Part 13 (1/2)
”Why are you here doing this?” I ask, before was.h.i.+ng down the pills.
”Because I care about you.” He sits on the other half of the bed and pulls me closer. My head ends up against his chest, and he gently runs his fingers through my hair over and over. There's something about the way it feels that tears me up inside, and when it hits me, I cry even harder.
”What, Ava?” His touch becomes even more gentle and soothing.
”I miss my mom. She used to do this when I was sad. I miss her so much, Max.”
”I'm sorry,” he whispers as he continues to stroke my head. ”I'm so sorry.”
I continue to cry. When I'm completely exhausted and have depleted my supply of tears, I finally taper off.
”Do you want me to stay here tonight? You should try to sleep.”
Part of me desperately wants him to, remembering how it felt when he spooned me in Malibu after the robbery. But the other part, the girl with the closed heart, knows I need to be alone so I can sort through the emotional aftermath of the night.
”I think I need to be alone.”
”Are you sure?”
I nod. He slowly s.h.i.+fts me off his chest and carefully gets up before peeling back the bedding. ”Come on, get under the covers,” he says and pats the bed.
I scoot over and settle in, watching him as he tucks the covers around me. There's such sadness in his eyes, and I feel even worse knowing that I'm responsible for his melancholy mood. He leans down and kisses my forehead before brus.h.i.+ng his fingertips across my cheek. ”Goodnight, angel. Try to sleep. I'll call you tomorrow to check on you, okay?”
The tears already pool in my eyes. ”Thanks, Max. You really are wonderful, you know.”
He gives me a tender smile and walks quietly out of my room, closing my door behind him. I feel a surge of panic. For this past hour, Max has been my anchor holding me at sh.o.r.e, but now that he's gone, I'm untethered with nothing but the stormy sea in front of me. I curl tightly into my sheets to occupy the smallest possible amount of s.p.a.ce before I hurl myself into the darkness.
I don't resurface for days.
I have the vague sensation of someone moving around my room. Go away, I hiss silently and burrow further into my blankets. The blinds s.h.i.+ft, making the room brighter. No! Darker not brighter. I'm angry with my intruder. When my window opens, the resulting fresh air wakes me up a bit more.
”Ava...Ava, wake up.”
Riley.
”What are you doing?” I groan. ”Leave me alone.”
”Well, actually, I was checking to make sure you're still alive. I've never seen you sleep this late before.”
”What time is it?”
”Two in the afternoon. Are you sick or something?”
”Sick in the head. You can leave now. I'm going to sleep some more.” I roll away from her.
”Ava, you need to get up. Come on. I'm going to make you something to eat.”
”I'm not hungry,” I grumble.
She walks out of the room, but comes back about ten minutes later, carrying a tray with b.u.t.tered toast, a container of yogurt, and a mug of herbal tea.
”Come on, sit up,” she demands.
I do as I'm told and she lays the tray in my lap. Initially, I plan to ignore the spread before me...I have no appet.i.te. But then I realize, the sooner I eat something, the sooner she'll leave me alone. I bite into a corner of the flavorless toast. It could be cardboard for all I care.
”What exactly happened when you guys disappeared last night? I figured from the rush Max was in that it wasn't good,” she asks, digging for details.
”Hmm. I had a nice bonding session with Jonathan's wife.”
”Oh G.o.d, no.”
”Oh yeah. I guess, considering everything, she was quite civil. Well, except for the part where she threatened to ruin my career.”
Riley's expression drops. ”No,” she says with a tight voice.
”Yes, I guess she's had a lot of practice at this. f.u.c.king around outside his marriage is the dirtbag's hobby, so I wasn't the first floozy she's had to straighten out. Actually, what was the word she used? Oh yeah...young innocents...evidently that's the type Jonathan usually goes for.”
”Oh, I'm so sorry, Ava.”
”The humiliation was unbelievable. She knew all about Spago and Santa Barbara. She probably has pictures of us on that patio with my legs wrapped around his face. I just wanted to die. I was so embarra.s.sed and disgusted with myself when she threw it all back in my face.”
”Why would you be disgusted with yourself? It's not your fault he lied. You didn't know he was married.”
”I didn't know he was married...but I should've realized something was wrong. Did I really need attention so badly that I'd offer myself on a silver platter to a wolf? I'm pathetic.”
”Oh, Ava, please don't say that. Don't let him do this to you.” She pauses and then tilts her head. ”So, Max brought you home?”
”Oh, that was just the beginning of the fun. Jonathan paid me a visit while Max was looking for you.”
”What did the b.a.s.t.a.r.d want?”
”He was spewing some c.r.a.p like 'it's not what it seems' and 'you have to understand how I feel about you'...blah, blah, blah. He actually tried to convince me to stay with him while his wife was probably out there bidding on a romantic weekend for them at the auction. I wanted to vomit all over him.”
”No f.u.c.king way.”
”I tried to get away from him, and the a.s.shole grabbed me hard. Max charged in and ripped Jonathan off me, threw him against the wall, and started to choke him. I swear, if I hadn't stopped him, I think Max would've killed him. It was like I was in a bad movie.”
”That's so d.a.m.ned hot.”
”Well, at the time, it was pretty d.a.m.ned frightening. I've never seen such a display of testosterone up close. But as soon as I got Max to focus back on me, he rushed me out of the house and got me home.”
”Max...our hero!”
”He was definitely my hero last night. I don't know what I would've done without him. And he was really sweet trying to take care of me when we got back here. He let me get drunk and rant and cry, and then he rubbed my head.”
”He really cares about you.”