“Ave.” Kaci said quietly as she pushed hair out of sleeping Ava’s face.
“Ava.” She said again lightly shaking her, “Ava, babe, you need to get up. It’s ten o’clock.”
Kaci could tell by Ava’s mascara stricken face that maybe things didn’t go so well last night. Right as Kaci was about to shake Ava awake again her eyes drifted open.
“Good morning beautiful.” Kaci said trying to place a smile on her face, “What are you doing out here?”
Ava looked around like she was trying to answer that for herself but then flashbacks of the night before came back to her mind and she simply laid her head back down and placed an arm over her eyes, “I guess it’s where I fell asleep.”
“You don’t look so good. What happened?”
“Well for starters Mr. Wonderful and I aren’t going to be seeing each other again.”
Kaci sighed, “What this time? Did he have a hair out of place or something? I’m beginning to think that you just look for things to be wrong in all these guys.”
“I don’t want to hear it Kaci. It’s kind of hard to see yourself going further with a guy who was trying to cop a feel all night and then to add to that you couldn’t concentrate on the guy in front of you because your mind was on another one.” Ava said with an attitude. She sat up and shoved herself off the couch and made her way into the kitchen. She looked down and realized she was still in her dress from the night before and rolled her eyes. With the way her night went last night all she wanted was to burn the thing. She threw open the fridge and grabbed the carton of Orange Juice to take a swig and when she realized it was empty she threw it up against the wall.
“Why do you insist on putting an empty carton back in the fridge? Is it so much to take the extra step and put it in the trash?” Ava asked as soon as Kaci entered in the kitchen.
“Whoa, chill, you think you can dial the ‘tude down a notch?” Kaci said. “The empty carton didn’t do anything to you.”
Ava set down on an unoccupied stool and laid her head down on the counter. Kaci sat on the stool next to Ava and placed an arm across her back for comfort, “Wanna talk about what happened last night?”
Ava lifted her head up and wiped tears off her cheeks and rubbed her hands across her face before she finally spoke, “It was the same. The date was fine except my head wasn’t fully there you know what I mean? It was like I was somewhere else all night long. All I could think about…” Ava drifted off and shook her head. The only person that knew of her feelings for Justin was her brother.
“All you could think about was what?”
Ava sighed and then looked at Kaci, “Justin.”
Kaci blinked once and her mouth fell open, “Are you serious?”
“Yeah.” Ava said as she put her head back on the counter.
“Ava that’s awesome. I’ve always known all along that you liked him more than you said you did. You guys would make such a great couple.”
Ava’s voice was muffled by her talking against the counter, “Not anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I came back from the date last night I found him asleep on the couch. From the time I woke him up he was hostile, but I just chalked it off as him just waking up.” Ava said as she raised her head off the counter and pushed the hair out of her eyes. “But boy was I wrong. He was seriously mad at me and for what I don’t know. He started making all these rude comments, and insinuating things that he had no business insinuating in the first place. In so many ways he practically accused me of having sex with the guy.”
“He did what?”
“Yeah, he was sitting there interrogating me like he was my father or something. He didn’t even give me a chance to talk about my date he just assumed that it was all sunshine and roses.”
“Well while I was here he seemed…off. Like he was fine until I mentioned you were out on a date. And I don’t think I helped matters none when I told him how I thought he was perfect for you and how he had all the qualities that you had been looking for in a guy.”
Ava rolled her eyes and shrugged, “He really pissed me off. He made me cry, Kace.”
Kaci fought back the urge to laugh at the whine that came out with her last statement, “You know if my gut tells me right, and it usually does, I think Mr. Timberlake is, well, um…Lovestoned.”
Ava almost laughed at her use of Justin’s song, “No, I really don’t think so. He hasn’t even let on that he likes me. Plus, he’s a widower and a father. The last thing on his mind right now is dating someone. He’s told me so.”
“What else would explain the way he was acting?”
“I don’t know. But I really don’t think he likes me.”
“Whatever.” Kaci said rolling her eyes, “You don’t observe like Trace and I do. You didn’t even have to tell me that you liked Justin. Trace and I figured it out months ago.”
“Whatever.” Ava said as she stood. “I’m taking a shower.” She said as she walked toward her bedroom.
“Hi Daddy!” Olivia squealed as he made his way down the stairs. Justin had never slept past eight o’clock after becoming a father. And today was the first time he had done it in a long time. When he opened his eyes to finally get up he looked at his alarm clock and was shocked to see it read twelve o’clock.
“Hey baby.” He said groggily. “Did Uncle Trace make you breakfast?”
“We went to Donalds. We bring you back somedin.”
“You did?” Justin said as he bent down and scooped the little girl up onto his hip, “What did you bring me?” He asked as they walked further into the kitchen. He found Trace sitting at the counter reading a magazine and drinking some coffee.
“Bickit.” Olivia said. Justin smiled at his daughter’s pronunciation of biscuit.
“That sounds delicious.” Justin said as he placed her on a stool next to Trace and dug through the bag on the counter.
