Chapter Six

Ava

By the time I return to the house, my legs are shaking. As soon as I close the door, I let them fold underneath me and bury my face in my hands.

I’m not going to sit around and watch you punish my brother for something he didn’t do.

Blake… That bastard.

How dare he act like I’m being unfair? I’m not the villain here. I’m a victim of Lucas’s deception. And whatever pain Lucas supposedly feels, it can’t be greater than mine. After all, he never loved me the way I loved him.

Even now I want to run back and tell him I forgive everything and that we can start fresh, with me helping him get the painting. I don’t even care if the marriage is only for a year, so long as we can be together. Surely I can change his mind in those twelve months…

What the hell is the matter with me? I bury my face in my hands. What he’s done should be enough to kill my love for him.

Disgusted with myself, I shower quickly, setting the water temp as hot as I can stand. I despise my own weakness. It makes me want to do the very same things that got my mom into trouble.

Too tired to bother with a dryer, I towel my hair and put on some old jeans and a navy-blue sweater. The mirror shows eyes that are dark and unhappy, and I hate it that I’m feeling this way. Why does being rational hurt so bad?

My cell phone jars me out of my misery. It’s an email from Robbie at the Sterling Medical Center.

Subject: Offer

Dear Ava,

We loved meeting you, and we would like to offer you a position at our organization.

I blink, uncertain if I’m reading it right. After weeks of disappointment, it seems shocking that something could be going my way.

I scan the rest of the message, which details things like pay and relocation assistance. The salary looks great, although knowing the cost of living in L.A., it’s probably not that great. Having lived in Osaka, I know how far money goes—or more precisely, doesn’t go—in a pricey city.

But L.A. is a new opportunity. And it’ll mean being far away from Lucas, since he seems determined to remain in Charlottesville. I hate leaving like this, but staying here just isn’t good for me. Driving by Lucas’s house, missing him, thinking about him, obsessing about him—all of it’s just self-destructive. And until now, I didn’t consider the possibility that I’d also run into his family. God. That’s the last thing I want. They probably blame me for not falling at his feet and begging him to marry me so they can get their multimillion-dollar paintings. Blake was pretty blatant in his hostility, and the others will be too.

Rich people don’t become rich by being nice.

I send a quick note to Robbie, letting him know I’m thrilled to accept the offer and will start as soon as possible. I also text my old college roommate Erin to let her know I’ll be joining the medical center. She’s the one who put me on Robbie’s radar, so I definitely owe her now, even though I know she didn’t do it to get a favor in return. I then call the HR contact, Molly Jayden, to let her know my decision and ask for relocation help.

“You sure you don’t want to wait until after Thanksgiving?” she says, sounding concerned.

“I’m sure. Besides, after Thanksgiving is Christmas, and then there’s New Year’s… I’d rather not wait until next year,” I say. “I don’t have that much stuff to pack anyway. I just moved back from Japan.”

“Ah. That’s right. I remember hearing about that when you came in for your interview.” She hmmms for a moment. “Let me send you our relocation agency’s info. We have a contract with them. They’ll arrange everything.”

It feels amazing to have my life moving forward again. “I’d really appreciate it.”

“And it’s great you’re starting so soon. We needed to fill the position ASAP. Just between you and me, Robbie’s been pretty overwhelmed with the opening and all. We want to make sure everything goes without a hitch, you know.”

“I’m glad the timing worked out.”

“Cool. See you when you’re settled in town?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

I hang up and sit at the edge of my bed. This is a spectacular opportunity, and the medical center seems to be a great place to work.

A new beginning.

God, I need that after so many disasters. This is going to work out. I can feel it. I’m due for some good luck.

My phone buzzes with a new text. It’s Erin. OMG so exciting! Congrats! We should celebrate when you get to L.A.

I smile and write back, YES! I then Facebook message Bennie. He’ll kill me if he doesn’t hear the big news from me directly. You were right. Got the job, and L.A. bound!

My hair still damp, I go downstairs, phone in the back pocket of my jeans. Darcy and Ray come out from the nursery with Mia in Darcy’s arms. Seventeen months old, Mia is a delightful little princess with a bright pink dress with faux-fur trim around the square neckline and a small tiara in her hair.

“Good morning,” Darcy says, and Mia squeals with delight at the sight of me, her ice-blue eyes bright.

My foster mother hands me the child, and I hold her slight weight close and smell her sweet toddler smell. Her cheeks are rosy from sleep, and I rub mine against hers as my heart expands with unbearable love.

Darcy runs her fingers through her meticulously cut bob, restoring a bit of order to the messy morning hair. Although her brown locks now have some silver, her sparkling gray eyes and open smile make her look younger than some women half her age. She’s in a comfortable sweater, jeans and boots. Darcy was born into old money, but I’ve never seen her wear anything that looked ostentatious.

His pale blue eyes warm, Ray puts an arm around her, squeezing her shoulders. His hair is bright silver—having gone prematurely gray a while back. Not that the distinguished and professorial effect hurts him any.

“You’re up early. Thought you got in late,” Ray says.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I got up for a short jog around the neighborhood.” I don’t want to burden them with my unpleasant encounter with Blake.

“Good for you. Exercise helps clear the head,” Darcy says. I know she’s worried about me. Both of them were, after I told them what happened between me and Lucas. “How’d the interview go?”

“It went great. I just got an offer…which I have accepted.”

A wide grin splits her face. “Good for you! I’m so proud of you.”

“Congratulations, hon.” Ray hugs me. “When do you start?”

“ASAP. Apparently my boss is swamped.”

“Oh.” Darcy’s eyebrows rise. “Before Thanksgiving, then?”

I nod. “I’ll come back to celebrate with you guys, though.” Or at least I hope I will. I’ll make it happen.

“No, don’t,” she says. “It’s going to be exhausting, flying back and forth like that. Why don’t we all celebrate it in L.A.? There’s nothing that says we have to do it here.”

I blink. “Are you sure?” Holidays are a big deal to Darcy. She spends a huge amount of time and effort decorating and cooking. “My place in L.A is most likely going to be small, and the kitchen won’t…”

She pats my hand. “Thanksgiving isn’t just about cooking and eating. It’s about spending time with your loved ones. It’s enough that you’re in the States. Besides, it’d be fun to spend some time in California. Isn’t that right, Ray?”

“Of course. We’ll be delighted to.” His smile says he can deny his wife nothing, that he’s still deeply in love with her after decades of life together.

Suddenly I see with absolute clarity that I’ve wanted what Ray and Darcy have, and that Lucas is never going to be the one to give it to me. Our happy moments have been exactly that—moments. Not something we can build anything permanent on, no matter how much I want it to be different.

“Who’s ready for some waffles?” Ray rubs his hands together. “We gotta celebrate.”

Mia raises both hands and squeals, “Waffos!”

Darcy laughs, and I force a grin. “I’m always up for celebratory waffles.”

Ray goes into the kitchen and wraps an apron around his waist. I hold the child that is both mine and not mine, soaking in her small and squirming warmth. I have awesome people around me. I’m going to be okay.