AVA
Blake quickly bent down to retrieve the box, snapping it shut immediately.
He then looked at Ava slowly, as though he were afraid of what expression he might find on her face.
Ava tried to keep her face blank, not wanting to reveal to Blake how horrified she was.
It was clear he wasn't trying to propose, but the fact that he was carrying a ring could only mean one thing to Ava—and one thing only.
He wanted them to get married. Atleast in the near future.
Suddenly, Ava understood why Imogen kept calling her Blake's fiancée and her future daughter-in-law.
She had known about this.
Ava's gaze automatically shifted to the woman, who wasn't too far from them.
Imogen was narrowing her eyes at Ava, as though trying to read her reaction through a drunken fog.
Ava quickly looked away,only to turn toward her parents, who were also watching the scene with curious expressions.
She swallowed, hoping the truth wasn't obvious to the people who knew her better than anyone else in the room.
The truth that she wasn't ready to marry Blake.
Not now.
Maybe not for a very long time.
She still had so much to figure out, Ava thought.
Her career.
Her mental health.
Her whole life.
The life she was currently leading had never seemed bleaker to Ava than it did at that moment.
"Is he proposing?" one of the guests asked, interrupting Ava's thoughts.
"Blake... are you proposing?" Harvey Morgan asked in an uncertain tone, taking a step forward.
Blake immediately licked his lips at the question.
Ava silently begged him to say no.
To tell everyone this had all been a misunderstanding.
That he didn't want to marry her.
"I... I mean... yes," Blake blurted out, making Ava inhale sharply.
"I mean—no... but yes..." he stammered quickly. "What I'm trying to say is... it wasn't supposed to happen today. The ring... it came out by mistake."
He sighed before turning from Harvey to Ava.
His nervous eyes searched hers for some hint of what she was thinking.
Ava held her breath, wondering how she was going to handle this.
She couldn't help wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole so she wouldn't have to be in such an impossible situation.
On one hand, she knew with absolute certainty that she didn't want to marry Blake.
At least not now.
On the other hand, she loved and cared about him and didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"Ava..." Blake began softly, looking at her hopefully.
This was really happening, Ava thought, panic rising inside her.
He was really going to propose.
Shit.
Blake opened his mouth to speak again.
But before he could...
A loud thud echoed through the room.
Ava whipped her head around, grateful for the excuse.
Blake followed, his dark eyes widening at what he saw.
Imogen Cooper was sprawled across the floor, groaning from the impact of her fall.
Ava blinked in shock.
"Mom!" Blake cried, rushing over to her in long strides.
Ava instinctively followed.
"Imogen!" Audrey exclaimed, dropping to her knees beside her friend despite her heels and evening gown. "What's happening?"
Imogen Cooper's eyes were unfocused, as though she were struggling to concentrate.
"Please move back, Mrs. Morgan," Blake said as he reached the two women, slipping the small velvet box back into his pocket.
Ava immediately saw that he had switched into doctor mode.
She quickly went to her mother, who seemed unable to tear her eyes away from Imogen, let alone move.
"Give Blake some space so he can examine her, Mom," Ava said, placing a reassuring hand on Audrey's shoulder.
"But—"
"He's the doctor here, remember?" Ava reminded her gently as she helped her to her feet. "Let him handle this."
Audrey couldn't argue with that logic.
She simply stepped back, giving Blake the room he needed to do his job.
"Mom?" Blake said, kneeling beside her. "Can you hear me?"
"Blakey," Imogen replied.
Blake let out a sigh of relief, apparently taking that as a yes.
"Okay, good." He let out a small breath. "Can you look at me?"
She slowly opened her eyes.
Blake gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, checking for any swelling or blood where she'd hit the floor.
"Did you hit your head?"
Imogen frowned.
"I... don't think so."
"Are you dizzy?"
"A little."
Blake gently lifted one of her eyelids, checking her pupils before looking back at her.
"Does it hurt anywhere?"
"No," Imogen mumbled, waving a lazy hand. "I'm perfectly fi—"
She hiccupped.
"—fine."
Blake sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Mom, how many drinks have you had tonight?"
Imogen frowned thoughtfully.
"Two..."
She paused.
"...or five.I don't really remember."
Blake closed his eyes for a second before looking at everyone else.
"False alarm," he said with an embarrassed smile. "My mothers just inebriated."
A collective sigh of relief spread through the room.
"I'm not drunk," Imogen protested. "The floor just keeps tilting for no reason."
Blake deadpanned.
"Sure, Mom."
He then slipped an arm around his mother's shoulders before carefully lifting her into his arms.
"I'd better get her home," he said to the group. "She definitely can't drive herself in this condition."
"What about Ava?" Audrey asked worriedly. "Didn't you two come together?"
At that, Blake and Ava finally exchanged an awkward glance.
"I'll just call a taxi," Ava said quickly. "My apartment isn't on their way anyway."
"No, Ava," Harvey cut in vehemently. "You're not taking a taxi this late at night. I'll drive you home."
