Mark left and went back to the hotel. Brenda walked upstairs and checked on Ava. She knocked on her door and Ava said, "Come in."
Brenda walked in and saw Ava laying in her bed. She asked, "You okay?"
Ava shrugged. "I will be."
Brenda walked over and sat down next to her. Ava asked, "Did he leave?"
"Yeah." Brenda answered. "But he wants to talk to you."
She exhaled. "I am not looking forward to that. I am guessing Seth told him?"
"Yeah. Seems like he is really heart broken, Ava."
"Brenda, please don't make me feel worse. I already feel like shit for what I did to him." Ava said feeling guilty.
"I just don't understand if you really like him, why don't you pursue him? I mean, he clearly has feelings for you." Brenda asked.
Ava shook her head. "I would always be on edge and worried. I can't live like that, not again. I wouldn't be able to never fully trust him, and that is not his fault. He doesn't deserve that, hell he doesn't deserve me."
Brenda sighed. "Ava, I don't think he is anything like Will, you have to let that go. I know it is hard to do that, but you do. Will was an asshole. Seth seems, legitly, like a nice guy. You have a guy who is seems really great that wants more with you. It doesn't hurt to see where it goes. It may not develop, it might. But how do you know if you do not try."
"I just can't, Brenda." Ava said, softly.
"I wish you would try. I doubt you will find someone like him, Ava." Brenda pointed out.
"I know I won't. But I don't plan on too. I have the memories of our night together, I can be okay with that." Ava said. She added, "I just hope he can move on with his life."
Brenda shook her head. "I don't understand you, Ava. He is a one of a kind guy who comes in your life and you push him away. Any girl would kill to have a guy like him."
"And that girl will be more deserving of him. I am too damaged. I don't deserve him. I didn't even deserve what I had with him." She sadly said.
Brenda reached over and gently gripped her shoulder. "You deserve more then you know. I just wish you would see that."
Ava looked away from her, not believing she did.
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Ava was in Central Park, standing on a bridge as she looked out from it at the people. Mark had texted her earlier saying he wanted to talk to her. She knew she had to get the conversation out of the way. They agreed to met publicly as she didn't want a scene. She waited. She leaned on the rail as she wondered when the hell he would be here. She sighed as she knew she would get it from him. She wasn't ready for this conversation. She looked around for Mark. She stood straight as she recognized someone, but it wasn't Mark, it was Seth. She stood there having her feels consume her.
Seth walked to the bridge, he agreed to met Mark there as he thought it would be a good idea to take a walk to clear his mind as they talked. Mark told him he felt he should have someone to talk to. So, Seth went. He got to the bridge they said they would met and he saw her leaning over on the rail. He stopped and looked at her. He felt his heart beat faster as he stared at her. What is she doing there? He thought. He thought about leaving, getting away as he didn't want to deal with anymore pain. But then he noticed that she saw him. She looked directly at him. He knew he couldn't take off. So, he exhaled and walked towards her.
Seth got to her and said, softly, "Hey."
Ava looked down, it was hard seeing him knowing she broke his heart. "Hey." Was all she mustered.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Mark wanted to talk to me. I assume to scold me for what happened between us. He came to my house earlier to do it, but I hid in my room like a coward." She stated.
Seth looked at her confused. "Um, Mark asked me to come here."
Ava quickly realized what happened. "Well, damn, he set this up. Sneaky bastard."
Seth smiled as her statement. Then they both stood there, quiet and refusing to look at one another. Finally, Seth broke the silence. "Look, Ava, about earlier, we never stated what this was, I shouldn't have assumed."
She shook her head. "No, I shouldn't have did what I did. I played you and I shouldn't have. I knew what I was doing and didn't stop to think for one second. Honestly most of the time I don't care, I never have a care in the world when it comes to that. Never care who gets hurt, just do it. This was a wake up call. Some people might be really getting hurt by me."
"You think!" Seth said a little angry. It slightly shook Ava. He quickly retracted, "I am sorry, I shouldn't have..."
"It's okay, you have every right to be angry." She cut him off.
"Why? Why do you do that?" He asked.
"Do what?"
"Not get close to anyone. Use guys. Why?" He asked again.
She looked down and exhaled. "Just easier. Easier to just use and abuse, you can say. Relationships can get messy, painful even. You think you know someone and, bam, they change. They are someone you didn't expect."
"Is that what happened with your husband? Well, you ex husband?" He asked.
She looked at him in shook and asked, "How did you know?"
