“Ava!” Tyler clasped her hand across the table and locked his steely gaze with Ava’s scattered one. “Just breathe. We’re fine. You won’t be late. See, here’s your breakfast now.”
Two servers appeared in their black and white uniforms, their red aprons hanging low. The first carried a tray laden with coffee and orange juice while the second placed a plate of steaming scrambled eggs and smoked salmon in front of her.
Ava waited until they’d moved to the next table before she started her interrogation. “But how? When? Tyler?”
“I placed our order yesterday when I booked the table. I knew you’d be worried about having enough time, so this just seemed easier. Now, will you stop stressing and just enjoy your breakfast and this beautiful morning with me?”
Stunned, Ava didn’t know what to say. She was so confused by the jumble of emotions overwhelming her that she wanted to scream. Overcome with happiness, Tyler’s thoughtfulness and consideration, she was still slightly annoyed that he’d been so presumptuous as to simply assume she’d have breakfast with him and then to place her order—even though she’d never admit that he nailed it.
“Look at that view,” Tyler sighed.
Unable to answer due to the huge mouthful of eggs, Ava looked around. Tyler was right. Again. The view was stunning. Sydney was turning on its best and it was hard to stay mad at anyone, let alone Tyler right now. With the sun warming her, Ava watched as busy people navigated the walkways, carefully dodging the tourists who’d gathered to take photos of the harbor. With the Opera House on the right and the Sydney Harbor Bridge on the left, it really was a picture perfect post card morning.
“It’s beautiful,” Ava murmured.
“So are you,” Tyler replied, not missing a beat.
Ava felt her cheeks burn under his compliment and frustration consumed her. She didn’t know why. He dished them out so often, one day Ava hoped she’d be able to simply take it in her stride and not be knocked off balance by his kind words. But she couldn’t bring herself to believe them. Surely, he didn’t mean it. He couldn’t. Ava was just Ava. Plain. Boring. Average.
For the rest of their meal they stayed quiet and instead took the time to people watch. Behind her glasses, Ava felt invisible. She was able to simply sit back and watch the world turn. She scrutinized businessmen who appeared too busy and too important to use their manners no matter what. They bumped into someone as they hustled passed, they didn’t excuse themselves or apologise. When they ordered their cappuccino from a nearby vendor, please and thank you seemed to be a foreign language. Then there were those school kids, all dressed alike but trying to stand out at the same time. Some carried designer handbags on their arm, screaming for attention, while others had backwards baseball caps on their heads and earbuds stuffed in their ears as their heads bounced up and down to the beat.
“Can I get you anything else?”
Startled, Ava gasped. She hadn’t noticed the server heading her way once again.
Tyler just chuckled deviously. “Just the bill, thanks.” He waited until the pimple-faced server had moved away before he spoke again. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I was just a million miles away,” Ava admitted sheepishly.
“Thinking?”
“Yeah.”
“Good thoughts, I hope.”
“Always.”
Tyler smiled and instantly Ava was reminded why the whole country was in love with him, and she was most definitely not an exception to that. He had a way of making her feel at ease, special, cherished, and when he smiled like that, Ava swooned. Quickly he handed over his card and paid before leading Ava back to the car. He was always so thoughtful Ava couldn’t help but be suspicious. Most men she’d met didn’t think. Ever. So being with one who did all the time was sometimes overwhelming.
Just as they reached the car, the peace that had enveloped them was shattered. “There he is!” a high pitched squeal called, followed by wild giggles and the sound of shoes clacking on the wooden dock.
Spinning on her heel, Ava turned just in time to see Tyler swallowed up by a sea of over eager teenage girls. “Tyler, can you sign this? Can I get a photo? Wow! You’re really tall.”
Glancing over their heads, Tyler asked the silent question and Ava just nodded with a bemused smile. This didn’t happen often, but when it did she still found it hilarious. Being with Tyler was never boring.
