by MJ Masucci
Xander sensed her trepidation as he held her in his arms. He went to get up to get something to drink, and she held fast to him as if when he left the room, he would disappear. He kissed her softly on the cheek.
“I’m here. I can promise you that I will be back in the city as soon as I can. I just have some loose ends to clean up.”
“How long do you think it will take?” She didn’t want to hear the answer.
“I hope within the next few weeks.”
“Are you going back to the firm?”
She watched as his jaw tightened.
“I need to speak with my father. I left so abruptly; I’m sure that he was embarrassed by my departure. I’m not sure he wants me there.”
“He does, I assure you.”
Xander secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had kept his license to practice law active during the four years he was away though he never thought he would go back to it. The first year he was away, Janelle had asked for his expertise to help a neighbor.
The man had little funds to pay an attorney and Xander helped him go through the ins and outs of a contract to take over a business. The year after that, his license was to expire, and he renewed it using his old address as his residence. At the time he didn’t want anyone finding him by his change of address through the New York State Bar.
He changed the subject quickly.
“Now I am starved. I need to eat something. Are you coming or are you going to stay here while I raid the refrigerator?”
Forty-five minutes later and they were back in bed after filling their stomachs with day old donuts and bagels with cream cheese. Ava drifted off to sleep dreading the next day.
The next morning her phone buzzing woke her up. It was nearly 7:00 AM and Rachel wanted her to come back. She turned to look at Xander, and he was not in bed. She heard him thumping around in his work boots in the kitchen. She got up naked and went to yell at him.
“Why did you let me sleep so late? Rachel is chomping at the bit to get out of here.”
“Get dressed then; I’m leaving in fifteen minutes.”
Ava rushed around to the bathroom and his bedroom making sure she had all her clothing. Curiously, her favorite pair of her panties were missing. She looked for them but couldn’t locate them anywhere. She dismissed it thinking she would find them when she next visited.
She climbed into Xander’s truck just as it started to drizzle. They were silent most of the ride back to the inn. She started to get weepy as they pulled onto the main drag. She would miss him terribly. He reached over and held her hand tightly. When he parked in the parking lot, they held each other kissing passionately until Rachel rapped on the window.
“Come on, lovebirds. Break it up.”
Ava and Xander got out of his truck and followed Rachel to their room. She wasn’t happy that she and Rachel would be traveling in bad weather. He carried their bags to the car for them. Then he hugged Rachel. As if on cue she climbed into the driver’s seat to give them some privacy to say their goodbyes.
Xander cupped Ava’s face and kissed her full lips.
“I’m not saying goodbye because this isn’t goodbye for me.”
She smiled weakly, holding back the tears. “I will see you soon.”
He held her door open for her, making sure she buckled her seat belt. He stood in the light rain as they pulled away, watching until the car became small in his line of vision. Then he went back to his truck. Xander patted the back pocket of his jeans to see if they were still there, he swiped them from the floor when her back was turned. He needed something of hers, and her panties were the closest thing he could take. The best thing was they smelled like her, the most intimate part of her.
Chapter 12
The drive back to Manhattan was harrowing. They hit patches of rain so heavy that they could barely see in front of them. Rachel was a good driver but drove so infrequently that she was inexperienced with this type of weather. Every so often, Ava would try to check the weather radar on her cell, but the signal was too weak. The phone kept fading in and out of service. She finally gave up and put the phone in her purse in the back seat. It was probably why she didn’t hear the incoming phone call.
As they drove southbound, the rain started to let up until it was a fine drizzle. They stopped halfway through the trip because Rachel had to use the bathroom. While Ava waited for her to get back, she checked her phone and was horrified by the voicemail that Xander had left more than an hour ago.
“Ava I have to make this quick. I’m on my way to the airport in Albany. I received a call from my parents that Lidia and her fiancé were in a car accident in Los Angeles. I have to leave immediately. They are not sure that she is going to survive. I will contact you when I can. I love you.”
Ava felt horrible. She didn’t remember Lidia very well. She was several years older than Ava, and had moved to Los Angeles just after college. Rachel returned to the car and started to tell Ava that she had checked her phone. Her father had called and left her a message about Lidia Wilder’s accident.
“I know. Xander left me a message over an hour ago. He’s probably at the airport right now.”
“Rigo and I just saw Lidia and her fiancé, Brett, a couple of months ago. We had gone out there for a client. I hope the both of them survive.”
Rachel had a grim look on her face. Ava realized that maybe her uncle had revealed more about the accident than Xander did. They got back in the car and were silent for the rest of the way back. Ava wracked her brain trying to think of a memory she had of Lidia. She could only remember one, the day of her mother’s funeral. It was just before Lidia had left for California.
All the Wilder children looked alike, and Lidia was no exception. She had the same sandy-colored hair as Xander, but she had blue eyes. She had come over to Ava after the funeral and gave her condolences. Ava remembered that Xander had not been able to attend. He had been in Australia, which had been his parent’s graduation gift to him.