"Mark mentioned you were married once. But is he why?"
She slowly nodded. "What did he do?" Seth asked.
She said, "Seth, I don't think we should talk about it."
"Well, I think I deserve why you won't give me a chance." He pointed out.
She exhaled and slowly said, "He wasn't a very nice guy."
"What happened?"
"Like I said, he changed. He became different. I didn't recognized him."
"You are not answering my question."
She looked down and said, softly, "We married right out of high school. I was eighteen and pregnant. I thought we were in love. He was the high school quarterback, he was a catch. Or I thought he was. Shortly after we got married, he changed, he would get angry, really angry. He was angry that he wasn't where his life should have been and blamed me. He had a dead end job and he thought of our baby as a mistake. He began to drink. That is when he...well, he..."
Seth saw where this was going. "He didn't hit you, did he?"
Ava eyes teared up and she nodded. "I became his punching bag. Every time something didn't go his way, I got it. I basically walked on eggshells with him."
"Why didn't you just leave?" He asked.
"I had no one. My parents basically abandon me cause I got pregnant. I had no siblings. I had no one. No one to turn to. I met Mark when I was six months pregnant. I went out with Will one night, he got angry at me cause a guy hit on me, even though I rejected him. He took me outside in an alley and beat me. He left me there. Mark found me and felt he had to help a pregnant woman. He helped me and drove me home. He kept insisting to take me to the hospital but I refused. Mark originally thought I got mugged or something, but when I refused, he realized it was someone close to me that was doing this. He worried about me. He gave me his number and told me if I needed help, he would be there. He was genuinely kind to me. One night, Will found his number and lost it. He thought I was cheating on him. I tried to explain to him Mark was just a friend but he wasn't having it. He beat me fierce. He kept screaming at me that our baby and I was a mistake. Then he did this." She slowly lift her shirt slightly to reveal a scar on his abdomen. Seth wondered why he didn't noticed that before.
"What is that?" He asked, afraid of the answer.
"He stabbed me, Seth." She said as tears ran down her cheeks as she quickly pulled down her shirt.
"Jesus, Ava." His heart winced at the thought of anyone hurting her like that.
"He took a kitchen knife and stabbed me in the stomach. He was hoping to kill our son, to get rid of the mistake he made. I was rushed to the hospital. I bleed out a lot, but they got my son out. But he did get him. He was stabbed in his chest. Doctors saved him but he was critical for a long time. I thought my son would die. It was a big wake up call, I knew I had to get out. Cops were looking for him but couldn't find him. I still had no one, so I called Mark. I told him what happened. He was furious. He, somehow, found Will even though the cops couldn't and beat him senseless. Then called the cops and left so he wouldn't get arrested. Will got out on bail and disappeared. They still haven't found him. But Mark helped me get on my feet. He pushed me to go to college and paid for it. He helped me and Sam get on our feet. If it wasn't for Mark, I don't know what I would have done. I had no one else. No one. Mark was my saving grace. I was able to escape that monster cause of him." The tears flowed even more as she finished.
"Fuck, Ava. I am sorry you had to go through that. You don't deserve that, hell, no one does." He reached over and wiped a tear off her face. "I am just glad you and your son are safe now."
She looked up at him and then he added, "Not every guy is like that. Not every guy is a monster."
"I know, but it is hard to let someone in when something like that has happened to you. I always put Sam in front of anyone, so when I even think about it, I think what if they end up hurting my child. It scares me. I almost lost Sam once by the hands of his own father, if his own flesh and blood can do that to him, what's not to say someone else couldn't." She said, crying.
"I would never do that. I would never hurt you, or Sam. I couldn't." He said, sincerely.
"Please, Seth." She begged him to stop.
He cupped her cheek. "I just want to show you there is something different. Something good. Not all men will hurt you. There are men out there who will use their hands, not to hurt, but to love. I want to show you that. I care about you, a lot. I would never hurt you. I promise."
She looked at him as tears still slowly fell. He moved in and gently took her lips. She didn't react at first, but then she kissed him back. She slowly moved close to him and moved her arms around him. They broke the kiss and he moved his forehead against hers. They both had their eyes closed. He then whispered, almost breathless, "Let me be that man. Let me be the one that shows you can be loved. That you should be cherished and worshiped. That is all I want."
She stayed closed to him but moved her head away to look at him. He looked into her eyes and she saw he was sincere. "Okay." She said, softly.
He just smiled at her and kissed her again.