Chapter 77
Chapter 77
\[AVA\]
I finally feel a little better—enough to let Brian freshen up after his long flight.
He kisses me on the forehead and promises to join me soon.
Maybe he knows that if I’m left alone, my mind will start spiraling again, drowning me in guilt. And once that happens, I won’t be able to focus on anything else. Worse, Brian would have to undo all the work he’s already put in just to pull me back to normal.
It’s not like I want to be difficult right now. But when something happens that reminds you just how little control you have over your own life, you start making a fuss over everything—inside and out. And right now, I feel like I control nothing. My once peaceful life is teetering on the edge of destruction, and I have no way of stopping it.
Sure, if Brian and Aaron manage to track down whoever’s behind this, maybe—maybe—I’ll start feeling like myself again. But until then? Peace is a luxury I can’t afford.
Brian returns after a quick shower, now dressed in something more casual. I offer him a small smile at his arrival, and his lips twitch into one of his own—gentle, reassuring.
He joins me on the couch again, this time sliding a warm arm around me, letting me curl into him.
Being as crazy about him as I am, I breathe in his familiar scent—the one that now smells like love, comfort, and home. If I could, I’d bottle it up, keep it close, spray it around me just to feel like he’s always near.
“So, you still think I shouldn’t have come?” he asks, his voice so warm, deep, and soothing that I can barely keep my eyes open.
“Of course, I do,” I mumble, even though we both know he can feel my relief from miles away. “Surely, Kian hates me by now.”
“He doesn’t, and you know that.”
“You can’t be so sure. This trek meant a lot to him. And I did exactly what’s expected from a selfish bitch dating the father of a good, innocent kid. I completely wrecked it.”
My words surprisingly make Brian laugh—not too loud, just enough for his chest and shoulders to shake.
“Sometimes, your imagination runs way too wild for your own good.”
But I only shrug. “Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”
Brian shifts, his fingers tracing slow circles on my back. “Kian understands. He’s a kid, not some grudge-holding adult. And as for the trek, we can always plan another one.”
I scoff. “Yeah, because rescheduling a whole damn adventure is that easy.”
“For me? Absolutely.” His voice is teasing, but there’s a certainty in it that makes my heart clench.
I stay quiet for a moment, letting the warmth of his touch settle the restless guilt inside me. “I just don’t like ruining things for people.”
“And you didn’t,” he tilts my chin up, making me look at him. His eyes are sharp but soft, filled with something I can’t name but feel deep in my bones. “You didn’t ruin anything, Ava. Stop convincing yourself otherwise.”
I hold his gaze, searching for any sign that he’s just saying what I want to hear. But there’s none. Just quiet, steady truth.
And damn it, if that doesn’t make me want to believe him.
“Thanks for being here,” I finally say, because that’s what I feel right now.
Thankful. Grateful. Fortunate.
“If you really wanted to thank me, you’d have stopped being so miserable by now. Clearly, there’s something I’m not doing right.” He grins, poking the tip of my nose with his index finger.
I wrinkle my nose, swatting his hand away, but I can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. “You’re doing everything right.”
“Then why do you still look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on those pretty little shoulders?” He shifts, pulling me closer until I’m back to straddling him.