Ava gave a small shrug.
"Sure, Dad."
"Well, since that's settled..." Blake shifted Imogen slightly in his arms. "I guess this is goodnight."
His eyes found Ava's hesitantly.
"Talk later?"
Ava searched his face, and what she found made her want to swallow.
The familiar look of quiet devotion she'd grown used to wasn't there anymore.
Instead, he looked at her with an uncertain expression.
She knew that, just like her, he was still thinking about the accidental appearance of the ring five minutes earlier.
Ava bit the inside of her lip.
"We will," she said softly. "And call me if you need anything."
The simple words took more effort than Ava wanted to admit, despite meaning every one of them.
Blake gave her a small nod.
"Sure."
Before leaving, he turned to Audrey and Harvey.
"I am so sorry about my mom, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. I'm sure you know she didn't mean to cause a commotion."
Audrey quickly dismissed the apology with an easy wave.
"It's fine," she said. "As long as Imogen's okay. Besides, she planned an entire weekend getaway to New York for Harvey and me. I'm definitely not going to hold this little situation against her."
Blake smiled dutifully at her joke, but the reaction never came close to reaching his eyes.
With one last goodbye, he carried Imogen out, promising to text Audrey if anything changed.
As he walked toward the exit, Ava could have sworn she caught Imogen looking at her.
Not the vacant stare of someone who was barely conscious.
A focused one.
She dismissed the thought as quickly as it came.
After all, the woman could barely stand.
I'm imagining things, she told herself.
At least, that's what she believed until her mother chuckled beside.
"Looks like Imogen's becoming a lightweight," she teased, turning to Harvey. "She usually handles her liquor much better than that."
Ava pressed her lips together at the tidbit of information.
Her mind immediately drifted back to the exact moment after Blake picked up the ring.
To the look that had flashed across Imogen's face.
It had been slightly calculating.
Slightly wary.
An uncomfortable thought settled into Ava's mind.
What if Imogen hadn't collapsed because she was drunk?
What if she'd done it on purpose...
Because she believed Ava was about to break her son's heart?
******
After Blake and his mother left, the rest of the party passed in a blur for Ava.
She slipped away to a secluded corner of the room, settling into an empty chair with a fresh glass of champagne in hand.
Ava sipped from it as she ruminated over the night's events.
She couldn't believe Blake wanted to marry her.
Sure, they'd known each other for a year. They'd grown close, leaned on each other, and learned to love one another. But marriage?
That was a whole different thing for Ava.
After all, they had never seriously talked about it.
Their relationship had always been about the present—the here and now.
And that had suited Ava just fine. She had thought it was the same for Blake, too.
But clearly, she'd been wrong, Ava thought bitterly.
She took another sip of champagne, wishing with all her heart that he had spoken to her before buying an actual ring.
It would have spared them both this mess.
Because now she would have to reject him. And then break up with him.
Blake clearly wanted more out the relationship, more than Ava felt capable of giving.
Tears welled in Ava's eyes at the thought of doing that to Blake.
But she knew that, no matter how deeply she loved and cared about him, she wasn't getting married.
At least not now.
Probably not for a long time.
Ava emptied the rest of her champagne in one long swallow, feeling more emotional than she had in years.
Her lips trembled as she remembered the last time she'd felt this way.
Ava quickly shook her head, trying to rid herself of the images of Maxim that had sprung into her mind like weeds in a field.
A gentle hand settled on her shoulder, making her go still.
She turned to find Audrey standing beside her. Ava looked up at her curiously.
Her mother gently told her that her dad was ready to take her home. It was time to go.
Only then did Ava realize the party was winding down. Guests were gathering their belongings, saying their goodbyes, and slowly making their way toward the door.
She gave her mother a silent nod.
Audrey studied her daughter for a long moment.
"You look stressed, sweetheart," she said gently. "This is about you and Blake, isn't it?"
Ava set her empty champagne glass on the table with deliberate care, keeping her eyes fixed on it instead of her mother.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said in a small voice.
Her mother looked at her pityingly.
"Sweetie—"
"Please, Mom," Ava said, finally looking up at her.
Audrey sighed quietly.
She knew that tone.
Whenever Ava dug her heels in like this, there was only one person who stood a chance of getting through to her.
Almost as if summoned by the thought, Harvey Morgan appeared beside them.
He exchanged a meaningful glance with Audrey—one they probably assumed Ava hadn't noticed.
She had.
"Let's go, Little One," Harvey said, forcing a brightness into his voice.
Ava didn't answer.
She simply rose from her chair, leaned over, and pressed a lingering kiss to her mother's cheek before walking toward the door.
Behind her, Audrey and Harvey shared one last worried look.
Neither of them said a word.
They both knew Harvey was in for a long drive with Ava.
*****
Ava stared out of the car window as her dad drove his Ford through the city.
It wasn't because she was admiring the beautiful lights illuminating the streets.
She simply didn't want her father to talk to her.
And so far, it seemed to be working.