Her heart felt heavy as they entered the city. Rachel dropped her off at her apartment, and she lugged her suitcase into the lobby. She waved to Juan at the front desk as she entered the elevator. When she was in her apartment, she was greeted by her two furballs.
One of the plants in the entry had been tipped over, and dirt had been tracked into the living room. She rolled her suitcase into her bedroom sidestepping the dirt then cleaned up the mess with her vacuum. She had a pile of mail sitting on her counter that Gage had brought to her. She flipped through each envelope, and the last one was a card. She opened it, and it was from Tim.
She had almost forgotten him and hadn’t texted or called him while she was away. He sent her an email on Sunday that she had ignored. She was too caught up in Xander to worry about Tim. Now as she ripped open the card, she started to feel guilty. She would have to tell him that their relationship would need to be halted now that Xander was back in the picture. She could imagine the look of disappointment on his face. He had pursued her the past two summers since he met her at Camp Kids Afloat. She was sure he wouldn’t take what she had to tell him well.
The card he had sent was romantic causing her stomach to tighten. She felt apprehensive but decided that the best thing to do was call him immediately. She dialed his number and hoped he wouldn’t pick up, but he did. His voice sounded happy until she told him what had taken place over the past few days. Then the sound of disappointment carried through the phone.
However, the call had gone better than she expected. He was willing just to be friends with her and asked if she wanted to have dinner sometime in the next few days. She agreed and hung up feeling better than she had before the call. She thought it strange that a man that had pursued her each summer was so cordial about their break up but she put it out of her mind. She had more pressing issues with which to deal.
She dialed her father and Felice picked up the phone.
“Ava, so nice to hear from you.”
“Felice, I don’t mean to
be rude but is my father available.”
“Yes, dear. Hold on.”
Her father came to the phone, and she let him know about Lidia Wilder. He wanted to fly to California to offer his support, but Ava had no details to give him. He said he would call Daniel, promised to call her later and quickly hung up.
Ava unpacked her bag and paced the floor of her apartment. She wanted to call Xander but it was a six-hour flight to California, and he would not answer anyway. Instead, she texted him.
I’m so sorry about Lidia. I hope things turn out okay. Please call or text me when you know anything. I love you.
She didn’t know what else to do so she went to take a nap. The past few days she had gotten very little sleep and needed to catch up. She wouldn’t hear from anyone for awhile.
She was awakened three hours later by the chirping of her phone. She picked it up off the nightstand to see who it was. Xander had emailed her.
Lidia and Brett are both in surgery. They were involved in a five-car accident. Their car was smashed in between a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck. I’m still on the plane but was able to reach Lidia’s assistant. I should be landing in about two hours. I will update you when I have more information.
Ava felt sad for the Wilder’s. She imagined this is how her family must have felt when she had her accident four years ago. She was lucky to be alive. If she had been wearing her seatbelt, her injuries might have been less severe. She still had trouble using her seatbelt because she worried about being stuck in the car. Her mother had been hit by a drunk driver and became trapped by her seatbelt as the car burst into flames. She didn’t want that to happen to her.
She still felt exhausted and put her head down to rest her eyes. When she next awoke, it was well past midnight and she was still dressed in the clothing she had worn home from Saratoga. The cats were snuggled up next to her causing her to sweat in the summer heat.
In her haste to take a nap, she forgot to adjust the air conditioner setting, and it was uncomfortable in the room. She got up and changed into a t-shirt, adjusted the temperature setting on the air conditioner and got back into bed. Later today she had to work a full day, and she was sure Victoria had plenty for her to do.
Indeed, Ava’s first day back from her mini-vacation was rough. Victoria had several contracts she needed her to write. She also had to do many title searches and make a trip to the courthouse to file paperwork. By the time she finished those things, it was well after three o’clock, and she had missed lunch. To top it off she had forgotten her phone in her desk and was out of communication for a few hours. She hadn’t heard from Xander all day. Daniel and Mavis had flown to California to be with Peter and Gabby. The whole office was unusually quiet as news circulated about Lidia and her fiancé.
She was bursting to speak with Samantha about seeing Xander, but due to the circumstances, she thought it better to wait. On her way home from the office, she felt her cell phone vibrate, but the train was so crowded she couldn’t move to get it from her purse. As soon as she hit street level, she dug it out so she could see the text. Xander had finally contacted her.
Lidia and Brett both made it through surgery. Now it’s a waiting game. The next twenty-four hours are crucial. Can I call you later? I need to hear your voice.
I’m so glad to hear they made it through. Call me when you get the chance. I should be home within the next fifteen minutes.
As soon as she got in the elevator, her phone started to ring. She pressed the speaker button. Xander did not wait for her to speak.
“Ava, I miss you. I’m sorry, but I need to be here for my family. I’m not sure when I will be back in New York.”