Ava dropped her handbag on the front seat before leaning on the door. Tyler was so patient with them. He signed and smiled and answered their questions without any hint of frustration creeping in. This was the part of his job he didn’t get any credit for. The part he’d always said he’d give up in a heartbeat. Standing there, watching him interact with his fans, Ava knew he was exactly where he should be.
“Tyler, we saw you on the TV this morning. Is that woman really your girlfriend?” A bleached blonde Barbie asked with a pout.
Ava didn’t want to get her back up but she couldn’t help it. This adolescent had her tiny boobs pushed into Tyler’s arm as much as she could and she was staring up at him with wide adoring eyes. Jealousy was not a feeling Ava liked and she had no doubt it didn’t look good on her. Not one little bit.
Lifting his head, Tyler looked directly at Ava and smiled before extracting his arm from Barbie’s boa constrictor-like grip. “Yes. Ava and I are together.” He didn’t miss a beat. And ashamedly, Ava found herself relieved. Every time he declared they were together she felt a little safer. She knew it was something she was going to have to get over and in a hurry before it became a barrier between them, nevertheless watching him confirm it to his adoring public made her fall just a little further.
“Oh,” Barbie sighed heavily as she stepped back, almost as if Tyler’s words were physically repulsive.
Unable to stop herself, Ava snickered. Thankfully, the only person who noticed was Tyler.
“Well, ladies, I have to go now and I’m sure you need to get to school, so have a great day.”
A chorus of “you too” and “we love you” sang out as Tyler found his way back to the car and slipped into the driver’s seat.
Unable to wipe the smirk from her face, Ava remained silent and instead focused on checking her phone. She’d silenced it before entering the studio and had been so caught up by Tyler’s whirlwind appearance she hadn’t bothered to change it back. But the moment she did the messages flooded in.
Jake: Nice performance. :)
Tina: You looked great! Nice dress.
Matthew: Good work, Ava!
Katie: That was great! UR a natural—the camera loves u.
Ava couldn’t hold back the laughter.
“What?” Tyler asked, shooting her a confused glance.
“Katie.”
“Oh shit! What’d she do now?”
Ava read him her message and they both laughed honestly. “She really doesn’t have any filter, does she?”
“Unfortunately not!”
When the phone buzzed again, Ava looked down and saw Amanda’s message blowing up her phone. She exploded. She laughed so hard she snorted. And at the sound of her snort, she found herself laughing even harder.
“Care to share?” Tyler asked befuddled.
“Amanda.”
“That explains it. What’d she say this time?”
Amanda: Whoa! WTF was Tyler doing there? CALL ME…NOW!!!!
Tyler chuckled. Typical Amanda. No nonsense, straight to the point. “You better call her,” he conceded.
“Nah. She can wait.”
Ava had been so caught up on her phone she hadn’t noticed that Tyler had already parked and switched off the engine. Scrambling to catch up, Ava grabbed her things and leapt from the car before looking back and making sure she hadn’t left anything. More than once she’d left something in a rental car only for it never to be seen again.
With long strides and a shit-eating grin plastered across his face, Tyler strode towards her, causing a flock of butterflies in her stomach to go cra
zy. “You ready?”
“No.”
“You’ll do great. Come on.” Tyler smiled, reaching for her hand.
But as Ava went to wrap her fingers with his, she brushed the cool metal. “What the…”
“Car keys.”
“Funny boy! Why are you giving me your keys?”
“Because they’re not my keys?”
“Stop being a shit, Tyler. What’s going on? What am I missing?” Ava asked, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice. Surprises were not her thing. In fact, they didn’t leave her feeling all bright and bubbly and happy usually because she was so overcome with crippling anxiety.
“It’s your car.”
“Mine?”
“Yep. Yours.”
“No, Tyler. No, no, no!” Ava protested adamantly.
Placing his hands on either side of her neck, Tyler held her still and caught her eyes, which were bouncing about back and forth like a pinball machine. “Breathe, Ava! You need a car. I need you to be safe. So, problem solved. Now you have a safe, reliable car.”