“It is. Me had one.” Olivia said as she turned her attention to the other man sitting at the counter, “What we do today Uncle Trace?”
“I don’t know what do you want to do?”
“I no know what you do?”
Trace smiled, “I don’t know what you want to do?”
“I no know what you do?”
“I don’t know what do you want to do?”
“Uncle Trace! Dop!”
“Stop what? I’m just asking you a question.”
“Me ask you first!” Olivia said getting a serious look on her face.
“Ok, I’m sorry. How about…we build a fort?” Trace said getting excited.
“What fort?” Olivia asked curiously
“Never mind. How about we…” Before Trace had a chance to finish Olivia cut him off.
“We go see Ava!” She said bouncing up and down in the chair.
Hearing Ava’s name made Justin think about what happened last night and he tried to get Olivia’s mind off of Ava for the moment, “What about the Zoo? You haven’t been to the Zoo in a while. I think they got new animals.”
“Ava go wif?”
Justin swallowed hard. Well so much for getting her mind off Ava. “I don’t know baby. I think Ava’s mad at Daddy.”
“Why? What you do Daddy?”
“Umm, well, Daddy said something he shouldn’t have. And I haven’t had a chance to apologize.”
Trace sensed there was a conversation that needed to be had between he and Justin so he sat Olivia down on the ground, “Why don’t you go play in the living room Munchkin.”
“Why?”
“Daddy and Uncle Trace need to talk. And when we’re through we can go to the park and play, how’s that sound?”
“Go to Donalds too?”
“Yes we’ll go to McDonalds.” Trace said smiling.
“Tay!” Ava said smiling really big as she ran off to play in the living room.
“What do you mean Ava’s mad at you?”
Justin rolled his eyes. He still couldn’t believe he said half of what he said last night. It made him sick just thinking about it. “When I went too see her last night she was out on a date. Which was weird for me because she never mentioned it or that she had an interest in anyone. So I went over there and Kaci filled me in. She was talking about how this guy was like her soul mate, and how she really thinks that this date was going to be different than the other ones.”
“And you got jealous right?”
Justin got a confused look on his face, “What?”
“You got jealous because she was out on a date with someone other than you. Am I right?”
“Well, I…yeah, I did.” Justin said. That was the first time he had ever admitted it out loud. For weeks he had gone over and over in his head his feelings for Ava. And now they were finally out in the open. “How’d you know?”
“I knew you had a thing for her. You just confirmed it for me.”
“How’d you know that?”
“I’m your best friend, Justin. I’ve known you forever. I think I can pretty much tell when you like a girl.”
“Was I that obvious?”
“To me you were. But that’s only because I’ve known you for so long.”
“Well, anyway, I fell asleep on her couch. She woke me up when she got there and I said some things that I really shouldn’t have said. I pretty much accused her of having sex with the guy. I know that’s how she took it. I knew she wouldn’t do that, but you know how I get when I get jealous. I think the worst of every thing. And I really overreacted.”
“You actually accused her of that?”
Justin hung his head, “Yeah.”
“What did she say?”
“She cried, and yelled at me, and then she told me to leave. This just pissed me off even more. So I stormed out of there. I was so jealous I couldn’t see straight, I was angry, and I was scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“I was scared of my feelings for her. That was the reason I kept popping my mouth off. After Melanie died I never expected to feel this way about a girl ever again. And I didn’t want too. But after meeting Ava it was kind of hard not to want to feel that way again especially if she was the girl I was to have feelings for. I mean who wouldn’t want to feel that way about Ava? She’s funny, smart, beautiful, and she loves my daughter. That alone is worth me giving it a go with her.”
“So why not?”
“Trace it’s only been three years since I lost Melanie. I loved her so much. So much that I felt like a part of me died with her. When I married her I married her with the intention of her being it for me for the rest of my life. In my mind I’m still married and I feel like even having feelings for Ava is betraying Melanie.”
“Have you ever looked at it from a different spectrum?” Trace asked.
“What do you mean? How else is there to see it?”
“Look at it this way. There’s no doubt in my mind that you loved Melanie, and that God sent her to you because she was what you needed at that time.” Trace said. “Or maybe you were HER soul mate, and your’s is still out there somewhere.”
“I don’t know. You make sense, but do you know how hard it is to wrap my head around that? She was it Trace.”
“I don’t know how to make you see it the way I do. I can’t even begin to understand what is you're going through on a day to day basis. And I know it can’t be easy. But don’t rule out love completely. Not yet at least.”
“I don’t want too. I’ve been going over it over and over in my mind and I’m starting to come around to the fact that I could possibly love again.” Justin said.
“Good. So are you going to tell Ava how you feel?”
Justin shrugged, “It’s the only way I can get her to understand why I said what I did.”
“Good. Well, I think me and the kid are gonna go the park. You need anything while we’re out?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Alright. We’ll be back in an hour.” Trace said as he entered the hallway leading to the living room.
Justin smiled at his child’s excitement of going to the park with her Uncle, and listened as they exited the house.
He finished up his biscuit and glanced at the magazine Trace was reading when he decided he should probably go get dressed and shower.