Harvey hadn't said a word since they left the party.
If Ava hadn't been so consumed by her own thoughts, she might have found his silence suspicious.
Fifteen minutes after they left the party, the car came to a smooth stop.
"We're here," her father announced, quite unnecessarily.
Ava finally turned to look at him, but only because she had to.
"Thanks for bringing me home, Dad," she said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "I'll text you and Mom tomorrow."
She reached for the car door handle.
"Oh, no, you don't, Little One," Harvey said.
Before Ava could react, her father locked the doors.
"I need to talk to you."
Ava froze at his words, silently cursing.
Deep down, she had known her father's silence had been too good to be true.
Quickly, Ava turned back to her father, who was looking at her with the stubborn expression she knew all too well.
"Dad, please," she pleaded. "Just let me go home and get some sleep."
"I will," Harvey agreed. "After we talk."
Ava let out a frustrated sigh before crossing her arms over her chest defensively.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Let's get this over with."
Her father nodded.
"Glad to hear you say that." He paused. "Question. Do you want to marry Blake?"
Ava sucked in an audible breath.
Then her arms slowly dropped to her sides.
She hadn't expected her father to be so direct.
Then again, she supposed her behavior tonight warranted it.
Ava didn't answer the question, simply looking away.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the courage to crush the dream her father had spoken about earlier that evening—the dream where, twenty years from now, she and Blake would be happily married. Maybe with a child of their own.
Ironically, Ava's silence turned out to be all the answer Harvey needed.
He sighed.
"Why not, Little One?" he asked softly. "Blake is a good man. He's the perfect man for you."
Ava felt tears gather in her eyes again, her throat tightening painfully.
Not trusting herself to speak, she simply shook her head.
"I'm not ready, Dad," she finally whispered.
"When will you be?"
"I don't know!" she said, her voice rising with emotion.
For a moment, the car fell completely silent.
Then Harvey spoke, his voice deliberately slow.
"It's been five years, Ava."
She went still, instantly knowing what he was talking about—who he was talking about.
"Five years. You should have moved on from that scoundrel by now."
Her father's voice carried a hint of frustration and hatred.
Ava turned toward him immediately.
Her first instinct was to deny everything.
To tell him he was wrong.
That this definitely wasn't about Maxim.
This was about her wanting to work on her career first or her being too young for marriage.
But her father knew her too well, Ava realized.
She looked up, letting out a shaky breath.
"I'm trying," she said. "I'm trying so hard, but it's not working."
Harvey shook his head.
"Then you need to try harder, Little One."
Ava let out a sudden laugh, but there was no humor in it.
"You say that like it's easy, Dad."
"It should be after what he did to you, Ava," Harvey retorted in a hard tone.
Ava swallowed at his words.
She knew her dad only stopped using her nickname when he meant business.
She also knew he was right.
It should be easy to forget Maxim.
But if Ava had learned anything over the years, it was that just because something should be didn't mean it was.
And knowing something was true with your mind didn't mean your heart automatically accepted it.
"Unlock the door, Dad," Ava said. "I really want to get some sleep."
This time, she thought, it seemed her father just didn't understand her.
He couldn't help her either.
Harvey looked at his daughter for a long moment, concern filling his eyes, before quietly nodding.
"Sure, Little One."
He unlocked the doors.
"But just try to remember what I said."
Ava didn't respond.
She barely paused as she opened the door and stepped onto the cold pavement.
She didn't bother waving at her father before making her way toward her apartment building.
The night air was freezing, but Ava didn't mind much.
The cold distracted her from the storm of emotions inside her.
Once inside the building, Ava climbed the stairs, thinking about what she could do once she got inside.
Unlike what she had told her dad about wanting to sleep, Ava wanted to take a different approach to taking her mind off the exhausting night she had gone through.
She would deal with everything tomorrow.
Or whenever she was ready.
Tonight, she just wanted a break from the emotional roller coaster ride that had become her life.
It was obviously too late to paint, she thought as she unlocked her door.
Maybe she'd read instead.
It had been a while since she'd allowed herself to get lost in a good story.
Ava stepped inside her apartment and softly closed the door behind her.
She was about to move farther inside when a strange feeling washed over her.
The same feeling she'd experienced earlier at her parents' party.
The feeling that someone was watching her.
Ava froze.
Could it be possible that someone inside her apartment? she wondered nervously.
Normally, that thought would have seemed ridiculous to Ava.
Her apartment was the safest place in the world for her.
But after the night she'd had...
She didn't trust anything anymore.
Her breathing became uneven as she slowly reached behind her with her left hand and switched on the light.
The apartment immediately filled with warmth.
As Ava looked around, she saw nothing unusual.
Everything was exactly as she'd left it.
More importantly, no one else was there.
A small, relieved smile touched Ava's lips.
Of course no one had broken into her apartment, she thought.
Shit, she was definitely going cra—
"Hello, my love," a familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind her.
Ava's smile froze in place.
"How was the anniversary party?"