I’m not in the mood for it.
“Gimme a minute,” I tell the guys, before I get off the couch and head over to where Ava is standing. I can hear someone call her name—Ellie, who sends me a glare that would probably slay me dead if her eyes were actual weapons—but Ava completely ignores her.
Her eyes are on me. Only for me.
“I don’t want to fight—” I start, but she cuts me off.
“Me either,” she says hurriedly, taking a step forward.
My gaze drops to her chest. That tank top stretches tight across her tits and they are plumped up more than normal. Frustration ripples through me.
I don’t want all the assholes here looking at her tits.
“What do you want from me then?” I ask warily, lifting my gaze to hers.
Her big green eyes seem to eat me up. “I miss you,” she whispers, a scowl crossing her face the moment the words leave her. “I kind of hate that I just said that, but I do. You’re an asshole.”
I stiffen at her insult, not in the mood to deal with another teardown.
“You’re arrogant and sometimes you’re insufferable, but damn it, you’re my asshole.” She taps her fingers against her chest, right on her cleavage. I don’t mean to stare but…
I do.
“You’re also the most stubborn person I know. And I’m pretty stubborn too. Most of my family is.” Her laugh is soft. “Maybe that’s why you fit in so well with us.”
I can’t let her words get my hopes up. She probably just needs to get this all out so we’ll be…what?
At peace?
I’ll never be fully at peace if I can’t have Ava.
“Everything you said is true.” Her eyes widen when I make that admission. “You’re right. I’m a stubborn asshole. You fuck with my head, Ava. You come back into my life and you’re right there, yet I can’t touch you. I can’t have you.”
I wave a hand in her direction and she takes another step closer.
“What happened last weekend in my car…” My voice drifts, and I hesitate. This is delicate territory. I say one wrong thing and I’ll set her off. Hell, I could probably say something truthful and it would set her off. Everything is so damn unpredictable between us right now and I hate it.
“I called it a mistake first,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “If I should be mad at anyone about that, it’s myself.”
I stare at her.
She stares at me in return.
Jackson approaches, letting loose an uneasy chuckle. “You two kids okay over here?”
I send him a look. “We’re just talking.”
And we really didn’t need the interruption.
“Just wanting to make sure,” Jackson says, pasting on a fake smile. “Looking cute, Ava.”
“Thanks, Jackson.”
“Shut the fuck up, Jackson.”
He full-blown laughs now, the jerk.
“Just sayin’.” He backs away from us a few steps before he turns on his heel and returns to the couch, rejoining Brenden, who’s watching me and Ava with curiosity in his eyes.
I return my attention to her, gesturing toward her open flannel shirt. “You look cold.”
Ava frowns. “What are you talking about?” She glances down at her chest. “Oh.”
The look on her face when her gaze finds mine, once again, is all-knowing. As if she just realized the power she still has over me and is reveling in it.
Because yes, I was referring to her hard nipples poking against the tank top. She must be wearing the thinnest bra ever. Those babies are on full display and now I’m really irritated by them.
Stepping forward, I reach out, grabbing both sides of her flannel shirt and yanking them forward to the center of her chest, so that they meet.
Covering her nipples and the tops of her breasts completely.
“There,” I say as I take a couple of steps back, staring at her, now covered, chest. “Much better.”
She rolls her eyes. “You don’t have to worry about those anymore.”
“Hard habit to break.” I smirk, both hating and enjoying how easy this is between us. So easy, it’s downright painful. “Ava, what the fuck are we doing?”
“You want to know what I’m doing?” She raises her brows.
“Tell me.”
“Waiting for an apology.”
I contemplate her, knowing she wants that apology from me. What I’ve done, how stubborn I’ve been, has only made me suffer. I’ve made Ava suffer as well, and that is getting us absolutely nowhere.
Well fuck it. I need to rectify things between us.
Now.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
Her expression alights with hope. “For what?”
My girl is going to make this hard for me, isn’t she?
“For making you choose. For not being supportive. For being an asshole. For ending us, all because of my selfishness. For making you miserable. For making both of us miserable.” I could rattle off a few more reasons, but Ava doesn’t let me.
She’s too busy tackle hugging me.
That’s it. That’s all she does. Just wraps those arms around my middle and clings to me. I return the hug, my arms coming around her as I rest my face in her fragrant hair. The scent of her shampoo is familiar, sending a wave of reassurance through me that tells me I did the right thing.
I’ve got my girl back in my arms.
She presses her face against my chest, all snug and warm. We stand there for I don’t know how long, just holding onto each other, until finally, slowly, she pulls away so she can look up at me. She keeps her arms around me and I do the same to her.
“Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear.”
Then she does the craziest thing.
Ava pulls out of my embrace completely, a mysterious little smile playing upon her lips. She turns and starts to walk away, my gaze falling to her ass, watching it shift and move beneath the denim shorts that show off her long, sexy legs. She glances over her shoulder, her expression sexy as fuck, her eyes full of mischief.
Just before she faces forward and keeps walking.
Away from me.
What the hell?