“I can’t…”
“You can. And you will.”
“Tyler…”
“Look, Ava, how about this. Why don’t you drive it for a couple of days and when we get home we can argue about it there?” Tyler tried to reason.
“But…”
“Come on, Ava…Please. I don’t want to argue about this. At least not out here on the street,” Tyler begged. Ava’s heart lurched. She glanced around, and for the first time noticed the audience starting to gather and humiliation flooded her.
“Fine!” Ava huffed, snatching the keys and storming around the car before sliding behind the wheel. As much as she wanted to be angry and annoyed at Tyler for doing something so completely over the top, she was struggling. The luxurious leather seats welcomed her. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, it was a damn comfortable car.
Following her a moment later, Tyler appeared at the driver’s door. Pushing down the electric windows, Tyler casually leant his folded arms on the window before sticking his head through the gap. “Drive carefully, Short Stack! We’ll talk tonight, but please think about it. I love you and I just want you to be safe.” He kissed her like he meant it, completely oblivious to the flashes of cameras catching their private moment. He retreated from the car, spinning and walking away.
Winding up the window, Ava just sat there, stunned. This life she was somehow caught up in was barely recognizable as her own. No one got given expensive cars just because. No one wrote a book about a boy they’d had a crush on forever only for him to find out and show up. Then for that boy to be the one to make your dreams come true and more. That wasn’t real life. It couldn’t be. And it most certainly couldn’t be Ava’s life.
Shaking off the million and one emotions that was overloading her, Ava started the car and backed out of the spot. She had ten minutes to find a car park and get to class. In Sydney morning traffic, that was almost impossible.
Chapter 19
Tyler
Walking away from Ava proved to be harder than he could have imagined, but seeing her face when he’d placed the keys in her outstretched fingers was worth it. She mightn’t think she was worth it, but Tyler had no doubt. She was worth that and a whole lot more. And already he had plans on what that ‘more’ might entail. Right now though, he had to break out of his bubble and get his butt moving. He had appointments lined up for the rest of the day and he wasn’t about to miss one even though a part of him, a huge part, was trying to convince him to ignore it.
For the last couple of weeks something had felt off. Something wasn’t quite right. Tyler couldn’t place his finger on it and so far he’d been lucky no one else had noticed, or if they had, they’d kept their mouths shut. With guilt gnawing at him, Tyler truly believed keeping Ava in the dark was the best thing. For now. Depending on what happened next would determine what he would tell her. There was no point in worrying her, no point in her getting all stressed out if it turned out to be nothing. But if it was something, he wouldn’t hide it from her. He couldn’t. Not in good conscience, anyway.
Hailing the next taxi, Tyler gave them Katie’s address and settled back. The ride took longer than normal due to the heavy traffic and by the time the yellow cab pulled to a halt in her driveway, Tyler was clinging to the edge. He was fidgeting and his hand was trembling. There was no denying the fact he wasn’t looking forward to this.
“About damn time!” Katie scolded, stepping onto the drive, spinning her keys around her fingers.
“Don’t, Katie. Please, just don’t.”
Tyler saw Katie’s mouth fall open and he knew what she was thinking. She didn’t have to say a word. It was written all over her face. She was worried. About him. For him. She was the only person who knew what was going on and the concern was etched deeply in her tight features.
Quickly Tyler paid the cab before stomping up to Katie’s car and sliding in the passenger seat. In that moment Tyler hated his life. When he’d left Ava a short time earlier he’d only been two blocks from where he needed to be. But with the way the media tracked his every move, instead of walking there like a normal person, he’d spent sixty dollars on a cab to Katie’s, only for her to drive him straight back.
“Saw you on TV this morning,” Katie offered casually as she turned down the radio.
“Yeah.”
“Ava looked good.”
