by S. J. Bishop
I’d been walking around in a trance, and when I finally became aware of my surroundings, I noticed I was in front of another old bar—Dover Chase had a lot of old bars. Only this one had been more for gamblers than drinkers if I was remembering right. Nothing hardcore. Just some light poker and maybe a little twenty-one. I stepped inside and was surprised to find the place hadn’t changed. It was brighter than Conrad’s had been, with light pine wood and a mirrored bar. I ordered a drink and felt the eyes of the patrons fall on me as I sat at a stool. People were whispering.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a man, about twenty-five with dark hair and a hat approach me. "Are you Carter Stone?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Well I’ll be... you probably don’t remember me. We went to school together."
I looked a little closer. "Duncan Truesdale?"
Duncan let out a roar of laughter. "That’s right. Well I’ll be. Why don’t you come and join us? We were just playing a little poker."
Duncan had said the magic word. Nothing to get my mind off that little jail stint I’d done or kissing Ava like a game of poker. I walked over to his table. Three other guys sat around, a large pot of money in front each of them.
"I’m a little light on cash just now." I had plenty in the bank, but I’d learned not to travel with money in my wallet. I’d woken up one too many times in a strange place, only to find it empty.
"That’s alright. We know you’re good for it."
A couple hours later, and several drinks in, I found myself wishing I was somewhere else. The game was not getting my mind off of Ava like I had hoped. If anything, I was thinking about her more. And losing because of it. It was time to go.
"I think I’d better head out," I told the guys, pushing my chair back.
"What’s the rush?" Duncan asked.
"No rush. Just not my night is all."
"You owe us quite a little bit of money here," Duncan said. "About $3,800 as I see it." The other three men all stared hard at me.
"I know. I’ll get it in the morning when the bank opens."
The men laughed. "Well now, that’s not exactly how things work around here," Duncan said. "We need to figure out a way to get that money now. There’s an ATM down the road."
I hesitated. I had my bank accounts set so that I couldn’t get out more than $300 from an ATM in one day. Another lesson learned after several binges where I’d spent more money on alcohol and girls than I made in an entire season.
"I’ll get it to you tomorrow." I turned and headed for the door, sensing trouble and trying, for once, to get out of its way. No such luck. I heard the chairs push back as the men rose to follow me.
"Look, guys," I said, turning to them when we got outside. A fist flew towards my face, and before I knew what had happened I was on the ground. The men laughed. "He’s not so tough," one of them said. Guys always got a kick out of knocking down a football player. I tried to stand but a foot found its way to my stomach causing me to curl up into a ball in agony. A woman’s scream came from across the street and then the sound of heels as she ran towards us. I opened one eye and saw Ava’s frightened expression.
"Stop!" she screamed. "Leave him alone!" She pushed Duncan back. His hand flew out, making a thudding as his fist hit her delicate skin. I stood up and rammed Duncan against the side of the building. He grunted and fell to the ground. One of the other guys ran off, the other two tried to stop him. But my blood was boiling. I rammed one man into the other, tackling them together. They lay limp and I turned back to Ava, who was standing with a stunned look on her face.
"Are you alright?" I asked. Her lip was bleeding. She nodded. "Let’s get out of here." I opened my car door for her and ushered her inside. Her hands were shaking.
"Are you sure you’re alright?" She nodded. I followed her directions back to her apartment and helped her inside, trying not to think about her creamy skin or the feel of her velvety lips.
“Hmm, that’s odd.” Ava turned the lights on, walked over to the kitchen table, and picked up a note. She looked up, “My mom took Lily back to their place.” I could tell she was trying to fight back tears, but they spilled over, and she buried her head against my chest. I didn’t know why she was so upset, but I did know what it felt like to receive her gentle touch. There was something so vulnerable about it—something I’d never experienced with Olivia.
Was she upset about the fight? The note? I had an overpowering urge to comfort her and leaned down to kiss her head. "I’m sorry," and I kissed her again. Only this time my lips found hers and she was kissing me back with an urgency I didn’t know was in her.
