Chapter 88

Chapter 88
Ava’s POV

I paced around the underground parking lot of the company. I could swear that I could handle seeing Dale and Vanessa together. But seeing him kiss her just seconds after his lips were on mine made my stomach roil in protest. I just could not stomach it, and it made me very sick.

There was literally nothing for me to do inside that building, and I hated myself that I was letting them ruin my life. Letting out a deep breath, I called Celia. She was definitely going to hate that I was calling her about Dale, but she was the only person that I could trust to listen to me. Hell, she was the only friend I had, and she had to listen to me.

“Sweetheart, give me a few minutes. I would call you back,” she whispered as soon as she answered the call and ended it almost immediately.

A frustrated breath escaped from my lips. There was no one else to talk to, and it made this whole situation more annoying. Suddenly, I felt so sidelined and lonely even. I was guilty of what I was advising Aunt against. Maybe it was high time I took my own advice and had other friends apart from Celia.

Two minutes later, my mobile vibrated, and it was Celia calling. All thoughts about having other friends disappeared from my head as I picked up the phone.

“Hey,” I greeted with a sigh of relief.

“What is wrong?” she demanded.

I rolled my eyes at her tone. “What the hell do you mean by what is wrong? Can’t I call you just to have a chit-chat?” I asked.

“Ava, I know you so well. You do not call me until you have something bothering you or you need my help with something,” she said and let out a sigh. “Can you believe that I have just been sitting at my work desk since arriving at work this morning?”

She was a customer service officer, and her job did not necessarily demand her walking about. However, she constantly complained of how tiring the customers could be. It was one reason why she partied hard whenever she was off work.

“I am sorry about that. At least you didn’t get to hear the silly complaints of customers during that period, right?”

“Unfortunately, I was bombarded by a lot of complaints from my boss. It was just so silly, but you don’t have to worry yourself about it. It’s all over now. So, why are you calling me?”

Her question suddenly jolted me to why I was calling her—to complain about Dale and his girlfriend.

“It is Dale,” I said.

“What’s up with him? Is he giving you trouble because you have decided not to be with him anymore?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes, knowing that she was going to be pissed when she found out that I had not taken her advice.

“First of all, you need to understand that I am not calling you because I want you to judge me. Instead, I am calling you because I need to rant to someone,” I warned ahead.

“Okay,” she said skeptically.

“I don’t know, Celia, but I thought I could handle seeing him and Vanessa together, but seeing him with her just kind of undid something in me, and I cannot seem to focus,” I confessed.

“Okay, I get it that you were emotionally attached to him, but you will get over it. You have ended things with him. You just have to train your mind not to be attached to him anymore,” she said.

I rolled my eyes again. I wasn’t asking for her advice. I just needed her to listen.

“Celia, he and I are still together. That is why all of this hurts,” I came clean to her.

“Oh shit! Ava! I thought we agreed that you were going to end things with him?” she complained.

I kept mute, not knowing what to say to her.

“Well, I don’t know what to say, Ava, but I think this is a sign that you need to end things with him. You need to do that for your own sanity. You do not feel comfortable seeing him with another woman, which means you are not cut out to be the other woman. End all of this for your own sanity.” She was practically begging me at this point.

“Celia, it is not as easy as you think. First of all, the sex—Celia, the sex with him is so good, and I don’t think I would be able to pull away now. You need to understand,” I said.

“The only thing I am understanding is that you are addicted to sex, and it is ruining you,” she hissed, and I took a step back, trying to process what she was saying to me.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, trying my best not to jump to conclusions.

“Let me ask you a question—are you still seeing your Mystery Man?”

I wondered what that question had to do with anything, but I indulged her.

“Yes,” I breathed.

“Of course, I knew it!” There was a pause, and then she continued. “I know you are going to hate me for what I am going to say, but you are addicted to sex. Yes, you are, Ava. The fact that you had to return to Studio Casanova was a big mistake.

Your experience at Studio Casanova was supposed to be a one-time affair to help you relieve the stress of all you were going through at that point in your life. It was not meant to replace your problems, but you went back, and with each experience, you grew too attached.

Now, you cannot do without sex. You are hooked on good sex, and that is why you are finding it hard to stay away from Dale. The only reason you are with him is because of the sex, and when you take that away, there is nothing more holding you two together,” she explained.

A single drop of tear rolled down my cheek at her words. I could not believe she was saying this to me. If I was really addicted to sex as she said, then it was her fault and not mine.

“You are impossible,” I hissed, and with that, ended the call.