An Unlikely Deal(59)

Come back, Lucas. It's dangerous out there.

Muted voices call from behind me, but I ignore them. Ava is out there … somewhere. I have to find her.

The sky splits open and water pelts down, drenching me instantly. The temperature is freezing, and my teeth chatter. The old injuries seem to harden, the muscles knotting and gnarling painfully.

Still, I have to find Ava. I can't go back to safety without her.

There.

I see her standing at the edge of the cliff. Her platinum tresses and all-too-slim body are unmistakable. The hair is stringy with rain, and the flimsy white sundress sticks to her like wet tissue.

"Ava!" I bellow.

She looks at the dark horizon beyond the sea. I force my legs to move, even though the wind is unbearably strong now. How is she able to just stand there, her back as straight as a steel rod?

"Ava!" I call out again.

This time she turns. Her face is pale with cold, except for the eyes. They're electric, so hot and bright they appear like tunnels of blue fire through the rain.

Her lips move. She isn't speaking loudly, but somehow I can hear her clearly over the raging wind and rain.

"You're despicable."

"Ava … "

"Why did you ever think you'd be good enough?"

Crippling fear surges within me, but I clench my legs and extend a hand. "It's dangerous out there. Come with me. Please."

"No." She turns to the ocean. "I'd rather be there than with you."

"Ava."

I push forward, using every drop of strength in my body. But the distance between us seems to grow wider.

Fuck.

Suddenly she turns, facing me again. "You can't have me, Lucas. You never deserved me." She steps backward, beyond the cliff, her dress and hair fluttering like streamers as she vanishes over the edge.

"Ava!"

Panic slams into me, and I jump forward only to crash against an invisible wall. Sharp pain slices through me.

"No!"

Breathing hard, I jackknife into a sitting position. Sweat covers my skin, and my heart is hammering against my ribs with such force that my chest throbs.

I run a hand over my face. Jesus. What the fuck was that?

Just a dream … with fragments of Grandpa's Landscape of Tuscany tossed in. It doesn't mean anything. I reach for my phone, ready to dial Ava's number, but the screen shows it's after three a.m. I toss it on the sheet and bury my face in my hands. It's good that it's too late for me to call. What would I say?

I lie back, but sleep doesn't come.





Chapter Twenty-Five



Ava

I'm up by five thirty, which is way earlier than normal. Despite the very comfortable travel, jet-lag has struck.

I stay in bed and read a mystery novel that I downloaded a couple months back. It's an okay book with a cute librarian as the lead. Around the time I hit the end of the fifth chapter, the house starts to stir.

After a quick shower, I put on a blue sweater and jeans and make my way downstairs, my sneakers quiet on the hardwood floor. Ray and Darcy are sharing coffee by the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Ray looks like he's ready to go out for a round of golf. A navy blue zip-neck sweater with horizontal stripes across his chest lies neatly on his torso, and well-fitted dark brown trousers-as well as his golf shoes-look brand new. Darcy, on the other hand, doesn't seem interested in any particular activity. She's in a bright yellow cotton shirt with a cream-colored cardigan thrown over it, and her favorite plaid angle-length skirt hangs on her slight body. A pair of plushy brown slippers covers her feet.




 

 

"Good morning," I say with a cheery smile.

"Morning. Sleep well?" Darcy asks.

"I was up a little early because of the flight, but yeah. I did."

I head for the coffee maker and pour myself a big mugful. Ray is a connoisseur of the brown stuff, and my foster parents have some of the best coffee in the world.

I wrap my hands around the mug and take a sip. "This is so good."

"I got some new beans from Colombia," Ray explains. "They're excellent. Much better than I expected."

Darcy smiles. "If they weren't good, you would've sent them back."

Laughing, Ray gets up with his empty mug. "Of course. No reason to pay good money for bad coffee." He looks at both me and Darcy. "Do you ladies have any special requests for breakfast?"

"Belgian waffles?" I ask, licking my lips.

Ray is an excellent cook, and his specialties are waffles and pancakes. I don't know what he puts in them, but it's highly addicting.

While Ray gets busy in the kitchen, Darcy and I check the nursery. Mia is already up. When she spots Darcy, she extends her fat little arms, silently asking to be picked up.

"Hello, baby girl," Darcy coos as she slips her hands under Mia's armpits and pulls her upward, settling the small child against her chest. "Aren't you a sweet little thing? You were so quiet in here, we didn't even know you were awake."