I ran my tongue down Ava’s neck and felt her shiver. My hands swam over her skin, and I lifted her and carried her to her bedroom. She threw off her clothes, leaving a trail in the hallway. I lay her on her bed and climbed on top of her as she pushed off my shirt and ran her tongue over my chest kissing me up and down from my neck to my waist, making me hungry for all of her.
Ava’s breasts were all cream and silk. I slid my hands over them, and brought my mouth to her hard, pink nipples. She moaned under me, lifting her hips against mine. I pushed my pants off and Ava wrapped her legs around me, pulling me to her. When I entered her cave I shuddered, feeling something beyond sheer physical pleasure. I felt warm and protected, like coming home after being gone for far too long. My spine tingled and I moved against her, pulsing to some internal rhythm beating solely for the two of us.
Ava moaned louder, her body writhing under mine. I moved my hips faster, my manhood swelling inside her as I breathed her in. Her scent was like vanilla and cinnamon, sweet and sugary. I pushed deeper inside her and her eyes flew open. Her hands moved to my ass, guiding me still deeper inside her. My body began to quake and I forced myself to hold on. Finally, her skin burned under me and her head flew back. Her whole body arched, and I released my energy, exploding with her as our bodies merged together.
7
Ava
I woke up to voices in my living room and rushed to get dressed, as I replayed scenes of Carter and me from the night before. What was I thinking? Had I completely forgotten what had happened the last time? Of course I wouldn’t give Lily up for the world; but nonetheless, the last thing I needed was a repeat of what I had been through the last three years.
I walked down the hallway and was shocked to find that the voices were from him and Lily playing together on the floor.
"Mommy!" Lily cried, throwing her arms up for a hug. I wrapped my arms around her and looked at Carter, bewildered.
"Your parents dropped her off a couple hours ago," he said. "They said they were going to get some breakfast and would be back in an hour or two."
I nodded. I should be furious with my parents for keeping Lily overnight without my permission, but this whole situation seemed surreal. I’d just spent the night with Carter. My parents had been here. That meant they had seen Carter here. They had talked to him. What were they thinking about that? What was Lily thinking? She had come home to find a strange man, yet here she was playing with him like she’d known him all her life.
"Carter, I... um." I could feel myself blush. Carter waited patiently as I tried to complete my thought, but it seemed I had no complete thought to offer. "I, um, guess I’ll make us some breakfast."
"Too late," Carter said, smiling. He jumped up from the floor, rubbed Lily’s head with his hand—she grinned back at him—then led me into the kitchen. There were dirty dishes in the sink and a plate of eggs and bacon that Carter had kept warm for me was in the oven. When he was sure Lily wasn’t watching, he leaned in for a kiss. My heart fluttered. Suddenly, everything seemed alright. Last night had not been a mistake; it had been the best thing that could have happened to me.
"Carter, there’s something I need to tell you."
"I’m all ears," he grinned up at me.
Just then his phone buzzed and he looked down at it. "It’s Hannah. Wanna say hi?" He answered before I could respond and I se
cretly cursed Hannah for her terrible timing.
I could feel a blush come on again as he began speaking to my oldest friend. My best friend. Only of course I hadn’t talked to her in the last three years. Not that I hadn’t tried. I’d called her on a number of occasions only to hang up when Hannah had answered. A few times I’d even begun a letter, but each time I’d crumpled it up and thrown it in the trash.
I barely listened as Carter spoke to Hannah. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Lily. I kept watching her and then looking at Carter and then looking back at Lily. They looked so much alike. The same bronze hair, the same golden skin. It was a wonder that no one had figured it out before, but then I supposed no one had ever suspected that Carter and I had... Ugh, but what must my parents have thought when they came over and found him here this morning?
"Alright, grab your coat. We’re going to the airport," Carter said when he’d hung up.
