*Liam*I am ready to take this farmhouse down board by board. I consider throwing my phone at the wall, letting the image Mark sent me shatter with it, then hole up here for the rest of Ava and my natural lives.But that wouldn’t be fair to Ava.“What’s going on, Liam?” Ava asks, correctly reading my expression. I hate that I have to tell her this, I know how much this is going to hurt her.I sigh and bring the phone over to her, surprised the screen hasn’t cracked with how hard I’m holding it in my hand.Pulling my chair over to be side-by-side with Ava’s, I reveal the screen that had been hiding against my palm.Mark had sent me a screenshot of a text he received from James Kincaid. And it was blackmail.On Ava and me.Ava gasps and takes the phone from me, gripping it in shaking hands.A photo of me escorting Ava into my Lamborghini sits insidiously on the screen. The smile she’s giving me is not a ‘daughter’s best friend’ smile. And the smile I’m giving her is far
*Ava*When I get home, the apartment is empty, which is a godsend because I just can’t talk to anyone right now. Especially Emma.But just in case she should return, I hurry with my bag to my bedroom and close the door. I proceed to throw myself down on my bed and cry.There really is no help for it.I can’t imagine breaking up with Lucas, but I can see the consequences of our relationship unfolding before my eyes. Emma and my father will likely be furious. Maybe Emma will kick me out. Maybe my dad will stop accepting legal help. Maybe they’ll both stop speaking to me altogether.Then there’s the question of people thinking I fucked my way to the top of the food chain. I’ve worked hard and held down a job while going to school full-time. I’ve paid for my own tuition, knowing Dad wouldn’t have the money for it. When I was young, our financial situation was pretty rocky. Dad worked his way through that, but that doesn’t mean he had a lot left in the bank after saving his busine
*Liam*I button my charcoal, pinstripe vest and look in the mirror to tie my tie. If I was going into battle with James, I was going to make sure my armor was perfect.I shrug on my suit coat last and make my way to the elevator, taking it down from the penthouse to the garage. My town car and Lamborghini sit side-by-side. I choose the Lamborghini. It’s the one from the picture after all. If James can pull power moves, so can I.James, the cocky bastard, chose his own shitty restaurant for the meet. I think bitingly about accusing him of giving people salmonella poisoning, but that isn’t really fair to Chef Jaime, even though the creative Mexican fusion food did suck ass. Tastes like it, too.Maybe I’d just get the most expensive shot of tequila they had to throw in James’ face.I pull out smoothly into traffic and, sooner than I want to be, I’m at Dos Jaimes. I park my car – James wants to think his restaurant is high-end, but he doesn’t even have a valet. For a few momen
*Ava*“Do you love me?”Liam’s words cause my breath to catch. If I’d been driving, we would have swerved right off the road.“You’re asking that NOW?!” I cry.“Now’s the time,” Liam says. “And I really need an answer. Do you love me?”I shift in my seat. “That’s not the point.”“That’s exactly the point,” Liam replies firmly.“Liam, I do love you, but…” I begin.“Good,” Liam interrupts me. “I love you, too.”The expression on Liam’s face echoes the feeling in my heart. I can see that he was hoping for me to say that. My chest swells. My eyes mist.Liam looks as though I’ve made his life. Which is good, because he’s just made mine.“Now I can tell you how things went with James,” Liam says, his smile fading a bit.“You said it didn’t go well,” I remind him.“It went about as poorly as you’d expect. Maybe worse, actually. I ended up punching him,” Liam begins.“I’m sure he deserved it,” I say loyally.Liam chuckles. “He really did. He told me if I didn’t dr
*Ava*I’m starting to think I should have let Liam stay the night. At least then he would have been around to bolster my confidence about my interview today.As it is, I’m trying not to cry. It will ruin my make-up.Emma never came home last night. I’m worried about her and I feel guilty about the whole situation. I keep trying to think of how we could have navigated this better with her, and I come up blank every time.At least my blouse is perfect. And my shoes. And my jewelry. And my skirt. And my … I straighten my jacket. Now that’s perfect as well.I’m about to head out the door when my phone rings. Thinking it’s probably Liam wishing me luck, I answer without looking at the caller ID.It was a mistake.“Hey, beautiful. Answering on the first ring. I must rate higher than I thought with you,” James says once the line connects.My lips turn down in a grimace. “Fuck off, James. Lose my number.” I pull the phone away from my ear and move my thumb over the red “End” bu
*Ava*I stop short so suddenly that I think I’ll fall over. I wasn’t expecting the site in front of me: Emma, sitting on the couch, waiting for me. I’ve had so many emotions going through my mind from the last few days that I can’t even focus on a single one as I see my best friend. My first thought is that I’m shocked, but then it turns to happiness. Then confusion.Then, fear.A deep-seated, dark cloud forms over my head, creeping in on me.“Oh my God, Emma,” I finally find myself saying. But I don’t get a chance to say anything more. She holds up her hand, cutting me off before I’ve even thought of the next words to say to her. “No. It’s my turn to talk. You and my dad had your time, and now it’s mine. Now, please sit down so I can say my piece.”I don’t argue or hesitate with her. I immediately sit down on the loveseat across from Emma, obedient as ever. We face each other head-on, and I try to look as though I’m not about to burst from inside to outside. Her eyes a
*Ava*A few days after making up with Emma, the picture is finally leaked. Since Emma knows about the relationship, I do my best to ignore it. It doesn’t seem to have the effect that James had been going for, and for that I’m grateful. James has no leverage over us anymore, and I think that’s the best-case scenario. I go about my business, choosing to push James, the picture, and all this drama out of my head. It doesn’t matter anymore. The people in my life know about the relationship and that’s all that I care about.I’m supposed to be graduating in a few days, but because of the charges in Chicago, Dad can’t come. When we speak on the phone, he tells me to go, enjoy the walk, and show everyone that the Williams family is strong.“But I don’t want that memory to exclude you,” I admit. “You can take pictures in Chicago with me,” he tries. I notice he doesn’t include any information about the charges. He doesn’t specify that we can take the pictures soon, or even later. But
*Liam* After listening to Ava’s anxieties the night before, I’ve decided I’ll be handling the Noah situation myself. He wants to cause agony and dread? Well, two can certainly play this game. I don’t tell Ava what I’m doing, though, so as not to throw her off. In turn, that will keep Noah from discovering I’m on the case, ready to catch him in the act.The next day, I make sure to keep myself out of sight, parked near the apartment. I want proof that the revolting bastard is doing this. I’ll watch him. And I’ll make sure this completely ends once and for all.I follow Ava, noticing that Noah follows her through her day. He follows her when she goes to get her breakfast and lunch, going to a small convenience store near her apartment. Then it’s to the coffee shop across from her job, where she misses him standing a few people behind her in line. I know she’s looking for him, but I don’t know if she knows he is always nearby.After that, she goes to work, where he sits in the