Chapter 22
“Mum, do you want a cup of tea?” Ava asked, pulling a cup down from the cabinet. She could hear the TV blaring in the living room and pictured her mother glued to her soap operas. It had been wonderful having her mother back in her life, helping her prepare for the baby and building a foundation for her future. Things were going to change from now on. Her life as a high-profile publishing mogul was in the past.
“Mum, did you hear me?”
“Ava. Come here, honey.” Veronica’s voice sounded from the foyer, muted by the voices on the television.
“Mum?” Ava left the cup on the bench to investigate. She wandered through the living room and gasped when Elias stood in entryway with her mother. A backpack was slung over his shoulder and he wore a crumpled shirt. His eyes were heavy with fatigue.
“Elias, what are you doing here?”
A small smile lifted his lips. “I left Daisy.”
Veronica cleared her throat and backed away. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”
When her mother was out of eyeshot, Ava ran up to Elias and pulled him into an embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He smelled of sandalwood and male sweat. “Did you really do it?”
Burying his face into the nook of her neck, he replied, “She told me everything, Ava. She deceived me. Even after all these years, I feel like I don’t know her at all.” He pulled away to look at her, gently caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “You were right all along. Daisy was bad for me.”
Ava stepped away and escorted him into the living room. The television had been turned off. “How did you know where I lived?”
Elias sat down on the couch. “Daisy told me she’d seen you in Merton. I knew you wouldn’t tell me where you were so I contacted Liam.”
“He told you?”
He smirked. “I had to buy your location with a six pack of beer.”
Ava rubbed her hands together. “Elias, you can’t be here. Daisy will be wondering where you are. You can stay the night but you’ll have to leave in the morning.”
“I left her,” he said, sliding across the cushion towards her. “It’s over between Daisy and me. I want to be with you.” He reached out and stroked her hand. A rush of ecstasy sparked inside Ava at his touch. “I’ve made my decision, Ava.”
“No, you haven’t. You made a commitment to Daisy and you have to stick to it. What can I offer you, Elias? A constant spotlight following you around everywhere? That’s not living.” The words hurt but they were needed. She wouldn’t allow him to destroy his life.
“Why do you keep pushing me away?” Elias asked. “I thought you wanted to be with me.”
Ava bit at her bottom lip. A huge part of her wanted to be with Elias forever. But the logical side of her knew it was impossible. There were too many things weighing against them. Daisy. The press. Her own conscience.
“Maybe in another lifetime, Elias, but not this one.” She glimpsed at the clock on the wall in the kitchen and her stomach grumbled. It was time for another snack. All she did was eat now. “Mum made a delicious chocolate cake earlier. Do you want a slice?”
“When will you give me an answer?” Elias pressed as he followed her into the kitchen.
“It’s never going to happen between us.” She pulled the cake out of the fridge and cut two slices. She watched Elias in the corner of her eye as she handed him the plate. He looked defeated, with his slumped shoulders and downturned lips. Ava reasoned that he wasn’t thinking straight. He was coming off the high from his fight with Daisy.
“When do you find out the gender?” Elias’s voice sounded close behind her as they returned to the living room.
“I go to the doctors in a fortnight. The scan is between eighteen to twenty-two weeks.”
“Would you mind if I came with you?”
“What would Daisy think?”
“I don’t care. I want to be there when you find out.”
“I guess you can come.” Ava sliced into her cake with a fork, unsure why she was feeling uncomfortable. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Being a family with Elias pushed her to keep going every day, but things changed the moment a diamond ring was put on Daisy’s finger. It didn’t matter how many times Elias left her. It didn’t feel right being with him, especially if he turned up at her doorstep unannounced. It was still adultery in her eyes and she never wanted to be associated with that word again.
~ ~ ~
Veronica’s dramatic soap operas didn’t settle the unease in Elias’s gut. He sat beside her on the couch, robotically stirring a teaspoon in his mug. His second helping of cake sat on the coffee table untouched.
Ava was upstairs taking a shower, leaving him to watch TV with her odd mother. He was a fool for coming here tonight. His misguided intentions had led him to a woman who obviously didn’t want to see him. The perfect “O” shape of Ava’s lips when she had entered the foyer imprinted on his memory. She was surprised to find him in her home, her safe place. As much as she wanted to end their coupling, he couldn’t get her of his head. He would fight for her. No matter what.
“What are your intentions for my daughter?” Veronica’s soft voice penetrated his thoughts.
Elias placed his cup on the table and cleared his throat. “Um . . . I’m not sure how much Ava has told you about us.”
“I know enough, son. I know my unborn grandchild is your baby.” Veronica twisted in her seat so she could face him. “Ava has always been secretive with her private life. Even to me. I didn’t even know she was marrying Liam until a week after the wedding.”
“Is that why you disliked him?”
Her eyebrow hooked. “I don’t like being deceived. Especially by my own daughter. It’s only ever been Ava and me.” She narrowed her eyes. “What has Ava told you about me, anyway?”
“Not a lot. She rarely mentioned family when we worked together. She was all about business.”
A crooked smile hooked Veronica’s lips. “That’s Ava. She likes to hold things close to her chest. No one has ever gotten close to her. Even Liam. I’m surprised how far she let you in. You must be special to her.”
“I hope so.”
“Look, my daughter doesn’t have a good track record with men. In fact, the media loves judging her on her particular lifestyle. Ava’s a beautiful woman. Even as a child, she had a certain appeal towards men. She knew how to play them, how to make them tick. When she turned thirteen, my stress levels almost killed me. I was so worried for her welfare. She was a wild girl and I couldn’t control her. So I snuck birth control pills into her cereal each morning and prayed she would be okay.”
“Ms. Wolfe, Ava turned out perfectly,” Elias said. “She’s an extremely successful business woman. Despite what the press says, Ava is unlike anyone else I’ve ever met. There aren’t a lot of female media moguls in her position. She hasn’t let her past define her.”
“People judge her for what’s printed in the tabloids. She’s not a cold bitch, just misunderstood. She’s a woman in a man’s world. No one understands her like I do. Ava needs to understand that life is fleeting.” Veronica withdrew a tissue from her nightgown and dabbled her eyes. “For years, she’s been so driven by her work that she’s missed out on living. All her friends have moved on and had babies of their own.”
She glanced at Elias and squeezed his hand. “I want you to know that I don’t think this baby’s a burden. In fact, it’s saved my daughter. I know you’ll make Ava very happy. Welcome to the family, son.”
Elias detected no ridicule or disdain in Veronica’s voice so he assumed Ava hadn’t mentioned Daisy or the upcoming wedding. Perhaps Ava was playing her own game of happy endings without the harsh reality. Elias wanted a future with her—or at least try for one—imagining playing with their son or daughter in the backyard with the dog. Ava had broken his ways, disrupted the rules he had lived by for years. After his fight with Daisy, he just drove, eager to get to his destination. He wanted one last chance with Ava, to prove the spark between them still existed. If he felt nothing, he would move on. His impeding wedding was getting closer by the day. So what did he really want? He was torn between two forces—the volcano and the tornado—both volatile and strong. Who would offer him the better future? Stringing both women along went against everything he stood for. He had to make his choice before it was too late.