Page 28

At least... not yet.

“You better fill me in, Jackson,” Ty growls from opposite him. I stay silent and listen carefully, intent on soaking in every last word.

“I’m going to go and check on her,” Kay says softly, pushing back her chair.

“His name’s Scott, he’s on the baseball team at her college and it just so happens that he hates me.” He smirks. “When he saw me and Ava walking out of there, he came over and grabbed her arm.”

My hands clench into fists under the table and I take a deep breath, keeping myself under control.

“He punched me and when I didn’t react, he went to punch me again but he hit Ava instead. So I stood her by one of the door men and beat his ass.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.

I turn my eyes to Ty and can see the sense of pride shining in his eyes at what Jackson had done. My hands uncurl and I pick up my fork, ready to dig back into my dinner until he opens his mouth again.

“Fucker is her roommate’s boyfriend too.”

There’s two seconds of silence before all hell breaks loose.

Eli sits there looking up at all of them and chuckles. Looks like he’s used to seeing them act like this.

I get it, I do. They’re trying to protect Ava but anyone can see that this isn’t the way to go about it.

My stomach flips and my skin tingles as I look up, spotting Ava in the doorway, her face telling a thousand words that she will never speak. When her eyes find mine, I know I have to do something to ease the pain I see reflected back at me.

What was meant to be a nice meal, has turned into all the brothers, and Trevor, planning on how to best protect her.

What they fail to see is that she’s doing just fine on her own, she’s a grown woman now. My eyes trail a path from the boots she wears, up her legs that are clad in black skinny jeans, and up to where she’s holding herself around her waist, her t-shirt drifting up slightly with the movement.

“Enough,” I say low in my throat. When they all carry on shouting at each other, I push back in my chair and stand. “Enough!” I growl, banging my fist on the table.

All eyes turn to me and for a second I feel like I shouldn’t have said anything, then I meet Ava’s eyes and how they silently thank me is enough for me to carry on what I’m saying.

“You’re all here trying to get her out of that apartment and discussing how to best keep her safe. Have any of you asked Ava what she wants?”

None of them say a word as I tilt my head to Ava and they all swivel their heads around to where she’s standing.

“Didn’t think so,” I growl, stepping away from the table and walking in her direction, my eyes not leaving hers. “Don’t plan her life for her, let her live it.”

I hold my hand out to her when I’m a few feet away and say softer this time, “Let’s go and get some dessert.”

She stares at my hand for a beat, then something leaves her as she slouches and places her small, soft hand in mine, her lips lifting into a slight smile.

I lead her into the kitchen and open up the freezer, pulling out a big tub of ice cream and two spoons, then meet her back in the doorway. Taking her hand in mine again, I walk us out of the house and down to Trevor’s cabin, not a word being said between us.

She stays silent for the next hour as we sit and eat the ice cream straight out of the tub. I don’t push for conversation, knowing that she’ll talk when she’s good and ready. So instead, I sit with her and enjoy just being in her company, close enough to actually touch her.

It isn’t until I’m back at Ty and Kay’s later that night that I realize how much I wish I could have stayed with her. That was what I’d done when she first moved into Trevor and Elena’s. They’d allowed me to stay on the couch that first night she was there.

That was also the last night that I had seen her.

She had been so fragile and broken. I’d wished for nothing more than to not have to go away just so I could stay with her. It wasn’t fair on so many levels. She’d come to rely on me after what had happened to her and then I was gone.

Just like that.

But from what I saw of her today, there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s better now.

There’s still something that screams out to me in her eyes though, something that I can’t leave alone.

I need to see her again but how and when is something I’m going to have to plan out.