Chapter 39

Ava.

I reached for the closet door, opening it to reveal a row of shelves, a quarter of them occupied by clothes—dresses, skirts, blouses, and trousers. Two black sandals sat at the bottom of the shelf, and I smiled. A black bag hung from the wall.

My eyes burned at Jayden's generosity. I had never been treated this way, but to have all of this given to me so readily felt almost too good to be true.

I guess he really liked me after all these years. Right after high school, he kept trying his luck and never gave up on me. It made me happy to know that someone had been in love with me for years and didn't lose hope. I blushed.

I pulled out a simple blouse and leggings. There was even a section for underwear, and I covered my face, blushing hard.

"He didn't have to get these!" I said, taking out a lace panty and leaving the closet, shutting the door behind me. I placed the clothes on the bed and locked the door in case he wanted to come in.

I headed for the bathroom. There was a bathtub at the end and a shower hanging over it. A mirror hung on the wall with a small cabinet just above a wash hand basin. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash sat on it. I picked them up.

Vanilla. My favorite.

I needed to get my own stuff from back home, at least the things that weren't broken or in pieces. I took off my clothes and stepped into the bathroom, turning on the shower and letting hot water pour over my skin.

Sighing in relief, I felt my tense muscles loosen and stood under the water for a while.

A pang of guilt washed over me at the luxury I was going to enjoy for a while, while Avery was stuck at the hospital with nothing fun to expect except sneaking a peek at Potty's phone or maybe talking to Jake.

I desperately wanted to give Potty a call, and I made a mental note to do that.

My mind also wandered to Mikhail, and I imagined what it would be like living with him. He probably had servants rushing to his every need. And no doubt, he would have expected me to work for him, considering he was an arrogant jerk.

I reached for the shampoo and body wash, trying to think of something else, even as the kiss flashed in my mind.

Jayden liked me, and it was time I focused on that instead of wasting time with someone like Mikhail.

Humming "God's Menu" by Stray Kids, I managed to keep my mind clear and finished bathing. I wrapped the white towel hanging on the door around my body before stepping out.

My stomach grumbled, and I hurriedly got dressed. I heard a door slam shut from outside my room before snatching my phone from my bag and leaving the room.

The floor felt cold under my aching feet as I headed to the sitting room, finding Jayden sitting on the couch with his phone in hand.

"Hey," I greeted awkwardly, sitting opposite him. He looked up, then back at his phone, typing a few things before putting it away.

"Hey, you look good," he said, smiling at me. I muttered a thanks before he continued. "I ordered pancakes, and there's tea brewing in the kitchen. The kitchen is over there," he pointed to the door on the left of the sitting room, and I nodded.

"So, Ava, what's wrong? What happened to your apartment?" he asked, and I tensed. The image of my trashed apartment flashed in my head, and knowing who did it sent chills down my spine.

"Someone broke in. They destroyed everything. My chairs were torn, the walls were splashed with paint, and my clothes were scattered everywhere when I returned," I explained, and Jayden frowned.

"Did anything get taken? Do you have any valuable property?"

"No, and worst of all, it seemed like they were specifically targeting me. It was only my apartment," I said.

"But who, though? You're like the nicest person I've met. Who would want to hurt you like that?" Jayden asked, and I shrugged.

"I don't know," I lied. A pang of guilt washed over me for lying to Jayden, but I knew that if I had told him, he would find out about Mikhail. I didn't want him to think I liked Mikhail, not after all he's been doing for me. I didn't want to ruin whatever we might have with someone with whom I shared a accidental kiss. I frowned.

As if.

"Your neighborhood is rough, so I'm guessing some thugs, maybe. I'm just glad you're here now, where it's safe for you," Jayden smiled.

"So why didn't you give me a call after you found out about your apartment? You had to wait till last night."

"That morning, when I got home and found out, I was still trying to process everything when I got a call from the hospital that Avery wasn't breathing. I remember being scared and rushing there. Jayden, I s-saw her on a stretcher, and..." I choked out as I started to cry.

