Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream #2) (21 page)

“Yeah, date. The one I paid thirty grand for.” Jake grinned, still obviously impressed with his own sneakiness.

Pulling herself together, Ava sat up straight and looked Jake directly in the eye. “Well, I think you were robbed.”

“Bullshit!” Jake said, louder than he’d intended. A few nearby workers gave him dirty looks, which he shrugged off without a care.

“No, Jake, you were. I’m not going,” Ava declared adamantly.

“You’re going even if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming,” Jake promised.

“What’s it to you, anyway?” Ava challenged.

Huffing loudly, Jake couldn’t help but soften. Ava knew as much as he tried to play the tough guy, the truth was Jake was a marshmallow. “I know you want to go and I know Tyler wants you there. So I don’t see an issue.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“Then tell me…why won’t you go?”

“Have you not seen the papers? Or Facebook? Or Twitter? It’s everywhere!” Ava gushed.

“No, why?”

“There are photos of me everywhere! I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want that!” Ava explained, completely exasperated. “I don’t want people talking about me or looking at me. I can’t.”

Silently, Jake pulled his phone from his pocket, typed quickly before replacing it, and then turned his attention back to Ava. “Ava, listen to me. Do you trust me?”

Ava didn’t answer. She didn’t know. Jake had never given her a reason to doubt him, but for some reason she couldn’t form the words he wanted to hear.

“Ava! Do…you…trust…me?” Jake enunciated each word slowly.

After a brief hesitation Ava nodded shallowly.

“Then listen to me. Go to dinner with Tyler. I promise no one will know where you are and you won’t be embarrassed.”

“You can’t make those sorts of promises, Jake.” Ava sighed heavily. As much as she wanted to believe him, a part of her just wouldn’t allow it.

“Yes, I can. And I am. Go. It will be okay. Promise,” Jake reaffirmed as he jumped off her desk confidently.

“I don’t know—”

“Stop arguing and just do it, you Muppet!” Jake declared, dropping a chaste kiss on Ava’s cheek before winding his way through the maze of desks and disappearing out the door, leaving Ava wishing she had something to throw at his retreating form.

Chapter 41

Tyler

Tyler was desperate. He wanted to know how Ava was doing. If she was okay. Not just because of the photos, but he genuinely cared. Somehow, Ava’s hot-headed temperament and smart mouth had gotten under his skin and he couldn’t shake it. He’d seen firsthand her quick sarcastic and scathing comebacks when she’d been confronted by press in America, but here in her own home he hadn’t heard a peep. There was nothing on social media, nothing in the papers, and nothing on the television. Either Ava was lying low or she was biting her tongue. Tyler couldn’t help but pray she was okay. That realisation alone terrified him.

Earlier, Katie’s text had come and shocked him out of his own head.

Katie: U ok?

Quickly Tyler shot off a reply before Katie had a chance to worry.

Tyler: Fine. Y?

Katie: Saw the paper.

Tyler: Just bullshit.

Katie: Liar.
:-)

Tyler: Get stuffed.

Katie: How’s lover girl???

Tyler: Bite me.

Every instinct he had told him he should let Katie suffer. Let her think that her offhanded comments had upset him and he wasn’t talking. But Katie wouldn’t take it lying down. She never did. Instead, she’d start calling. And if he continued to avoid her, by tomorrow morning she would be on his doorstep. She’d done it before and Tyler was under no illusion that she wouldn’t do it again.

Katie: Seriously tho? Everything ok?

Tyler: Not sure.

Katie: ?

Tyler: Haven’t heard.

The knot in Tyler’s stomach tightened.

Tyler stared at his phone for a full minute, waiting for the text from Katie to come, but it never did. Instead moments later his phone lit up. She was ringing. That was never a good sign.

“Tyler Andrews, you idiot!” Katie’s high-pitched voice squawked.

“Oh, hi, Katie,” Tyler retorted casually.

“Don’t hi Katie me! Are you seriously telling me that those pictures have been circulating for hours and you haven’t even bothered to call the girl?” Katie admonished.

Tyler swallowed deeply. He didn’t want to admit it. As soon as he said the words out loud, they would be real, and real was the last thing Tyler wanted. Surviving in the land of denial was working for him. He wasn’t convinced that reality would be better.

“Tyler!” Katie tried again when he didn’t answer.

“No, Katie. I haven’t spoken to Ava since the other night. Happy now?” he snapped harshly.

“No, I’m not happy. Are you?” Katie softened.

“Ummm…not really.”

“Tyler, I’ve gotta ask, why haven’t you called? You’ve had to deal with shit like this over and over and over again. She hasn’t. You need to be the one taking the first step here. Don’t expect her to know how to cope.”

“I don’t.”

“Then what are you doing about it?”

“I don’t know,” Tyler admitted, feeling helpless.

“Well then, I guess you’ve got a lot to think about. Call me if you need me,” Katie added before hanging up.

After pacing about his apartment for twenty minutes, his ideas were no less muddled than when he began. Figuring he was getting nowhere fast, Tyler slipped into his workout gear and headed to the gym. Maybe he could sweat the frustration out of his system.

Two hours and three bottles of icy water later, Tyler was no closer to a solution. He knew he needed to check on Ava but had no idea what to do or say, but he knew someone who would. Tyler bit the inside of his cheek and scrolled slowly through his contacts. He didn’t want to ask for help but he didn’t see any other option. Jake was his only chance.

Still not sure how to broach the subject, Tyler sent him a meaningless text.

Tyler: Hey.

