He says my name.
I open my eyes to him.
“I don’t ever want to see you again. Understand?”
I nod my head because it’s all I can do. Words have failed me.
And, using every ounce of strength I have, I turn and leave his apartment for good.
Ava
I climb in my car and put Gucci on the passenger seat. I throw my bag into the footwell.
For a moment, I just sit here, hands on my steering wheel, staring out the window in disbelief.
I can’t believe what just happened.
Tears run down my face and onto my lips. I wipe them away with my hands.
“Baaahhh.”
I glance over at Gucci. “I know, baby. I just…I don’t know what’s happening. I’m as confused as you are.”
I pick her up and set her in my lap, hugging her to me. I bury my face in her soft fur. Tears start to soak her coat.
“Sorry, baby girl.” I dry her fur with my hand and wipe my eyes dry.
I don’t know what to do. I could call my brother, but he’s in Japan at the moment, and I don’t want to bother him. And I know, if I call Mom and Dad, they’ll want me to come home to New York. Stupidly, I don’t want to leave here. Because Gabe’s here.
I know; I’m a fucking idiot.
But he’s alone, and he’s hurting.
He might hate me and think I’ve done an awful thing. I might be angry and hurt as hell that he thinks I could have done that to him, but I love him, and I don’t want him to be alone when this story hits the press.
I think about calling Tate because I know Gabe won’t, but I don’t know his cell number. I don’t want to call the hospital.
Then, it hits me.
There is one person I can call.
I lean over and grab my cell from my bag. I take a deep breath, steadying my breathing, and press her number.
“Hey, stranger.”
“Hey, Charly.”
Charly is a good friend of mine. I’ve known her for years. I’ve not spoken to her in a few months, but this is how we’ve always been. And I know I can call her whenever I need help.
“I know it’s been a while since I last called, but I really need your help.”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Are you in LA at the moment?”
“No, I’m in Oregon.”
Charly lives there with her boyfriend, Vaughn West, who’s a famous movie star, and he also happens to be a close friend of Gabe’s. That’s the reason I’ve called her. I know Gabe has just been a world-class asshole to me and has hurt me like no one has before, but I also know he’s hurting over the fact that the whole world will soon know about his past, and I don’t want him to be alone when that happens. I know it’s killing him that this will be getting out.
“Oh. Okay. Just…could you do me a favor?”
“Sure. Anything.”
“Could you have Vaughn call Gabe?”
“Gabe? As in, Gabe Evans?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. But why are you asking me to get Vaughn to call Gabe? I didn’t think you guys knew each other well. Or at all.”
I take a deep breath. “We didn’t. But we do now. It’s a long story. I just really need Vaughn to call Gabe.”
She picks up on the urgency of my tone. “What’s going on, Ava?”
An unexpected sob bursts from me. I press my hand to my mouth.
“Shit, Ava. What’s going on?”
“Just Gabe and I were together, and now, we’re not because he thinks I did something that I didn’t. And, now, something’s about to be made public and it’s going to really hurt him and I don’t want him to be alone and I would have called his brother, but I don’t know his number, and I know Vaughn is a good friend and I thought he could call him—”
“Okay, babe. I’ll get Vaughn to call Gabe. But, first, I need you to take a deep breath and tell me everything from the start.”
So, I do. I tell her everything—from the moment I hit Gabe with my car to what just happened in his apartment. The only things I leave out are the details of Gabe’s past. It might be public knowledge soon, but I made a promise that I wouldn’t ever tell a soul, and I’m keeping that promise even if Gabe thinks I didn’t.
“Jesus, Ava. I don’t know what to say. I just—”
“It’s fine, Charly.”
“No, it’s not fine. He blames you for this when you haven’t done anything wrong.”
My heart swells because she believes me at my word, which is more than Gabe did.
“And the first thing you do is call me, so I can have Vaughn check on him. Guy doesn’t know how lucky he is.”
“He’s hurting.”
“He’s an asshole. I’m sorry, Ava, but he is.”