I run a shaky hand through my hair, mind boggled. I spot Ellie sitting on a couch alone, Ava passing right by her, and Ellie watches her go with confusion clouding her face. Looks like I’m not the only one who’s thrown.
Like the pussy-whipped fucker I truly am, I follow after Ava, losing sight of her for a second when I get into the house, only to spot her pretty blonde head start for the staircase. I go to the stairs myself and race down them, my heart pumping, my skin literally tingling with anticipation.
My girl is making me chase her, and fuck me, I like it.
She walks into the main living area, which is crowded with a variety of bodies, many of them in costumes. Some of them even wearing masks. I hear people call out my name, but I ignore them, too intent on keeping track of Ava. Not wanting to lose sight of her for even a second.
I stay back as I trail her, though all she has to do is turn and see me. She never does, though. It’s as if she can sense my presence and is confident that I’m right there, following her every step.
Which I am. She has me all figured out.
Ava heads into the kitchen, where she’s embraced by Hayden and Gracie, who are settled in at the giant granite kitchen counter. They offer her a drink, and she declines. They pass her some weird looking appetizer and she takes a bite, her tongue sneaking out to lick a stray crumb still clinging to the corner of her lip.
My body aches at seeing her tongue. Hearing her laugh. Watching her flip her shiny hair over her shoulder.
But I’m patient—a word no one ever uses to describe me. I wait.
She glances quickly in my direction, flashing me a smile before she turns away. My heart starts to race, and I wonder if I’m getting played.
Getting played for something good, is what I’m hoping.
After delivering m
ore hugs to her friends, she takes off, leaving the kitchen. I do the same. She walks down the hall, passing by a bathroom, where people are waiting to use it. She talks to one boy in particular, resting her hand on his chest briefly before she departs.
My chest burns. That motherfucker is lucky he didn’t do something stupid, like touch her. I send him a glare as I walk past him and he immediately throws up his hands, looking confused.
Dick.
The hall makes a sharp turn right and I panic for a moment when I pass the corner and still don’t see her. It’s nothing but closed doors, two on the left, three on the right. I keep walking, my steps slow, my gaze whipping back and forth, just waiting for one of those doors to open.
But there’s nothing.
The hall turns left and I keep going, stopping short when I spot Ava at the end of the hall, in front of a set of closed double doors. She smiles when she sees me, her hands going to her hips.
“You’re so predictable.”
Some might take that as criticism, but I don’t. She likes that she can count on me.
“I call it dependable,” I tell her as I slow down, putting some swagger into my step.
Her eyes flare with interest and a smile plays upon her lips. “Are we playing a game, Eli?”
“Life is a continuous game,” I say as I make my approach. She’s leaning against the doors, her hips thrust forward some, those long legs catching my attention. “And you know I’m always up to win.”
“I am not your prize.”
“Really?” I raise a brow. “Could’ve fooled me.”
I grab hold of her hips, making her gasp, and pull her into me, our bodies flush, a shaky breath leaving her when we’re face to face. “What’s behind the doors?”
“I-I don’t know.”
I lean in closer, my mouth about an inch from hers. Maybe closer. “Liar.”
“One of the main bedrooms,” she whispers.
“Meaning there’s a nice big bed inside?”
She nods.
I reach around her, testing the door handle and it opens with ease. Jackson is such a dumb fucker. If this was my place, I’d be locking every door I could to keep the riffraff out. “Come on,” I tell her, releasing my hold on her hips, so I can take her hand and lead her into the bedroom. “Let’s check it out.”
Ava follows me inside, and I turn, firmly shutting and locking the door while she hits the switch on the wall, illuminating the room in soft, golden light. It’s huge, like twice as big as Ava’s bedroom and her room is impressive. There’s a massive, what looks to be, custom bed sitting dead center with a cream-colored duvet cover on top and a massive faux fur throw blanket tossed across the end of the mattress.
“Looks comfy,” she says.
I stop just behind her, slipping my arms around her waist and nuzzling the side of her face with mine. “Let’s test it out.”
She melts into me, resting her hands over mine. “I think this is where Ellie and Jackson are sleeping.”
“They won’t mind.” I push her hair aside with my face and press my mouth on her neck. “Come on.”
“Not yet,” she breathes, when my lips find that particular spot behind her ear. “We should go back to the party.”
I chuckle. “You’re the one who got me to follow you down here, Princess. Don’t forget that.”
I feel a buzzing in my back pocket that can only be my phone. Reaching for it, I check out the screen to see an unfamiliar number. I put my phone away and return my attention to Ava. “I’ve missed you so damn bad.”
“You were just with me last week.” There’s amusement in her tone, thank God.
“Yeah and I kind of fucked it up.”
“So did I,” she admits, hanging her head, her fingers tightening on mine. “But we can fix this. Fix—us.”
“I know we can,” I whisper against her neck, feeling her shiver. “I’ve been a complete asshole to you, Ava. I hate that I’ve hurt you.”
