Chapter 25 EMPTY SPACES
Ava's POV
When we got in, Adrian had insisted on carrying my bags up all three floors and I'd been too numb to argue.
"Are you sure you'll be alright here?" Adrian asked for the third time when we got in.
"I'm fine. Thank you for driving me." I said casually
"Miss Scott...Ava...he didn't mean what he said. He's just..."
"Adrian, please." I couldn't hear this right now.
"I need to be alone."
He nodded and left, and the everywhere was silent.
I sat on my couch still wearing my work clothes and stared at the check sitting on my coffee table. Five hundred thousand dollars. It was more money than I'd ever imagined having, enough to take care of my mother's medical bills for years, enough to never have to work at that club again and enough to start over somewhere new.
Enough to make me feel like the most expensive prostitute in New York. But why wasn't I happy about it.
My phone started ringing and it was Maya,I let it go to voicemail but she kept calling.
Finally I answered.
"I'm fine." I said as soon as I picked up.
"You're not fine. I'm on my way over with wine and Thai food. Don't even think about arguing."
She hung up before I could.
Twenty minutes later Maya was banging on my door holding two bottles of wine and food containers.
"What happened?"
I told her everything while we sat on my floor eating pad thai straight from the containers. About Sarah Chen, about the mysterious messages, about Ryan showing up at the office, about Dominic's face when I'd said I wanted options.
"You didn't mean it like that," Maya said.
"I know I didn't. But he's so paranoid about people leaving him that he heard exactly what he was afraid to hear."
"So call him. Text him. Tell him you didn't mean it."
"He gave me half a million dollars to leave, Maya. That's not exactly 'please stay.' I said
"That's his fear talking. That's him pushing you away before you can leave on your own." She poured more wine. "The question is, do you want to fight for him?"
Did I? The smart answer was no. The smart answer was to take the money, cut my losses, and find someone normal who didn't have mysterious enemies and dead ex-girlfriends and eyes that changed color.
But I'd never been that smart when it came to Dominic Hayes.
My phone buzzed. For a second my heart jumped thinking it was Dominic, but it was a number I didn't recognize.
I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have said those things. If you ever want to talk, I'm here. -Ryan
I showed Maya the text.
"Block him," she said immediately.
"That guy gives me bad vibes."
We stayed up all night eating and drinking wine and we Maya finally left, I was alone in that silence again.
I went to bed late and woke up at three AM from a nightmare I couldn't remember. I reached for my phone and had pulled up his number before I remembered we were done.
I almost called anyway, even almost sent a text but after much deliberations, instead I called the hospital.
"I need to check on a patient. Elena Scott. Room 437." I said
"One moment please." The person from the other end said and there was a pause for a while.
"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Scott was transferred yesterday to a private facility. Would you like the contact information?"
"Transferred? By who?" I asked immediately, now scarred.
"Let me check." Another pause. "The transfer was arranged by Mr. Dominic Hayes. All expenses paid. The facility is much nicer than here, I assure you."
He'd moved her. Even after breaking things off, even after telling me to leave, he'd still made sure my mother would be taken care of.
"What's the address?"
She gave it to me and I hung up, then sat in my dark apartment staring at nothing.
He was still protecting her. Still protecting me, even while pushing me away.
At six AM my phone rang and it was Adrian.
"Mr. Hayes asked me to inform you that your mother's care will continue to be covered regardless of the current situation." He said from the other end
"Tell him thank you."
"Perhaps you could tell him yourself? He's miserable, Miss Scott. He hasn't slept. He's been in his office all night." He told me
"He's the one who ended things."
"Because he's terrified of losing you the way he lost Sarah. Because everyone he's ever cared about has either left or died." He explained.
After we hung up I got dressed and took a cab to where my mother was.
The new facility was in uptown, looking more like a luxury hotel than a hospital. My mother's room was three times the size of her old one with windows and a sitting area.
"Ava!" She smiled when she saw me. "Can you believe this place? This must cost a fortune."
"Dominic arranged it." I said as soon as I got in. I had later on told her about the new man who's been sponsoring it when she insists I told her the truth. But of course I didn't tell her about the arrangements. Just that we were dating.
"That sweet man. When is he coming to visit?" She asked.
"He's not. We broke up."
Her face fell.
"Oh honey. Do you love him?" She asked brushing my hair with her hands slowly
"It doesn't matter."
"Of course it matters. That's the only thing that matters." She took my hand.
"If you love Dominic and he makes you happy, fight for him. If you don't, walk away. But don't let fear make the decision."
I stayed with her for two hours before I left for home.
At seven PM someone knocked on my door. I looked through the peephole expecting Maya but it was Marcus holding Chinese food.
"Adrian told me where you lived. Thought you might not have eaten."
He's such a nice guy. I've known him for barely a week now, and he's been such a good friend
I let him in and he unpacked containers while telling me office gossip.
"Victoria's been spreading a story all day that you were cheating on Dominic with that guy from the lobby."
"I wasn't cheating." I said
"I know that." Marcus handed me a plate.
"For what it's worth, I think he made a massive mistake."
When he left around nine he paused at the door.
"If you need anything, call me. I mean it." He said
"Why are you being so nice?"
"Because I like you. And because Dominic is my friend but that doesn't mean I agree with how he handles things."
After he left, I took a lap around mey neighbourhood since I didn't have anything to do. Maya was at work too. When I just got back in, I turned on my phone and a text came in immediately.
They're coming for you. Leave now. -L
It was the same person that has been messaging me.I was about to delete it when another text came through but it was from Dominic. He said "I'm sorry" just those two words.
I stared at them, my thumb hovering over the keyboard and typed "Me too."
Three dots appeared again and that means he was typing back. He asked if we could meet up to talk and I asked when it that going to be.
"Now. I'm outside." He replied and I looked out my window and saw his car parked below, Dominic standing next to it looking up.
My heart pounded as I grabbed my keys and ran down the stairs.
But when I got to the street, the car was still there but Dominic was gone, and there was blood on the sidewalk.