“Yes, she did.” Tyler couldn’t hide the mischievous smile that crept over his face
Without looking, Katie reached over and slapped Tyler across the chest. “Get your filthy mind out of the gutter, little brother!”
“You brought it up!”
“And I’m sorry I did. Anyway, how did Ava take it?”
“She was good, I think. I mean, she was definitely surprised when I showed up. And in the ad break she was a bit pissy, but we went for breakfast after. All good.”
“And the car?”
“Yeah. The car.”
“Well?”
“Well, I’m not one hundred percent sure. Yet.”
“Meaning?”
“She’s got it. For now. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if I can convince her to keep it,” Tyler proclaimed with a dismissive wave.
Katie muffled a laugh as she changed lanes. “You do understand what a gift like that does…don’t you?” Tyler shot Katie a confused look. “A car is a big gift, Tyler. It’s not like a CD or a book, which is a normal person present. It’s a freaking car. An expensive reminder. Every time Ava gets in it, she’s going to know you paid for it. Not her. It takes away some of her independence. I’m not claiming I know her as well as you, but I do know this about her. Ava likes to be strong. Likes to depend on no one. I’m not saying that’s right or how it should be, but she’s been on her own for a while now and she’s had to learn to do it all herself. And you just handing her the keys to a new car might make her feel like you don’t think she can stand on her own two feet. It might be a little intimidating, that’s all.”
“That’s all? Gee, thanks for your support, Katie. All I wanted to do was something nice for her. To make sure she has everything she needs. Everything she wants.” Tyler was angry. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins and the compulsion to punch something was all consuming.
“Calm down there, hero. I’m not saying it wasn’t a nice gesture. I’m sure Ava will appreciate it. Think about it from her point of view for a second. How can she ever pay you back for this?”
“She doesn’t have to!” Tyler boomed ferociously.
“My god, Tyler. Stop being such a Neanderthal! I’m not suggesting she does. But think for a minute, before you blow a gasket, if you were Ava and someone had just handed you the keys to a brand new Jeep, what would you think?” Katie left him hanging as she pulled into the underground parking lot.
Tyler’s mind was spinning silently as they stepped into the elevator. He couldn’t bear to say the words aloud. He was nervous.
He’d never liked doctors and waiting rooms notoriously caused him grief, but today it was worse. Today, he felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Whatever happened next could change the course of his life. And not just his life, but Ava’s too.
The elevator pinged as it came to a stop and the doors opened, revealing an unassuming white marble reception area. A huge bouquet of fake flowers dominated the corner of the room and a receptionist sporting a wide smile and long almost white blonde hair sat behind the high desk. She was speaking in soft, reassuring tones into her ear piece, but that didn’t deter her from making Tyler feel welcome. Katie nudged his shoulder in support and he took a tentative step forward.
The girl finished up her call and turned her mega watt smile and attention to Tyler. He felt like he was going to crawl out of his skin. Clenching his fists, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to ensure no one saw how completely shit scared he was. He didn’t want to be here. He’d rather be anywhere else. Doing anything else. Even running sprints up and down the sand dunes in the midday sun sounded like fun right now.
“Good morning, sir, can I help you?”
“Umm…I have an…appointment,” Tyler stumbled.
“Certainly, sir. What name?”
Tyler froze. He didn’t mean to but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. He felt his cheeks burn under the scrutiny but even that couldn’t spur him to action. Feeling Katie step beside him, he exhaled the breath he didn’t remember taking.
“Andrews. Tyler Andrews,” Katie offered with a weak smile and a squeeze of Tyler’s arm.
He gulped loudly. He heard it so he could only imagine that everyone else in the waiting room had as well. At least that would explain why they were all staring at him. He watched as the receptionist’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she punched in the information.
“Here we go, Mr. Andrews. If you could just fill this out as much as you can, and take a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly.” Tyler watched completely disconnected as she handed Katie a pen and a black plastic clipboard that had seen better days before leading them towards the busy, noisy waiting room.
On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3) Page 10