Chapter 69

More questions

We didn’t talk after that. Lunch was downright awkward as we both ate silently. My mind was

reeling from his apology. I don’t know what he was expecting from me, but I sure hope it was not

forgiveness. Not now at least.

After finishing our lunch he took me back home. The drive was also quiet. Both of us lost in our

own thoughts. I just didn’t know how to take him in. Didn’t know what to do with this new version

of him. It was all so new and strange to say the least.

“Thank you” I tell him once we reach my home. “For being with me at the appointment and for the

lunch” 1

“It was no problem” he tries to smile but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

I nod and begin to get out. He stops me by grabbing my ha

“I want you to let me know anytime you have appointments” he tells me, his eyes staring deep

into mine. 1

I stare at him once again, unable to understand what the hell was going on in his damn mind.

“Why the hell would I do that?” I ask in confusion, pulling my hand from his.

His touch was suddenly too much. It felt like it was burning.

“Because I want to be there for you” he simply replies.

“And again I ask you, why? You weren’t there during when I was pregnant with Noah, but now you

want to attend appointments for a baby that isn’t yours? Do you know how crazy that looks?

He was confusing me. I didn’t like to be confused. I didn’t like to be unsure. I didn’t like that he

was behaving out of character.

Besides, I didn’t want any trouble with Emma. That would surely come if she ever finds out that

Rowan is coming to my appointments.

“I just want to be there, is that so hard for you to believe?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Let’s be honest, Rowan. You’ve never cared much for me.” I sigh. “That’s

actually an understatement because you downright hated me so of course this sudden show of

concern is unbelievable”

7/6

+15 BONUS

He doesn’t say anything for a while. Just continues staring at me in that intense way. When he

continues to do it, I start fidgeting. Feeling uncomfortable with his piercing eyes directed at me.

“Just let me know because either way, I’ll find out and I’ll show up just like today” he finally speaks

“Have you thought how this will impact your relationship with Emma and how she would feel?”

Sure I was using Emma as a defence, but right now she was my best chance at making him see

reason.

“Emma doesn’t fucking matter right now” he growls, his eyes turning cold.

I stare at him with my mouth hanging open. This was definitely a first. Never in my wildest dreams did I

think I would ever hear him saying that Emma didn’t matter.

“What the hell has gotten into you?” I ask him, puzzled. “Do you hear yourself? How can you say she

doesn’t matter when you’ve been in love with her all your life?”

The surprise punches just kept coming. I didn’t even have time to take them all in. Every word out of his

mouth was trying to rewrite the reality I was used to.

I see him clench his jaw. His nose flaring at the reminder of his more than a decade long love for

Emma.

“Drop it” he all but snarls at me.

I guess Emma was still a touchy subject. It didn’t faze me though. I knew sooner or later they would be

back together. Emma isn’t one to give up on what she wants and Rowan has never been

able to resist her or stay mad at her for long.

Feeling like I’ve said all I need to say, I push the car door open and get out. I walk around the car

towards my house.

His voice stops me, making me turn.

“Remember what I said, Ava. I will be at all your appointments, whether you tell me the dates or

not”

With that, he fires his car and leaves. I stare for a while before turning back around.

He was being forceful and it was starting to get on my damn mind. Why couldn’t he just go back to

how he was?

2/6

+15 BONUS

I was almost to my door when the sight of a man catches my attention He was watering the grass.

He suddenly turns as if feeling my eyes on him. Our gaze collide and I hold my breath. I guess he was

our new neighbor.

He is hot, but that’s not what draws me in. It’s the fact that he looked really familiar. I just couldn’t place

where I had seen him before,

Shaking myself from those thoughts, I give him a small smile and walk into my house.

“Mommy, you’re home” Noah screams the moment I walk in.

Since my appointment was in the afternoon, I had asked his nanny to pick him up from school. She

wasn’t a live in nanny. She only came on those days I was held up with one thing or another.

“Yes, how was school?” I ask as I set down my bag.

“Fun. I scored everything in my math test”

“That’s good. My baby boy is a math genius” I tease him, making him blush.

“Mom” he drags the word. “Please stop”

“What? It’s true and I am so proud of you”

He gives me a mischievous smile and I just know he got me right where he wanted me.

