15:
A small breeze passes over us as we enter the sleek, modern high-rise with over fifty floors. My bewildered eyes wander around the entire intricately decorated lobby before locking onto a particular person in the center of the room. I'm sure you can guess who.
“Daddy!” Danny runs over to him while Emmy follows after.
I stifle the oncoming eye roll before putting on a false smile.
I watch Ian lift Danny up then ruffle his hair. The two laugh and talk until Danny points at me. Ian whispers something in his son's ear before walking over to me.
I'm about to greet him but stop when I hear Emmy say,
“I never thought that suit could look that good. I guess I am good at birthday gifts,”
He laughs while she continues flirting with him. This causes heat to flow through my veins, and despite my wanting these jealous feelings to go away, I still can't stop my blood from boiling.
My legs set into motion to stop this shit before it starts but a firm grip on my wrists pulls me back.
“Behave today, Ava,” Elaine warns sternly
“Or what, you're going to poison me again?” I turn to her with intense agitation.
We still haven't talked about it but Elaine knows I hate her more than ever now. She poisoned me to get me to fall for Ian.
“I don't have to do anything anymore,” She smirks while adjusting my sleeves. I'm dressed in a cream sweater and black leggings. I keep my hair tied back because I don't have time to do anything with it. Especially now that Danny's on Spring break.
“You don't have to do anything anymore?” I trace over her words, carefully dissecting each syllable.
“Ew, why didn't you change?” Emmy's annoying voice makes me cringe. It's so sudden that I don't have time to block it. She clearly sees my hatred for her.
“Why are you still here?” I grit my teeth, trying to not to cause a scene.
“She's helping me with some... things.”
I catch Elaine glance at an unsuspecting Ian before looking between us. Emmy is in front of me while Elaine stands to my right. Something tells me Elaine has a few tricks in her witch hat.
“I'm going to the restroom,” Emmy the tramp brushes past us.
“Is she the reason that condom was in our room?” I whisper to Elaine accusingly. I know Emmy and Ian are working together now but I'd never suspect him of infidelity. Could I be wrong?
“Let's just say I don't need them anymore.”
My thoughts merge together while my knees slowly start to quake. This feeling is new. My throat tightens while my heart beat crescendos. I'm feeling something. Something menacing. Anger, jealousy even.
“Dude, you're being brainwashed. Even Stevie Wonder could see this shit.”
“Weren't you and Danny supposed to leave last night; the night of the rehearsal dinner?”
“Ava don't ignore me.”
“Have you ever seen an angry ghost? We move shit...while your alone...in your own house.”
“Ava, darling?” A firm touch on my shoulder makes me blink rapidly.
“You're lying. You've got to be lying,” the words leave my tongue as quickly as my mind continues spinning. All thoughts screaming at me at once. Cheater, liar, scumbag.
“Think Ava, think. Elaine raised Ian and look what he has turned out to be,”
“Shutup, Dana!”
My loud voice echos through the entire lobby. And before I know it I'm hearing Elaine.
“Are you alright?”
Looking up, I'm met with Elaine's unreadable green eyes and pursed lips. The emotion is in her voice.
“I mean that's not true. What you're saying isn't true. It can't be, can it? If it's not yours then it's Emmy's. She's sleeping with him. Is that what you're implying?”
I can ask a million questions. When did this start? Where did it start...well, that's obvious. Why did it start?
Is that why he was okay when we didn't have sex. Because he'd already gotten his fill from my cousin?
Deep down inside I can keep asking a million pointless questions. But when the sun goes down the most important one will be, why do I even care? This should be a bigger reason for me to just get the hell out of here.
“Ava look, don't let this deter you from embracing your ability to love him. Use this as some motivation, perhaps.”
“Mother what are you talking about? Is everything okay with her?” he wraps his arm around my waist, cuing my body to stiffen. I fight the urge to lean into him.
“You should have listened to me,” Dana whispers sadly, making me frown. Why is she here? She only visits me when I'm dreaming. Wait, am I dreaming?
“Ava,” My eyes continue burning a whole in the marble floor instead of looking up to face this dickhead. What the hell is wrong with me?
A small squeeze on my waist brings me back to reality. Elaine is telling him that I'm fine and I just needed time to adjust to being off the medications she has given me. Ian mumbles something but I don't strain my ears to hear. He has already expressed his strong disapproval for what she has done.