"The airport?"
"Yeah. Hannah just got in. Our parents were supposed to pick her up but they’re nowhere to be found." He smiled as if he was telling me I’d just won the lottery or something. Clearly, he thought I would want to see Hannah.
"Oh, um, I can’t leave Lily."
"We’ll take her with," Carter said.
"Oh, no. I mean, I don’t know."
"Come on, when’s the last time you saw Hannah?" he asked.
Lily had heard our conversation and stuck out her arms, flying around the room like she was an airplane. "Alright. But wait for my folks to get back, okay?" I didn’t want to tell Carter that he was Lily’s father with Lily sitting right there. What if it didn’t go well?
My parents gave me a questioning look when they arrived back and found Carter still here but seemed happy to learn we were going to pick up Hannah. They had always liked her. I guess they just assumed that Carter’s presence had something to do with Hannah’s wedding. It would be just like my parents to think it would do me some good to spend time with old friends. No doubt they saw Hannah and Carter as people who had done something with their lives, while it was painfully obvious how disappointed they were in me. Little did they know that I would never have been in the predicament they seemed to judge so harshly if it hadn’t been for these old friends.
The airport was busy when we arrived. Well, as busy as it could be for Dover Chase. I sat in the passenger seat, heart thumping, trying again to get the courage to tell Carter about Lily.
"Where is she?" Carter mumbled. He looked over at me. "You’re not sick, are you?" I guess I wasn’t doing a great job of hiding my fear.
"No, I need to..." But again my throat ran dry.
"There she is," Carter said, getting out of the car. I kicked myself for not telling him faster, yet there was also a sense of relief that came with the knowledge that I couldn’t tell him now. I still wasn’t sure if I was ready to spring it on him. I guess a part of me was afraid of how he would react.
I got out of the car and shifted from foot to foot, waiting to see Hannah.
She looked great. Her long blonde hair shone in the sun and her body looked like it had been painted on, her tan skin was so perfect. She and Carter embraced and I lingered in the back.
"Look who I brought," he said, turning to me with an outstretched arm. Hannah’s eyes went wide and she let out a squeal, flinging herself at me. I couldn’t help laughing. It felt good to see Hannah again.
"Oh my God!" Hannah exclaimed. "I can’t believe you’re here!"
Another face with long blonde hair and creamy skin emerged from the crowd. The woman attached to the hair looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. I supposed that was only fitting, since I’d actually seen this same woman on the cover of many magazines before.
"Olivia!" Hannah cried. "This is my oldest, bestest friend in the world! I haven’t seen her in, like, three years!"
Olivia gave me a cursory glance. She looked completely uninterested. Then her eyes fell on Carter and they changed completely. She went up to him and wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss on his lips as his hands went around her back and pulled her tighter to him. My stomach began to churn. God was I stupid, thinking just a moment ago that Carter, Lily, and I might ever end up as a happy family. He lived a lifestyle of glamour and excitement. Why would he ever want to give that up?
8
Carter
I tried to steer the car while Olivia climbed all over me. She lay her head against my shoulder, making me cringe. I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Ava’s face. It was a mask of white except for her cheeks, which had gone beet red. I felt like an asshole, but I didn’t know what to do. The last time I’d seen Olivia, we’d had a fight and called it quits. Clearly, Olivia had changed her mind, but had I changed mine?
Hannah sat in the back seat with Ava, talking a mile a minute about her fabulous life. She was completely oblivious to Ava’s discomfort. "And I just got back from Paris last month. Have you ever been there?" Ava shook her head. "Oh you have to go. It’s amazing!"
And then Hannah was off again. Her wedding was going to be written up in People, Entertainment Weekly, andVariety. The magazine reporters would be here any day now. Did Ava want to come to the wedding? She had to come, simply had to! She could still be in it. They could go to town today and get her a dress. It wouldn’t match the other bridesmaid’s dresses of course, but that was okay. She’d ask her to be maid of honor but she’d already asked Olivia.
