with his arm, his voice softening but only slightly.

  Ava remained frozen to the spot until she watched him march down the line before stopping at a guy who could be no older than twenty with long dirty blond hair. Quickly Ava regained control of her senses, grabbed her suitcase, and made her way through the airport towards the door. Although Ava wasn’t exactly sure what was on the other side, she was secretly relieved that she was moving in the opposite direction of the brute.

  Stepping through the automatic glass doors, Ava took tentative steps, but soon everything clicked and she realised where she was—standing in the middle of the walkway of the arrivals hall. There was a sea before her of people waiting for their loved ones to emerge. Some holding flowers, others balloons, and some just signs above their head. As a sadness seeped in, Ava righted herself and walked towards the exit, suddenly desperate for fresh air. There was no one waiting for her.

  After grabbing a coffee from the nearest counter, Ava stepped into the sunlight and bumbled towards the bus station. She was so close now. Another three hours on a smelly bus and she’d be home. In her own bed. In clean clothes. In her own space. Something Ava hadn’t realised how much she’d missed until she slipped into the window seat near the front and rested her forehead against the cool glass.

  For the longest fifteen minutes in history the bus remained still as it filled with tired, grumpy passengers. Ava didn’t mind. She just watched out the window as the world went by. This trip had been everything she could have dreamed of and so much more. New York had opened her eyes and as much as she would never admit it, Tyler Andrews had opened her heart. Something Ava thought could never be done. She’d locked it away a long time ago. But somehow, without wanting or warning, Tyler had penetrated the fortress she’d spent years erecting.

  “Damn him,” Ava swore under her breath.

  Running her hands through her greasy hair, Ava stared out the window at the people scurrying about. And then like an apparition, he was there. Hands on hips. His white button down linen shirt crumpled like he’d slept in it, his jaw covered with stubble, and suddenly Ava found her fingertips itching to touch it.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Ava exclaimed in shock as she watched him spin on his heel and walk determinedly towards the bus.

  “Watch your language!” a young woman snarled behind her.

  “Sorry,” Ava said automatically, her eyes never leaving Tyler.

  He took long purposeful strides down the pavement, people stepping back and giving him space without a word. They parted like the Red Sea before him. Ava watched, mesmerised. She had never been more thankful for tinted windows than she was at that moment. She could stare unashamedly without fear of being caught. And although she knew she shouldn’t, Ava couldn’t tear her eyes away.

  “No!” she told herself, physically turning her body away from the window and away from Tyler. She knew it wouldn’t do any good for her to wrap herself around the fantasy of a real relationship with Tyler Andrews. Yeah, he was a nice guy, but he was way out of her league. She had to forget him. Forget how his hand wrapped around hers caused her pulse to race like a freight train. Forget how he smelt when she’d been pressed against him. Forget how his smile reached his eyes and triggered her heart. No, Tyler Andrews wouldn’t be a part of the new Ava. He was one dream that would die with the old Ava. It had to.

  Chapter 31

  Tyler

  Tyler felt like he was being watched but he couldn’t pinpoint it. Sure he was surrounded by people blatantly staring at him but it was more than that. Only moments ago he’d felt the piercing gaze burning into his shoulders as he stood waiting for his car. But nothing. He couldn’t see anyone he recognised and no one approached him.

  As he stepped into the shadow of the bus, the doors closed with a hiss. He glanced up and noticed a redheaded, freckle-faced kid pressing his face up against the window squashing his nose. Tyler couldn’t help but to chuckle. The innocence of children. But it was the pile of brunette hair stuffed hastily into a bun that caught his attention. And he wasn’t sure why. She was leaning on her hand, looking in the opposite direction. Tyler couldn’t see her face but it didn’t stop him from freezing on the spot and willing her to drop her hand.

  “Shit!” Tyler exclaimed as he ran a hand across his stubbled jaw. He hated it. It was itching and annoying and he couldn’t wait to get home into the steam-filled shower and shave away the grime. Sighing heavily, Tyler looked up one more time, hoping she’d glance in his direction and put him out of his misery.

  And then she did. Only it didn’t put him out of his misery. If anything it dragged him further under.

  The moment his eyes locked with Ava’s, the bus started to pull away. “Fuck no!” Tyler swore, earning him dirty looks from passers-by. He wanted to run along beside the bus and bang on the door until it screeched to a halt. Visions danced in his mind of romantic gestures to stop the bus and get her phone number. But he didn’t move. Instead he just watched in silence as it backed out of the bay and pulled away. Unable to tear his eyes away, Tyler just watched as once again Ava disappeared from his life.