“We'll be moving in a week so you won't have to accommodate us anymore,”
The silence isn't just here, it's lingering in unpleasant awkwardness. This silence won't go away any time soon. And to top it off, it's the worse kind. The kind that makes you afraid to even breathe too loudly.
“Mr. Hunt, your room is ready,” A short lady with thin brown hair and glasses announces to him. I realize he is super close to me when he grabs my hand to lead us to our destination.
#
1:45 p.m.
My fingertips thrum against the cool tabletop as we all sit patiently, waiting for whomever we are meeting with to arrive. It's been about a good thirty minutes since I dropped Danny at the day care center a few floors down, and I already miss him. I miss my little munchkin.
A bored sigh erupts, interrupting my thoughts. I notice the source isn't Elaine because she is applying her eye liner. Emmy sits with her elbows propped up. Mandy and Melanie sit quietly too. This is a record for them, considering how often they fight.
“Mandy can you stop chewing your gum like a fucking cow?” Mel insults.
Mandy glowers at her while Emmy bursts into laughter. My head shakes before I sigh loudly.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Emmy slits her eyes at me, making me frown at her.
“My life, my problems, my anything does not concern you,” I lace my words with hinted irritation. It's enough to get her bothered.
“It's clearly about me,” she flips her red hair before delicately placing her jeweled hand under her chin. I swear she smirks in Ian's direction for a second.
“Only because you always make it about you. If you'd just be yourself and stop trying to be me you'd be happier,” I shrug, making sure to give her a smug smile. I know what I said is a bit arrogant but do I care? Nah, not really.
“Ha, no one wants to be you. So please don't flatter yourself,” She crosses her thin arms before leaning back in her seat.
“I hope her fat ass breaks that chair,” Dana whispers to me.
“I bet you won't slap that bitch though,” Mel yells to me in a deep voice, and a playful grin. Mandy chuckles, making me smile too. If Mel wasn't so crazy she and I would get along. Her and Dana have a similar sense of humor.
“Children, stop acting like heathens,” Elaine stands up with a look a parent would give to scold her children. Her hands latch onto the edge of the table while her black blazer clings to her in a suitable manner.
“This is a very important convergence and I expect nothing less of your behavior,”
“Mother is right.” Ian says lowly, gaining everyone's attention. He sits calmly with his head down. His shoulders are relaxed as he continues rubbing my hand with his thumb. The way his suit jacket looks on him is enough to make any female want to fuck him on the spot.
“We're all adults so we need to communicate as such,” his leadership and intelligence is showing.
“Yeah, but what if I don't want to talk to you,” I blurt out suddenly. The only reason why I've allowed his hand to caress mine is because I know what will happen if I embarrass him in public. And pulling away from him is embarrassing.
“Why would you say a stupid thing like that?” The amusement in his tone is strong.
I planned to leave and your charm ruined it. Danny and I were going to leave you but you just can't let go. That's why I don't want to talk to you. Not to mention, the condom fiasco this morning and the way you were flirting with Emmy, it's clear who you want and who wants you.
After remaining silent for a few moments, I feel my head turning. He seizes my lips briefly, causing a heat to invade my cheeks. A few coos from Mel can be heard across the room, making me feel even more mortified.
He pulls out our kiss, allowing me to place my loose strands behind my ear. Is it weird that I hate and love when he does that?
“Impulse, sorry,” he smirks cunningly. My heart flutters while he chuckles at my flustered stature.
“When is this over?” Emmy groans tautly. From the way she glares at me, I conclude she means that in two ways.
“Who are we even waiting on?” I ask.
“He's running late,” Ian grumbles impatiently. “I tell them to be here at a specified time and they choose to disregard it,” he rests his forehead in his palm.
“Who is running late?” I ask again, this time itching to get an answer.
“The future partners of this company,” A voice only Elaine would be excited about enters my ears.
Everyone is stock still as the silence overtakes us. Martin stands clad in his expensive business suit while a few more men stand behind him. I feel Ian's hand overlap mine so I give him a reassuring squeeze. It's out of habit.
“Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Alec Rolf. The future CFO of our compnay, Hunt Electrical Inc.,”
Remember what I said about silence earlier? Well now it's back and it's stronger than before. So strong that Ian has to grab a glass of water.