"Jeez, Hannah, take a breath," I said, trying to laugh. But it sounded forced. "Give Ava a chance to get a word in."
"Oh, I’m sorry!" Hannah exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth. My sister had always been very dramatic. She was a natural actress.
"It’s okay," Ava smiled. "I’m enjoying listening to you talk. I haven’t seen you since you left for California."
"Oh I know! I heard you had a kid. A little boy."
"Girl," I corrected her automatically and felt Olivia’s eyes fall on me.
"A little girl?" Hannah squealed. "Where is she? What’s her name? Can I meet her?"
I could tell Ava was uncomfortable so I butted in, "Ava’s gotta get to work. I promised I’d drop her back off at home first."
"Oh," Hannah’s face fell.
"Can’t you call in sick?" Hannah pouted.
"No," Ava said. "It’s important I be there."
"Oh? Where do you work?"
Ava hesitated, then mumbled, "Piccadilly’s." I could tell it pained her to admit this. I wanted to jump in and defend her, but I didn’t quite know what to say.
"The restaurant?" Hannah said, scrunching up her face. "Are you the manager?"
"A waitress," Ava said very softly, turning away. Olivia giggled and I fought the urge to tell her to shut it.
"I’ll just drop you two off at Mom and Dad’s and take Ava home, alright? I’ll be back soon."
I pulled into the driveway before the women could object. Olivia glanced at me, then back at Ava. Then she gave a short, cold laugh. For once her vanity was doing me a favor. I knew her well enough to know she’d never imagine that I could forget her in an instant for a woman like Ava. Olivia was all about the outside and I doubted she could understand that there were things more important than looks. And it wasn’t like Ava was lacking in that department either.
The ride back to Ava’s was awkward, to say the least. "Look," I finally said, "I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know Olivia was gonna be with her."
"I thought you two broke up," Ava cried.
"We did! Sort of. I mean—"
"You mean you lied to me!"
"No. We did break up. It’s just that... we break up a lot."
"I get it. It’s fine," she said, jumping out of my car as I pulled up to her building.
"Ava, wait." I got out of the car and followed her to her apartment.
"Carter, just stop, okay? I don’t care. It doesn’t matter anyway. None of it matters." Her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Please Ava, just listen to me."
"No
. There’s nothing to listen to. I don’t care about you or Olivia. Just leave me alone."
She stepped inside her apartment and slammed the door in my face before I could respond.
9
Ava
"Where’s Lily?" I asked, moving away from the door after I heard Carter leave. Mom looked at me with a strange expression on her face.
"In bed, taking a nap. Did you see Hannah?"
"Yes." I walked quickly towards Lily’s room, feeling a sudden urge to see the one person who I loved more than anything else in this world.
"How is she?" Mom called after me, but I ignored her.
I peeked into Lily’s room and saw her curled up on her bed. I bent down to kiss her, wiping a stray strand of golden hair from her eyes, and then I froze.
"Mom?" I leaned closer to Lily, shaking her. Lily didn’t move. "Mom! Mom!"
Mom ran into the room and I stared at her wildly. "Lily’s not breathing. She’s not breathing!" Tears choked out of me as I shook her again.
Mom ran to the bed, looking at Lily. I’ll call 911," she said.
I choked back my terror and started giving Lily mouth to mouth. It wasn’t easy to do through the tears but something inside of me kicked in and took over and after a minute Lily’s chest began to rise and fall on its own. She started to cough. I reached out to my mom, fresh tears falling down my face as my mom and Lily began to cry too.
The paramedics arrived ten minutes later and strapped Lily to a stretcher before wheeling her out. She was pale and drawn, but alive. I raced after her and bumped into Myron as I was about to get into the ambulance.
"Myron! What are—"
"I was taking a walk and saw the ambulance. Is everything okay?" Then he saw Lily getting boarded into the back of the vehicle. "Oh no," he said.