Half an hour later his phone chirped a reply.

Jake: Hey.

Not wanting to look overly keen or desperate, Tyler forced himself to wait a full five minutes before sending his vague reply.

Tyler: What’s happening?

Jake: Working. U?

As Tyler read the message he had the overwhelming sensation to throw his phone against the wall. Jake was giving him nothing. As much as Tyler wanted to imagine that Jake wasn’t aware of what his tormenting was doing, a small part in the back of Tyler’s mind could picture Jake sitting in his high-backed leather chair, feet on the desk and a wide sadistic smirk on his face.

Tyler didn’t want to give in. He didn’t want to ask. He regretted even contacting Jake at all but he had no other option. Sucking in a deep breath and swallowing his pride, Tyler typed quickly before he lost his nerve.

Tyler: How is she?

The reply was almost instant.

Jake: Who?

Tyler’s frustration got the better of him. “You’re an asshole, you know that!” he growled as soon as Jake answered.

“Well, hello to you too.” Jake chuckled.

“Enjoying this?”

“More than you know, Tyler. More than you know,” Jake taunted.

“Well?” Tyler pushed, growing impatient.

“Well what?”

“Jake!” Tyler huffed, all the anger mysteriously evaporating from him only to be replaced with an all-consuming fear. “Come on, man. How is she?” For some reason he couldn’t bring himself to say her name. It was an all-consuming fear that if he said her name then it was all too real.

“Chill, Tyler. She’s okay. That one’s tough,” Jake reassured him, all laughter fading from his voice.

“Thank fuck!” Tyler exhaled.

“Ava’s not as fragile as you seem to think, Tyler. But she’s not bulletproof, either,” Jake explained. It sounded more like a warning to Tyler.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, she won’t put herself in a situation that’s going to hurt her. She knows her limits. God knows she tested them. But if Ava has even the slightest doubt in the corner of her mind that something isn’t good, she won’t even consider it,” Jake continued, sounding more like an overprotective father than a work colleague and friend. “I’m not telling you this to scare you off, Tyler. I like you and I think you could help her, but what I am saying is you have your work cut out for you.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.” Tyler shrugged as he dropped back into the lounge and laid his head back, closing his eyes.

“She’s been through hell. She has no family left since the accident and that’s made her afraid. She doesn’t let people in. Not because she doesn’t want to, but for self-preservation. Everyone she’d ever loved is gone. And that’s not something she’s going to get over in a hurry.”

“Shit! I had no idea.”

“Why would you? She doesn’t tell anyone. She just keeps going. All the anger and hurt and everything else she deals with on her own. She flatly refuses to rely on anyone. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Tyler, but you’re the biggest threat,” Jake clarified.

“How the fuck am I a threat?” Tyler snapped suddenly. “I wouldn’t hurt her.”

“Because as much as that girl doesn’t want to admit it, you’ve scaled those walls she’s spent years building to protect herself. But more than that, you’re Tyler Andrews. Worldwide hero. For God’s sakes, Tyler, up until a couple of months ago you were Ava’s dream. And she’s not dumb. She’s seen the photos of your life. You could walk away from boring, bumbling Ava any day of the week and not bat an eyelash. But for her, the girl who has no one, it would devastate her,” Jake told him pointedly.

Tyler gulped. Nothing like a little pressure on a new relationship. But it wasn’t a relationship. Well, not yet, anyway. “I get it,” Tyler forced himself to admit.

“Well then, what are you going to do about it?” Jake enquired casually, as if the past five-minute conversation never happened.

“I don’t know,” Tyler replied pointedly. He had no reason to lie. He had absolutely no idea how to fix this. He wasn’t even sure how badly broken it really was.

“Better think of something.”

“Yep.”

Jake let Tyler sweat for a full minute before putting him out of his misery. “Need a hand?”

“Desperately,” Tyler admitted, not in the least bit ashamed.

“The date I paid for…”

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Nope. But you’re getting off the topic. Where you planning on taking her?”

“I was thinking that new Italian place in the city,” Tyler confessed.

“Nope! Dumb idea.”

“Well, gee, thanks for your support!”

“Right now Ava’s terrified about being seen with you again. Once she can deal with, twice not so much. But she will guarantee there won’t be a third. And I promised her. So you’re going to have to go low key and private,” Jake told him.

“Oh…okay.”

“Tyler, you can do this. We both know you can. I know she wants you to. But Ava’s stubborn. She wants you to prove that you want it as much as she does. Don’t give up on our girl.”

Tyler’s stomach churned again. The mention of “our” girl made him lightheaded. He was suddenly blinded with jealousy. Even the idea that Jake had some claim on Ava made him squirm. Although he knew there was no logical reason to be jealous of Jake, he couldn’t help it. The green-eyed monster swallowed him whole.

“Thanks, man. I’ll come up with something,” Tyler confirmed, still not one hundred percent convinced what he was going to do, but more determined than ever to succeed.

“Good! I got thirty grand riding on it.” Jake laughed, the seriousness of their conversation forgotten.

“Great! Thanks for the reminder. That’s exactly what I need right now. More pressure,” Tyler groaned, his voice laced with sarcasm.

“Anytime. Let me know how you go! Or if I need to go and slap some sense into her!” Jake offered, and part of Tyler knew that he would if he needed to.

Tyler hung up with renewed energy and confidence. Jake had given him an insight to the Ava she’d managed to keep hidden from everyone and Tyler swore to himself then and there that he would do nothing to compromise that. If Ava didn’t want to be seen, then that was more than okay with him.