  Tyler sighed and kicked at an imaginary rock at his feet. He couldn’t believe it. Last time he’d seen Ava she was striding determinedly away from him on the other side of the world, and now they were kept apart by a pane of glass, and like the idiot he was, Tyler did nothing. He deserved to watch her drive away. Although Tyler knew it was the best thing for th
em both, it didn’t make it any easier.

  While he was standing there silently berating himself, a young man stepped up beside him. “Mr. Andrews?” he asked nervously.

  After a moment of silence, Tyler managed to force his thoughts back to reality. “Yeah?” he asked, turning to find the voice.

  “I’m here to take you home, sir,” he offered, reaching out his hand to take Tyler’s bag that was still slung across his shoulder.

  “It’s all good. I got it. Let’s get out of here,” Tyler replied, pulling his eyes away from the road where he’d last seen the bus before it vanished. Within minutes Tyler was slumped in the back of a black sedan speeding along the freeway towards his empty house.

  Grabbing his phone, Tyler switched it on and watched as it came alive. Text messages filled his inbox quickly. Jonathan, his mother, his sister, and a couple of crude jokes from teammates. Settling in, Tyler found it oddly comforting to be home and back to normal. After sending the obligatory “I’m safe” message to his mother, he turned his attention to his sister. They didn’t talk all that often but they had that kind of relationship that they knew the other was there if they ever needed it.

  Katie: Hey bro. I take it u read the book?

  Tyler: Yep.

  Tyler offered her nothing. He loved Katie. There was no doubt. But she was his sister and she could be a royal pain in his arse when she wanted to be. Which was most of the time. They got along great and had fun when they were together but mostly their idea of fun was teasing the other incessantly. Tyler missed his sister and often sought out her opinion, but this time he’d kept everything to himself. Ava was something he wasn’t ready to share. Not yet.

  A moment later his phone beeped as another text came through.

  Katie: That’s it???

  Tyler: Yep.

  Katie: Tyler Samuel Andrews—u suck.

  Tyler: )

  Grinning at the thought that he’d won this round, Tyler dropped his phone in his lap and cracked his knuckles. It felt good to try to move his stiff, sore joints. When his phone started ringing, forcing him from his impromptu backseat Pilates session, he swore under his breath.

  “Oh, hello, Katie,” he sighed as he flopped back against the seat.

  “Don’t hello Katie me,” she warned.

  “That’s not a very nice welcome home for your favourite brother.” Tyler laughed.

  “Only brother.”

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this call? I’m not even home yet.”

  “You just land?”

  “Yep.”

  “So you haven’t seen the papers?”

  “Nope. Should I have?”

  “Probably,” Katie mumbled. Tyler could hear the scrunching of paper in the background and he knew Katie was probably about to tell him something he didn’t want to hear. A moment later she was back. “You still there?”

  “Yeah,” Tyler’s usually steady voice shook.

  As Katie read the article to Tyler his blood began to boil. Over the years he’d been the subject of scrutiny and lies more than once, but this time they were trying to hurt innocent people. Innocent Ava. That was not okay.

  “Well?” Katie asked nervously. Tyler could picture her sitting in her canary yellow kitchen picking at her fingernails as he squirmed. Katie was one of the best people he knew and even she’d been subjected to the bullshit over the years. All because of him.

  “I don’t know how to fix this one, Kitty Cat,” Tyler admitted sadly with a loud huff.

  With the mention of the nickname only Tyler called her, Katie knew it was bad. “Wanna talk about it?” she offered.

  “No,” Tyler answered directly, leaving no room for argument.

  “See you in fifteen,” Katie retorted, dismissing him with the press of a button.

  As the ring tone beeped in his ear, Tyler sighed heavily and stared out the window. Thankfully he was only two turns from home, and he’d never been more desperate to see it. This past week had proved the week from hell, and if what Katie had just told him was true, it wasn’t over yet. Far from it. Turning into the street Tyler could see the swarm gathered at his gates. Originally the place hadn’t been so closed off, but when the press started camping on his doorstep, Tyler took precautions. Now his sanctuary sat behind a six-foot wall.