Once his shower was over it was already one o’clock and as he was making his way down the stairs dressed in a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt he heard his doorbell ring.
He picked up his pace down the stairs and yelled out, “Coming!”
Not expecting company he peeked through the peep hole and saw Ava standing there. He breathed in deep before he opened the door, “Hey.” He said solemnly.
“Hey. I think we need to talk.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right. Come on in.” Justin said moving back so she could enter.
He didn’t even have the door closed all the way before he was met with her cold attitude, “Care to explain your little episode last night?” She asked as he turned around and was face to face with an angry Ava. He had never seen her angry before.
She had her arms crossed over her chest and one hip was cocked to the side. And she looked…well…she looked sexy.
He cleared his throat, “I, um, actually yes I do.”
“Well…I’m waiting.”
“What do you say we take this in the living room?”
“Sure, if that makes you more comfortable.” Ava said following him into his living room. He motioned for her to sit on the couch first before he sat himself.
Obviously a more comfortable setting didn’t ease her attitude. She still looked pissed.
“There was no excuse for the way I reacted last night. I was completely, COMPLETELY, out of line. And you didn’t deserve that. But to be honest with you I was jealous.”
“Jealous? Are you serious? I’ve seen jealousy before and I’ve never seen some react to it the way you did last night. It was completely uncalled for, and you said a lot of things that really hurt.”
“I know that. I do, and I know that you would never do those things that I accused you of. I know you better than that. But I was jealous, scared, and angry all rolled into one last night. And when I get like that I think the worst of everything.”
“You were scared? Scared of what?” Ava asked. She was beginning to slowly let her guard down.
Justin swallowed hard before he answered her last question, “I was scared of my feelings for you.”
Ava blinked hard but continued to listen, “I’ve liked you for quite a while now but I just couldn’t own up to it. I honestly didn’t know how to deal with these feelings so I kept pushing them aside and pushing them aside until I just couldn’t anymore. And I felt threatened by this guy. Kaci made him out to be everything that you were looking for, and so I immediately thought the worst and thought you’d fall in love with this guy in no time and where would that leave me?”
Shocked at his confession she was at a loss for words. Until she remembered what she came over here for…to let him know exactly how she felt. And his declaration of like wasn’t going to change that. It didn’t change the fact that what he said cut to the core. She wasn’t going to let his declaration blind her eyes to what happened last night and just let everything be forgotten. Some things can’t just be fixed with an 'I’m sorry' and then expect things to go right back to normal. Life just didn’t work that way.
Plus she couldn’t stand it when a man made her cry. And damn it! He made her cry.
“Do you expect me to just forgive you with that confession?” Ava asked.
Justin just looked at her, “No.” He said a little angry.
“Good because I’m not.”
“I don’t get you. I just sat here and poured my heart out to you about how I felt about you. And what do I get? Nothing!”
“Yeah that’s right. Because you made me mad Justin. I mean really mad.”
“I know this! And for that I’m sorry.”
“You were the whole reason I couldn’t even enjoy myself last night. And then I come home and you were the whole reason why I couldn’t relax. You just plain and simple made my night hell last night and I want you to know that.”
“How was I the cause of ruining your date?”
Toning her attitude down a notch and bringing her voice down about ten octaves she said, “Because all I thought about the whole time was you. About how I would much rather be hanging out with you or being anywhere but where I was with him. And he wasn’t that bad of a guy. He was actually a whole lot better than the other losers Kaci set me up with. Well, except for the fact that he continuously tried to cop a feel but I could let that slide. And I tried to let myself like him I really did. But he just wasn’t you.”
And if she hadn’t ever wanted to crawl under a rock before…she really wanted to now. She had to admit it was a lot easier admitting she liked him after he admitted he like her first. But there was still some embarrassment left there.
“I guess all I wanted was to let you know I was mad at you. And now that you know…well I guess I can let it go. Are we still friends?” She asked.
“Do you still want to be friends?”
She was completely shocked by his question. Of course she still wanted to be friends. She wasn’t going to let a moment of weakness change that, “Of course I do.”
Finally realizing how his question sounded he quickly corrected himself, “No, no, that’s not what I meant. I mean since we’ve both pretty much confessed we like each other would you feel more comfortable remaining friends or acting on these feelings?”
Ava was at a complete loss for words. Yes! She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream it so loudly, but she knew that it wasn’t her decision. He was the one that knew rather he was ready or not and he was the one that had a lot to lose. “I, I don’t know. What about you?”
Not saying anything Justin scooted closer to her.
And if Ava didn’t have her answer before she surely had it now as Justin placed his lips on hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss by pushing his head closer to her own with the hand that rested at the base of his neck.
It had been so long since Justin had kissed someone. I mean really kissed someone. He was finally beginning to see what Trace was talking about. Just because he had feelings for another woman doesn’t change the way he felt about his wife. And he knew that Melanie would want him to move on. And for once in three years, he actually felt ready.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Now that this one is out...I am off to bed! I hope you enjoy! If there are any mistakes I apologize before hand. I wrote this in half awake stupor! LOL. Enjoy!
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