“Can I play video games then since I’m a math genius?”

I just knew it. He has been battering me up.

I sigh. “Fine, but only for an hour”

He rushes up the stairs screaming thank you over and over again making me smile in the process.

“Hey, Maria. You’re free to leave” I tell our nanny as I walk into the kitchen.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now go”

She smiles at me before taking her things. Fifteen minutes later she’s gone and I wish I hadn’t

insisted on her to leaving.

With Noah in his room. I was alone. I had nothing to occupy my mind and so my thoughts started

3/6

+15 BONUS

I was just contemplating starting dinner early when my front door opened.

“Yoohoo. Ava where are you?”

Letty voice brings a smile to my face.

“In the kitchen” I shout back.

Minutes later, she walks into the room and I am surprised to see Corrine following behind her.

“Look who I found. We got here at the same time” Letty says sitting at the kitchen island.

I’d told Letty how Corrine stood up for me against Anita. She has immediately liked her, reasoning that

anyone who stood up for me was worth her respect:

“What are you doing here?” I ask Corrine.

“Well, you gave me an inch at the restaurant and I thought to myself, she’s ready. I’ve always wanted to

be your friend, so here I am.”

There was this part of me that was sceptical. It wanted to shut her off. Instead I push it back. It was

time I stopped pushing people away.

“Well, welcome to my humble home”

She smiles and I smile back at her. Genuinely happy that she was here.

“I came for an entirely different reason. Have you seen the gossip column? It was posted like an hour

ago” Letty asks.

“No. Why?”

She hands me a phone and I read the caption. With each word I read, my mood sours.

[Billionaire Rowan Woods seen going on a lunch date with ex–wife, Ava Sharp months after their

divorce and weeks after rumours of him dating her elder sister, Emma Sharp]

Below was a picture of Rowan escorting me to the restaurant with his hand on my lower back.

“Shit” I curse. “This is going to cause unnecessary drama”

Emma was going to shit a brick. I wasn’t afraid of her, but I just didn’t want trouble. The image

portrayed a certain intimacy that wasn’t truly there. Anyone looking at it was going to think that

4/6

+15 BONUS

“Is there something going on that I’m unaware of?” Letty asks as Corrine just stares between the

two of us.

“Nothing. He unexpectedly showed up at my appointment and then asked me if we could talk over

lunch” after that I recount everything that happened. Including his apology.

When I am done, I am even more confused than I was before. Things were just not making sense no

matter which angle I tried looking at it from.

“What if he is genuinely sorry?” Letty asks.

That is a question I kept asking myself since he apologized. I kept pushing it to the back of my mind

because I was just not strong enough to deal with it right now.

“I don’t know” I sigh in defeat. “Forgiveness is something that has to be earned and so far he has done

nothing to earn it. All he has managed to do is leave me with confusion and more unanswered

questions”

3

Honestly, how can I move past everything? He has spent the last nine years drilling into me that he

hates my fucking guts and now all of a sudden he’s sorry?

His quick three hundred and sixty degree turn just doesn’t seem genuine. There is no way someone

can change that fast.

“What do you think Corrine?” Letty asks her since she had been too quiet.

“I think these are the actions of a man who doesn’t know he’s in love”

At that I burst out laughing. “That’s a good one Corrine. Rowan doesn’t love me”

I mean come on, he said as much on that day he came bulging into my house, avenging his lovely

Emma.

“Think about it though” she insists.

“She may be onto something. I mean why would he all of a sudden start caring for you? It doesn’t make

sense unless he already cared for you but never realized. And again why does he suddenly want to be

around you now that you’re divorced? Corrine may be right. He may have been in love with you long

before and it took losing you for those feelings to come to the surface”

I didn’t want to listen to their nonsense. So instead of answering their questions, I change the

+15 BONUS

Everything after that is perfect. I have a great time with both of them. Knowing very well that now

Corrine was part of our inner circle.

Even though everything was great, I couldn’t help thinking of what they said.

that

Rowan can’t possibly be in love with me. They had to be wrong because Rowan has only ever loved

one woman and her name is Emma Sharp.”