  “Just drive up to the number pad. Try and line up my window with it and I’ll punch in the code. Once we’re in the gates, just drive up to the house and we can unload. They won’t come near you going back out,” Tyler instructed.

  “No worries,” came the short, sharp reply from his driver.

  Tyler was thankful he hadn’t gotten a chatty driver. Today he needed the quiet to get his head together. He was exhausted from pretending to be someone he wasn’t. No wonder actors got paid such ludicrous sums of money.

  Ten minutes later Tyler slammed the heavy wooden door behind him and dumped his bag at his feet. He knew he had things he should do but right now all he could think about was a hot shower. Taking the stairs two at a time, Tyler paused only to grab a clean towel from the cupboard before striding into his bathroom.

  Standing under the scalding water, Tyler felt the tension evaporate. The weight on his shoulders was still there, it always was, but the pains and aches and tension eased. Even though he knew Katie was on her way he didn’t hurry. Instead Tyler took his time to shave, wash his hair, and clean his teeth. When he emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, the thick white towel hanging low on his hips, he felt like a new man.

  Hearing something downstairs, Tyler called out, “Katie? That you?”

  “Yeah. Please don’t come down naked,” she replied with a giggle. “Ew!”

  Five minutes later Tyler had slipped into a clean pair of shorts and t-shirt and made his way downstairs. Walking through his house he noticed how bland it looked. More like a hotel room than a home. It seemed lifeless. Loveless. Like a stranger stayed here. Pushing the negativity from his mind as much as he could, Tyler strode into the kitchen only to find Katie with her head buried in his fridge.

  “Doubt you’re going to find much,” he informed her, sinking onto the nearest bar stool.

  “You’d be surprised.” Katie teased playfully, pushing the door closed and walking towards him.

  With Tyler sitting in the chair, Katie was the same height as him. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Katie hugged him affectionately. “Hey, little brother.”

  “Hey yourself,” he said, returning her smile. They stood that way for a long moment, Tyler enjoying the feeling of home. Katie was normal. She was comfort. And she’d seen him at his worst and loved him anyway. Hell, some days she’d caused his worst. But they were family and no matter what else happened, they always would be.

  “Want a drink?”

  “Yeah, but I doubt there’s anything in there,” Tyler admitted with a defeated shrug of his shoulders.

  “Oh, brother. You have such little faith.” Katie taunted, pulling out a bottle of Coke.

  “What?”

  “After seeing the paper this morning and knowing you were on your way home, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that the hounds wouldn’t be too far away. So I may or may not have stopped and picked up some things for you.” Katie explained, setting a glass down in front of him.

  Surprised by her thoughtfulness, Tyler wondered how bad things were if even Katie was trying to protect him. Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Tyler did what he did best. Deflected. “When did you get so awesome?” Tyler teased.

  “Always was, little brother. You just never knew it.”

  Taking a long gulp of his drink, Tyler burped as his glass hit the bench. Knowing there was no use in putting it off; Tyler ran his hand through his wet hair and sucked in a long deep breath. “So…how bad is it?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “No.”

  “Paper’s in my bag.” Katie indicated her handbag on the chair beside him.

  As much as he didn’t want to
touch it, Tyler knew he had to. If this was something he had to face then he had to at least know what he was going up against. You couldn’t formulate a plan to destroy an enemy without first knowing what they knew. Or in this case what they thought they knew.

  Tyler pulled the paper out, not caring that the front page ripped in half as he went. Flicking through, it didn’t take him long to find it. Page eight. Not the country’s most newsworthy event but still enough to have an entire page dedicated to it anyway.

  Katie slunk onto the chair beside him but remained silent. Tyler didn’t even notice. Instead his entire focus was captured on the huge photo taking up a third of the page. He didn’t have to ask where it had come from or how it had gotten out; it was the same one that he’d seen all over Twitter the week before, but staring back at him in black and white, it was hard to ignore.

  Skimming the article, Tyler read the lies printed and couldn’t help but give credit to the journalist with such an inventive imagination. Katie waited silently and as Tyler clenched and unclenched his fists, expressions of shock, dismay and fury dancing across his face.

  “Fuck!” Tyler exhaled as he dropped the paper onto the bench.

  “Talk to me, Ty,” Katie encouraged.

  “Where do they come up with this bullshit?” he asked rhetorically.

  “Who knows?” Katie shrugged, not knowing what else she could say. “I don’t wanna ask but I’ve got to. How much of it is true?”