Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
That wasn’t sex. That was… I don’t even know, but I want to do it again. Pulling out of her, I roll to the side. She’s quiet, too quiet and as the lustful haze fades from my mind, I’m reminded that we have unfinished business from the night before to talk about. I meant to discuss it as soon as she woke up, but never got the chance, my cock having other ideas.
“Last night you said… you saw them. Who is them?”
Ava sits up, grabbing the sheet from the edge of the bed to cover up. “You know what I meant.” She fiddles with the edge of the sheet and I can tell she’s already uncomfortable with the conversation. That’s too bad.
“Actually, I have no idea what you meant by them. You’re talking in riddles and I don’t have the patience to read between the lines. So spit it out already.”
Her eyes flicker to mine, and she stares at me as if I’m a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit in its spot on the puzzle. My pulse races, anticipation of the unknown building. Nodding my head, I encourage her to keep going.
Thick brows draw together and her mouth pops open. “My mom. Your dad. I walked in on them fucking. You know that, right?”
The way she says it, so nonchalantly, like it’s actually true…I don’t know why but it’s almost like her tone of voice affects me more than the words she’s said. Opening my mouth, I plan to say something, anything but suddenly my tongue weighs ten tons and the words, they get lodged in my throat, clogged by an all too familiar anger.
Instead I gawk at her, waiting for her to tell me that she is kidding, lying, but all she does is look back, her expression wide-eyed, and on the cusp of shock. My heart sinks into my stomach, and my hands grow clammy.
“You know that, right?” she repeats, but I still can’t answer. This doesn’t make sense, why would my dad…no…this can’t be true.
She’s lying. My dad wouldn’t have cheated on my mom. He loves, or at least loved her back then and you don’t hurt people you love. Squeezing my eyes shut, I will the thoughts away. Lies, it’s all lies. It has to be. I can’t believe Ava, she’s a vile manipulator, she told my father that I threatened her, that I was using her to steal jewelry. My eyes open a second later and it must dawn on her that I don’t have a fucking clue as to what she’s talking about. When I don’t respond, she starts to explain the more.
“How did you not know about this? Why do you think my dad took me and my mom and left the state the next day?”
Ava asks, tears well in her eyes, but I can’t react. I feel… I feel fooled, broken, like I’ve fucked up and there is nothing that can make it better and I guess there isn’t.
“I didn’t lie to you, Vance. My mother and your father were having an affair. I told my father, even though my mother begged me not to, even though your father told me what I saw was wrong. I was young but not dumb. They were having sex. They were the reason my parents’ marriage fell apart. You can’t fix something that’s beyond repair, my father thought otherwise, and look at him now. He’s in rehab, while my mother sails the Seven Seas remarried and with the man she cheated on him with.”
“I…” What do I even say to that? All this time, I believed that my mother and father’s marriage had ended because of the financial strain of moving and my father losing his job. I placed all that blame on Ava, calling her a liar, lashing out at her, because I thought she caused all the problems.
But she didn’t… he lied. The man I looked up to my whole life lied to me. I open my mouth again to say something else, but the words never make it past my lips. The sound of the front door opening echoes through the house, followed by voices that I know all too well.
“Vance, Ava. Surprise, we are back from our honeymoon!” My father’s voice meets my ears and when I look to Ava, I see the horror of what she’s told me reflecting back at me.
“You… you really didn’t know?” she whispers.
“No...no I didn’t,” I croak.
Chapter Thirteen
Ava
Vance pulls on his boxers, grabs his pants, and races from the bedroom.
He didn’t know. Oh my God, he didn’t know. I can’t comprehend it. I can’t believe it. All this time I thought he knew… but there’s no way, the look in his eyes, the anger and sadness. I knew as soon as I saw it, he didn’t know.