Chapter 89

Chapter 89
Ava’s POV

My best friend’s betrayal stung deep in me. I was pissed. No, I was mad. She had no right to talk to me that way. After the phone call, I had switched off my mobile phone and left the building with no clear destination in mind. All I knew was that I wanted to clear my head.

Fifteen minutes after walking aimlessly, I raised my head to see that I was standing beside the coffee shop that Dale used to bring me to whenever we went on our lunch breaks. Memories filled my head, and the knot in my belly tightened, making me so uncomfortable.

Why the hell did I have to find myself here? Was my subconscious trying to mock me? Well, it looked like that, obviously.

“I better get out of here.” I turned to leave, and just then, I heard someone call my name.

“Ava?”

I spun my head in the direction of the voice, and much to my surprise, I saw Justin walking out of the café. He was dressed in a navy-blue suit with thin ash stripes. A pair of dark goggles sat on his eyes, giving him a boss-like look. He looked like a model from the front cover of a Vogue Men magazine, and I could not help but stare wide-eyed at him.

“Hey,” he greeted when he got to me and took off his glasses.

I stared at him for a second, shocked to be seeing him. He looked really good, and for a moment, those were the only thoughts that were inside my head.

“Are you okay? You look kind of troubled. Talk to me, what is the issue?” he said and wrapped his hand around my shoulder.

I could feel the protective vibe emanating from him, and as much as I appreciated that, I didn’t want to drive the wrong message.

“It is nothing serious. I should be returning to the company building. It was nice seeing you. You look good, by the way.” I nodded at him and made to leave, but he grabbed my hand, preventing me from moving farther.

“Ava, I am no stranger that you can just dismiss like that. You seem to forget that we are connected. Come on, we are like family now. Feel free to talk to me,” he said, pure concern shining in his eyes.

Jeez, how the hell could Dale even imagine that Justin could be sexually attracted to me? The man was only concerned about me and nothing else.

The realization that Justin only cared about me and nothing else sort of calmed me down.

“Look, even if you do not want to talk to me, allow me to buy you lunch. It is the least that I can do,” he pleaded.

“Fine.” I nodded and followed him into the café.

The place looked just the same as the last time Dale and I had been here. To make it worse, the same server who had attended to us served us now. I simply had a cup of mocha latte, but Justin refused to take anything, citing that he had already taken something before he saw me when he was leaving.

“So, do you mind telling me what it is that makes you look so worried?” he asked after I had taken a few sips of my latte.

I looked at the guy, and the curiosity in his eyes was almost comical. Also, I could smell his desperation to create a bond between the both of us. Knowing that, I knew I could not leave him hanging high and dry, but at the same time, I didn’t want to tell him everything that was going on.

“How do you know that something is wrong with me?” I raised a brow at him.

“Well, for one, your eyes look tired and empty, almost as though you had cried. They are slightly red too. You look pale and dejected.”

I shrugged. I had indeed cried while I was walking here. I could only remember mindlessly wiping my face with the sleeves of my blouse as I walked.

“And for a pretty girl to cry and look the way you do, it simply means that something is wrong, and as a possible older brother, you had better tell me what is wrong.”

Hearing him call himself my possible older brother brought a smile to my lips, and I shook my head at him.

“Okay, fine. You are right. I do not really feel good, but it is nothing serious. I am going to be alright in due time,” I said, hoping to pacify him with that.

“Hmm.” He sighed. “Are you sure it is not boy troubles? You could tell me who he is, and I could go over and roughen him up. Just a little bit. I know a couple of people.”

At this point, I threw my head back in laughter, not believing that he was acting the same way I imagined my older brother would behave.

“Well, that is not necessary. I promise you,” I said.

He went mute for a few seconds, assessing me. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but finally, he shrugged. “Fine, if you say so. Well, drink up your latte so I can take you back to the office.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I can walk back to the office on my own. Don’t inconvenience yourself just because of me,” I begged.

“I am not inconveniencing myself. The company building was my destination, so we are headed to the same place. You would be the one to inconvenience yourself by not coming with me,” he said.

“Alright, fine.” I agreed with him and quickly downed what was left of my latte.

There was no need to be scared about being seen with him. His intentions were pure, and that was all that mattered.

He drove a BMW, and I liked it. It was sleek and suited for a businessman. It was no sports car, but it could run. In a matter of a few minutes, we were back at the office. He climbed down and handed a valet his car for parking. Just as we were both walking in, Dale and Vanessa were walking out, and before I could say or do anything, Dale threw a punch at Justin.