Chapter 0157 âSir?â she picks up on the first ring.
âThere is a new article about me and Ava circulating, I want it taken downâ I growl, fueled by anger.
âI see it, give me ten minutesâ
âAlso let it be known that if anyone is caught writing articles about Avaâs private life, theyâll face bankruptcyâ
âYes sirâ
I cut of the phone, still fuming.
Ava has always been a private person. I was going to protect her privacy at all coast. It doesnât matter what it takes.
âWhatâs going on between you and Ava, Ro?â mom asks after her while. Her gaze piercing mine as if she was trying to find the answers by staring deep into my soul.
I was glad she didnât ask if the pregnancy rumor was true. That wasnât my secret to tell and I wouldnât even have told her.
âI donât knowâ I answer her in frustration.
âKate tells me that youâve been distant with Emma. Emma told her that you broke things off and wonât even talk to her. Is this because of Ava?â
I think of lying to her, but what would be the use?
âPartly*
I hear her sharp intake of air. I donât look at her. Afraid of what Iâll see in her eyes.
âDid you know that Ava wasnât Kate and Jamesâ daughter?â I ask when she doesnât say anything for a long time. 1 âYesâ
âIs that the reason you hated her?â
âNoâ she says, surprising me. âI hated her because she took your happiness away. She took your light away. You loved Emma so much and because of her obsession, you lost her. You donât know how painful it was for me to watch my son living like a zombie. It was like when you lost Emma you died, Rowan. We shake my head. I donât want to remember how I was drowning back then. I was basically a dead man iving. It was the worst period of my F***ing life.
You hated her back then, but I see that has changed. I spent almost thirty minutes looking at the pictures of you two standing outside that store. You stared at her in awe. You looked at her like she was your world. You looked at her like you were in love with herâ
I face my mother, Staring at her in shock. She had to be wrong somehow.
âGabe found out she didnât lie when she said she was drunk. He was able to get the footages of that nightâ I whisper, trying to change the subject.
It still sits heavily in my heart knowing what I did to Ava. All the F***ing pain I caused her. She took it all until she couldnât anymore. Until she finally had enough and kicked us out of her life.
âThen I need to apologize to her for my part in shunning and hating herâ her tone is somber and I know itâs already killing her to know she had been wrong about Ava too.
Weâre quiet for a moment. Each of us lost in our own thoughts. Thatâs until she speaks up.
âYou have to tell her Rowan. You have to tell Ava you love her. Nine years have already been wasted. Nine years where you would have been happy with her. You have to tell her before itâs too lateâ
âBut how can I tell her?â I run my hand down my face. âHow can I tell her when Iâm not even sure what feel? She has me in knots and I donât really know what it is I feel towards her. Itâs all so F***ing confusingâ
And that is the bane of my existence. The fact that I donât know how to describe what I feel for Ava.
âLanguage!â she admonishes before sighing. âI think you spent so much time hating and resenting her that those ugly feelings are now fighting against the feelings that are coming up and the developing ones. That is why youâre confused. Because you are trying to reset feelings that have been dominant for yearsâ
She continues. âJust take your time and donât rush it. As for Ava, I saw how she looked at you. The love and she once had is either gone or buried deep inside. My advice, donât push her too much or sheâll snap completely cut you offâ
I nod my head as I accept her advice. After spending a few more minutes with her, I leave.
I was more relaxed than I had been when I arrived, but the tension was still there.
It was as I was driving to my office that I accepted the truth.
I did have feelings for Ava. Strong ones at that. I just didnât know how deep they went, or what exactly they were. It was time I find that out.