Tears escaped my eyes, and the weight of speaking poorly to Avery after that crumbled against my shoulders. I shouldn't have said what I said, and now she won't talk to me.

I heard Jayden come to me, pulling me into a hug, and I melted into it.

"You don't have to talk about it," he said, rubbing my back.

"I do. I really do, 'cause gods, if I keep this bottled up, I'll break down worse than this. And then they said she's not breathing well because of the enlargement of the tumor, and that they would be going into the next stage of chemo. It would require more medications and even oxygen tanks. And it's more expensive than usual, Jayden. We don't have any health insurance, and I'm barely making enough to support us, and this is going to be a hassle," I said all at once as my body racked with sobs once more.

It felt nice to let it all out, to talk to someone I trusted about it. To feel someone's arm go around me.

"Shh. It's okay," Jayden said, kissing the top of my head as he rubbed my back.

"I don't know if you can get another job for me, preferably in the day so it doesn't clash with the club at night," I said, and Jayden stopped before sighing and pulling my head so my eyes met his.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll take care of Avery's medical expenses. Everything she needs, I'll take care of it. Just focus on yourself, okay?" Jayden said, and I gasped in shock.

"Are you serious? No. I don't want to be a bother to you. I can handle it by myself," I started to shake my head when Jayden grabbed me once more.

"Remember what I said about being a charming prince. I like you, Ava. I really do, and you know that I've had eyes on you since high school. Just let me do this for you. Let someone carry your cross at least once. Let me take care of this. I'll pay for everything. It doesn't take much from my pay. I don't like seeing you like this," he said, wiping my tear-stained cheeks, but it didn't matter because more tears ran down my face as I stared up at him.

"But I don't want to be a burden. I'm already staying here, and now you want to help with Avery's medical expenses. I feel like a leech," I whispered softly.

"Seriously, Ava, I'll move mountains for you if it would make you smile," he said, pulling my face closer to him as he pressed his lips against my cheeks.

"Thank you so much, Jayden. I honestly don't know what I'll do without you," I said as he pulled me closer and placed my head on his shirt, patting my back gently.

"It's fine. Just always smile, Ava," he said, and I nodded in response.

There was a moment of silence, not an awkward one, but a satisfactory, perfect silence that passed between us, and for a little moment, I felt at peace. This was the biggest weight that had been lifted off my shoulders by Jayden, and now I could focus on myself for a while.

"My neighbor's cat, Phillip. He often wanders along the hallways or uses the window to get in. I honestly don't know how that cat uses the elevator. So when you see a white cat up here, don't be frightened and just return him to the floor below this," Jayden said, and I laughed.

"I love cats. Dogs frighten me."

Jayden laughed, his chest vibrating under me. He was about to say something else when the doorbell rang.

"Our food is here," I pulled away from him as he attended to the person. The scent of pancakes made my stomach growl, and I frowned.

"I'll go check the tea," Jayden said, heading to the dining area to drop the food before disappearing to the kitchen.

I went to the dining area, took a seat, and eyed the pancakes greedily before Jayden came with the tea, and we dug in.

"A maid comes every week to do my laundry and clean the place, so you don't have to worry about it. I barely cook, so I don't have many groceries. So you'll have to do it if you want to cook for yourself," he said, and I nodded in response.

After eating, Jayden showered and left the house after activating my fingerprints so I could go in and out as I pleased, leaving me to explore after doing the dishes. I went back to my room and jumped on the bed, resting my back against the soft mattress and admiring the chandelier above me.

I debated calling Avery, but instead, I put a call through to Ashley. After a few minutes of gossiping and filling each other in on what's been happening in our lives, I finally ended the call and closed my eyes.

Sleep took over me immediately, and for the first time in a while, I felt happy, content, and relaxed. I could only hope it continued like this, but as usual, life always has other plans for me.