She dips her head to the right, a little sigh leaving her when I kiss her neck. “All I’ve ever wanted is your support. I give it to you unconditionally, no matter what. That’s what I want in return.”
“I’m here for you, baby. Whatever you want, I’ll give you.” As much as I can, considering the intense football season. My focus is always Ava, but right now, football is really fuckin’ important to me.
She knows this. And she understands it too. Look at her family. They live and breathe the sport.
I squeeze her hips when she remains silent, savoring the feel of her pressed against me, her ass rubbing my growing erection. Doesn’t take much to set my body off when it comes to this woman, and having her so close is a total distraction.
As in, all I can think about it is getting her naked and in that massive bed.
“Eli.” Her voice is so soft, I can barely hear her.
“What baby?” I rest my mouth at her ear, nibbling on the lobe.
“I want to spend the night with you,” she admits, her voice low.
Sexy.
My body tightens in response. “That’s all I want too.”
Ava turns in my arms so we’re facing each other, those big green eyes twisting me up inside as stares up at me. “I want it to be good between us again.”
“It will be,” I say with confidence. How can it not? All is right in the world. I’ve got my girl back in my arms and we’re on the same page.
“I’m sorry if I’ve been stubborn,” she murmurs.
I can’t help but chuckle, leaning in so I can rest my forehead to hers. “That’s all I’ve ever been. I’m the one who should be apologizing. Over and over again.”
Her face is full of wonder. “Who are you and what did you do with my Eli?”
My chuckle deepens and I give in to my urges, kissing her.
She opens to me immediately, her tongue meeting mine and it’s on. I drop my hands to her ass, squeezing and kneading as our kiss deepens. She slides her hands up my chest, circling her arms around my neck and I haul her in closer.
As close as I can get her.
Ava moans my name and fuck. That’s all I need to hear. I run my hands up, beneath her shirt, ready to start stripping her—
My butt buzzes again, and I go still.
So does Ava.
“Is someone trying to call you?” she asks, her lips moving against mine.
“Ignore it.” I kiss her again but she pulls away so our gazes meet, her brows lowered in concern.
“You should check who it is.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I lean in close but she shakes her head.
“It might,” she says. “Check who’s calling. Then we can get back—to business.”
Grinning to hide my momentary sexual frustration, I let go of her to pull my phone out of my back pocket once more, frowning when I see that the call is from Ryan this time. My brother.
And he never calls me.
I answer him, impatience in my tone.
“Great timing,” I practically growl. “What’s up?”
“It’s Mom. She’s been in a car accident,” he says.
I whirl away from Ava, so my back is to her. “What? What do you mean? How did you hear—”
“Someone at the hospital called me. Said they tried to get ahold of you first, since you live closer, but you didn’t answer,” he says accusingly.
Shit. That must’ve been the hospital calling me a few minutes ago.
“Is she okay? What happened?” Nerves make my stomach clench and I feel Ava approach. She rests her hand on my shoulder and I send her a quick look, seeing the concern in her gaze.
“I don’t know all the details yet. But I believe there was just a single car involved, and she’s the only one who was hurt. Thank God,” he mutters.
“What do you mean by that?”
“She was drunk. The cops want to arrest her for DUI,” Ryan says, his words filling me with dread.
“What are you saying?” I ask, confused.
“
The cops who found her said the interior of her car reeked of alcohol. No one has the official blood test yet, but it was fairly obvious Mom was above the legal drinking limit,” Ryan explains, his tone serious. “I think she’s in serious trouble.”
Twenty-Two
Ava
I can only make out snippets of his conversation with his brother, but from what I can tell, Eli’s mother was in a car accident.
And she might’ve been…drunk?
“Okay yeah. I’ll call you when I get to the hospital and talk to someone.” He ends the call and turns to me, his face white. He looks like he’s in shock. “My mom’s been in a car accident.”
“Where?” I ask gently. I take his hands in mine, noting that they’re ice cold. “Where is she, Eli?”
“Saint Agnes. I need to go.” He lets go of my hands and starts for the door. I chase after him, surprised at how fast the man can be, though I guess I shouldn’t, considering how quick he is on the field. “I’ll call you.”
“Eli.” I follow him down the hall, having to run extra fast to keep up with him. “Eli, I’ll go with you.”
It’s as if he doesn’t even hear me. He walks through all the people still mingling in the living room and goes for the front door, throwing it open. I follow him out into the chilly night, shivering when the breeze off the lake hits me. My feet in the cowboy boots are killing me as I keep running, falling behind as Eli’s determined steps take him to his car. It’s only when he stops to fumble in his front pockets for his keys that I get a chance to catch up to him, calling his name.
He blinks at me, looking shocked. “I thought you were staying here.”
I shake my head. “I want to go with you.”
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I could be there for hours.”
“I don’t care. I want to be there for you,” I say firmly.
A faint smile curls his lips and he dips his head to press a soft kiss to my lips before he digs for his keys again, pulling them out and unlocking the doors. I slide into the passenger seat and he gets behind the steering wheel, starting up the car.
The Senior (College Years Book 4) Page 18