Craft Beer & Roses

Chapter 36

"Hey."

Aviva jumped at the sound of Suresh's voice. She closed her sketchbook slowly, leaning back to let the beanbag envelop her fully. "Heya."

"How are you doing?" He cautiously pulled another beanbag over, sinking down beside her.

"Alright..." She said, stuffing the book between the cushion and her thigh.

"Did you ever finish that one design with the flowers?" Suresh asked with uncharacteristic interest.

Aviva spun her pencil between her fingers. She tried her hardest to keep that drawing private, but he must've seen it at some point. The truth was, she hadn't finished that particular design. The idea was born from her breakup with Suresh, a symbol of strength and humility, something to look forward to and help her move on. But every time she saw it on the page, it felt like it'd lost its meaning—lost its purpose. Not for the worse, but for the better. She started to think it was a sign that she'd made another stride toward complete closure.

"No, I started...designing other things." She shook her head, "Sorry, what is it you wanted?"

Suresh sat up straighter, "Can't get my head off the dumping tonight. Guess I just wanted to see what you thought about it all. Do you think you'll be going home?"

"Honestly?" Aviva fidgeted anxiously, "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Why?"

She stared at him plainly. Suresh raised one of his brows before resetting his expression to something neutral, "Ah...the whole Finn thing." He pulled his hands into his lap, tilting his head to examine his former lover, "You know, I actually think you'll be alright."

It was Aviva's turn to watch him curiously, "Why?"

He shrugged, "Call it a hunch. Not so sure about myself, though...at any rate, I guess the reason I'm really here is because there's some things I wanted to say. In case I get dumped."

"Okay..."

"I just wanted to apologize. For how I was before I left for Casa Amor. I think I had it in my head to, I dunno, do some big romantic thing, and it all turned out to me just being—"

"A massive arsehole?" Aviva interjected.

"Sure." Suresh laughed dryly, "I should've just let you be. I'm sorry for dredging up the past. And for not telling you the whole truth about me and Gabi. Anyway, I really hope my gut is right and you get to stay. You seem really happy with Finn..."

She smiled to herself, "...I am."

"Good. That's good." Suresh hauled himself onto his feet, "Alright, well, good luck, Aviva." He started toward the villa before stopping and turning back to the beanbags, "Do you...do you ever think you could forgive me? Even after everything?"

Aviva stilled. She'd thought about this day for months, though in her mind, his face would be covered in snot and tears, and there would be far more groveling. In her mind, she always forgave him. She always took him back. But the reality was incomparable. She'd spent so much time sitting with her hurt and anger, she wasn't sure that it would be so easy to give him the relief he so desperately craved.

"...Maybe one day." She said finally, in a voice so small, she wondered if she'd imagined her lips moving.

Suresh curled his lips inward, nodding his head repeatedly as he let her words sink in, "Okay. Yeah, I...thanks, Aviva. Even that's probably more than I deserve." He bowed his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he proceeded toward the villa.

Aviva was alerted by a shuffle behind her. She stood up to investigate the source of the noise, finding Gabi crouched behind a bush, poorly pretending that she hadn't been eavesdropping.