“Xander, how are they doing?”
“Lidia has a broken left leg and had surgery to put in a rod to stabilize it. She also broke her lower jaw and left hand. Brett has several breaks in the lower half of his right leg. He has a broken right forearm, several gashes that required stitches, and a concussion. They both will have a long recovery.”
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could be there.”
“I wish you could, too. On top of all that my mother collapsed when she saw how bad Lidia was and she was also admitted to the hospital. My father is taking a leave of absence from the firm until she is well enough to travel and Lidia is out of danger. Daniel and Mavis are here, and so is your father. He’s been polite, but I know he isn’t happy to see me. I’m afraid it isn’t going to be easy for us to tell him we are back together. I have to go; Suzanne just got here with her husband.”
“Don’t worry about my dad now. Just take care of everyone and keep me updated if you can. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They hadn’t thought getting back together through very well. It was one thing for Rachel to be accepting, but she knew that several of her family members were still angry at Xander. Jacob, Michael, her father and Brooke were still upset with him for what he did to her. They had wanted her to move on with her life without him, but that’s not what she chose to do. They blamed him for a lot of what had happened to her, and it wasn’t going to be easy for them to allow him back into her life. It made her angry to think about it because as an adult she shouldn’t have to beg her family to accept the man she loved.
Ava didn’t know what to do with herself. She wanted to talk to someone about her relationship with Xander, someone other than Rachel. Samantha was with Robert, so it was not the right time to call her. Brooke and Michael, who were older than her, would be worried about Lidia. When they were children, they spent a lot of time with the Wilders. Ava was too young to remember those times and wouldn’t even know Lidia if she passed her on the street. She couldn’t call either one of them. She would just have to hold onto the news until she got Sam alone.
So she could still be productive as well as makeup for not studying on the days she was with Xander, she took out the flashcards she had ordered for the bar exam and began quizzing herself. Even though it was only July and the test was not until February, she planned on drilling herself each week.
She had worked for a few hours including through her dinner, which consisted of a large salad. Her cell phone chirped, and she looked to see a text from Tim.
Feel up to running now?
I’m really tired but how about tomorrow after work?
I could come over if you want some company.
I’m probably going to bed soon. I worked a full day today and spent the last few hours studying for the bar. I should be out of the office by four tomorrow. What time do you want to go for the run?
How about five? Will that give you enough time to get home and change? I can meet you in the park.
Perfect, I’ll meet you there. I’ll text if I’m going to be late.
Ava was surprised that Tim was taking their break up so well. She thought that he wouldn’t want to see her for awhile since she had only told him yesterday about Xander. She got ready for bed and set her clock for six. She wouldn’t need to get up earlier tomorrow since she was going to run in the evening with Tim.
The next morning Ava felt horrible. Her throat was sore, and she had the sniffles. She dragged herself out of bed and took a quick shower then made herself a cup of tea. She wasn’t surprised that she got a cold having barely slept at all when she was with Xander. She also didn’t eat very well because they were busy making love.
After her cup of tea, she fed the boys and shoved a bottle of wheat grass smoothie in her bag. She was hoping that it would help her feel better. The office was busy when she arrived just before eight. Victoria was not in her office, but the door was open, so she sat down to wait. When she came back, Ava was wiping her nose with a tissue.
“Don’t tell me you are sick?” Victoria said.
“I have a slight summer cold.”
“You need to go home then. My wedding is coming up, and I can’t afford to be sick. I just have too much to do. You did a lot of work yesterday, and it's Friday so take a sick day. I will see you Monday.”
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Ava rose from the chair and left the office. She wasn’t put off by how Victoria had acted because after four years of working for the woman; she was used to it. She got her purse and rode the elevator to the main floor, starting to get chills, she hurried to the front doors to get out into the heat of mid-July. She hailed a cab because she didn’t feel like riding the subway. She felt miserable and just wanted to go home.
Her cell phone chirped just as she entered the cab with an incoming text from Xander.
Lidia is awake, and the doctor said she would need another surgery on her left leg. They are going to wait for her to regain some strength but should take her into the OR later this week. Brett is still unconscious, and they are not sure when he will wake up.
I’m so glad to hear that Lidia is doing better. How’s your Mom?
Mom is feeling better and getting her IV for the Lyme. The doctor wants to keep her another day or two because her blood pressure has been very high. We are all going to stay at Lidia’s rather than a hotel. I had coffee with your father today. He talked to me about you. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to get us back together or keep us apart. Your father is hard to read sometimes.
Ava wasn’t sure what her father was doing. He had told her several times that she was better off without Xander. She had told him during those times that she wasn’t better off without him. She needed Xander the way she needed air to breathe. Often the conversations became heated, and it was easier just to agree with him.
Please don’t tell him about us yet. I need to work that into a conversation. I need my family to be accepting of you. I’m sorry to put this burden on you at this time, but it’s important that we tell him together.