“Ha, you're kidding,” Elaine laughs cynically. As if there is some joke we've all missed.
“This is gold,” She clasps her hands together. I notice the gleam in her beryl eyes.
“Uncle Martin...” Mandy trails off, unsure of how to continue.
He looks around, his angular face turning to each of us in a thoughtful manner. All of us except Ian.
“Alec, this is my piece of shit son Ian Hunt, part owner of my company,” His voice isn't soft. It's potently abrasive. Meaning, he meant to offend Ian with his harsh words.
Emmy makes an eye roll then mumbles, “Asshole much?”
“We had a deal, Martin.” Ian rises up so fast that he alarms Mandy, Emmy, and myself.
“And so far it's not going as I planned. So I'm calling in back up,”
“Back up?” I'm lost in the sea of confusion.
“Excuse me for interrupting but for the record I'm not hear to take anyone's place. I'm only hear to help out a friend of my father's.”
My God that voice sounds so familiar. I know that voice and the face behind it.
“Do you always steal the eyes in an entire room?”
I pause before turning to face the person who complimented me. His round face isn't one many would admire. But his eyes, his hazel eyes are what dreams are made of. Even if they are hidden behind a thick layer of designer glasses.
“Does that always work on women you barely know?”
I know I shouldn't be engaging in conversation with this random stranger but then again, there's nothing wrong with talking.
“I think the question is, is it working on you?” he smiles warmly. A glint of happiness shines in his twinkling hazel eyes.
“I'm engaged, but nice try though.” I smirk at him before turning my attention back to the floor. It's an open space of elegant and refined individuals. The dinner party is going well and the turn out is more than I expected. Ian's family knows a lot of people.
So his name is Alec. The same guy Ian slapped me for talking to. I remember now.
“Come with me,” Ian's fingertips graze my upper arm, sending my body into motion. I slide of my chair with ease before being led to a back room. It's smaller than the board room meeting but still appears more modern looking.
“What's wrong?” This could go so wrong so fast. I need to do and say everything correctly while we're alone.
He closes the door and shuts the blinds.
“Do you remember what happened the night of the rehearsal dinner?”
Nodding slowly, I think back to the dinner and the few minutes spent talking with Alec.
“Remember when I called you naive and you said all you did was-”
“Let him know who you care deeply about,” I mumble, sudden realization slapping me in my face.
“Alec is dangerous, Ava. He may seem like a good guy but he's not. He wants to take my place and destroy everything I've worked hard to attain,” Ian's low voice is filled with concern. But if I listen closely I can hear the underlying panic within him.
“So your father is still rivaling with you?”
I thought they were going to counseling. They both agreed to work things out.
“He's trying to prove something to me by teaching me a lesson,”
I want to ask what that means but I opt to say this instead,
“What does this have to do with Danny and I?”
He sighs, allowing his eyes to meet mine. For a brief moment, I feel my heart fly and my breaths shorten. Just one look took my breath away.
“Because I want to expand this company I need you here to know what is going on.. You're going to be my wife in a couple of weeks so I need to make sure you, of all people, know what to do when I'm sick, away, or...dead.”
Forget the whole marriage thing. My biggest concern is,
“What is Martin trying to achieve?”
He pinches the bridge of his nose then says,
“He wanted me to make a deal with some corrupt pharmaceutical company and I refused,”
“So now, he's using Alec to make that deal because I refuse to. If he can do it without getting himself killed then my father will write me out of the will and have Alec take over.”
Ian will lose all he has inherited because he refused a deal with the devil. So he either has to work with Alec and be brought back into his billion dollar fortune, or lose it all by sticking to his morals.
“I'm trying to be a good guy but...”
I wait for him to continue but all I hear is a frustrated sigh.
“Ava, listen to me. He and Elaine are planning something big,”
“I don't know what but I do know one thing,”
“Which is?”
“You're just as apart of this as I am now. And if you know my family then you know that secrecy is kept with the will, and those who know too much lose their life,”
Looking at him now I see a vulnerable, worried, frightened Ian. Not the calm, confident, courageous man I've known before.
“My father is willing to erase those he deem as uncooperative. I'm telling you now that we need to be careful.”
**--**
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OOOOH drama! What do you guys think? I hope you liked this chapter. I worked hard on it and I still think it sucked. Sorry.