Chapter 44

Ethan’s Pov

I woke up to an empty bed. Most days started the same, but I distinctly remember falling asleep with Ava huddled in my arms.

I turned over. The soft, floral scent from her perfume permeated the pillows and blankets that surrounded me. Ava, though, was gone. I sat still and listened to the sound of movement in the house thinking that she may have gotten up to shower or make herself breakfast.

Silence.

I threw the blankets to the side, sitting up in the bed and rubbing a hand over my face. Stubble was forming on my chin, I’d need to shave later. Groaning, I lifted myself from the mattress and noticed a little slip of paper resting on top of my phone on the nightstand.

Ava’s handwriting was scrawled in black ink.

‘Ethan,

Thank you for being so brave for me, I think it’s time I was brave for myself. I’m going to confront Dora - this is a family issue and I’m sorry I dragged you and your reputation into it with me. Forgive me, I’ll see you later tonight once this is all settled.

Yours,

Ava’

I kept rereading the note over and over again. Panic pulsed through my veins; Dora was not a kind girl. I saw how she treated Ava that first day we met and I’d heard a few of the stories Ava told me about their childhood. Dora could get violent and the idea that Ava would face her alone made me sick to my stomach.

I rushed out of her room and sprinted to my own. I threw on a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and bounced out to my car, keys in hand.

There was no way of knowing what time Ava got over to her father’s house. I was hoping that I’d arrive at the same time as her, but it didn’t look like I was that lucky.

I pulled over in front of the house and cut the engine. The front door was slightly ajar and raised voices could be heard from inside.

“Dora no!” It was Ava. A spike of fear shot down my spine and my instincts kicked in. What was happening there? Adrenaline pumping through my veins, I ran up to the porch and burst through the doorway.

Dora was lunging at Ava, reaching for something in her hand. Ava shielded whatever was in her grip from her, yelling and telling Dora to back off.

“Ava give it to me or I will make sure your life will only get worse from here on out,” Dora snarled, readying herself to lunge again.

Ava watched her, neither had noticed me yet, and positioned herself closer and closer to the front door. Dora, her face ragged and chest heaving, huffed and puffed as she ran at her again.

Ava stood her ground, waiting until Dora was too close to back out, and she stepped away from the open doorway. Dora flew out the front door and onto the lawn. She lost her balance and fell onto her hands and knees in the grass.

“Ava!” I called out.

Ava turned and finally noticed me for the first time.

“I got it!” She cried out, gleefully. “I got it! I got it!”

I cocked my head to the side, “What do you-”

A scream interrupted me.Dora, in a blind fury, threw herself at Ava, but luckily I was in between them and able to stop her.

I wrapped my hand around Dora’s bicep and she snarled and gnashed at me as I held her in place.

Ava beamed at me and ran to the car waiting for her on the curb. I held tightly until she was safely in the passenger seat with the door closed before I released Dora.

Dora whirled around on me, “You better watch your back!”

Her teeth were bare as she spoke, like she was trying to intimidate me. It wasn’t working, it wouldn’t.

I squared my shoulders and stood up straighter to stretch to my full height. She cowered, slightly, but not enough. I wanted to scare her, I needed her to know that she couldn’t control Ava anymore.

“You,” My voice was low, cold. “Will leave Ava alone or I will be the one making your life miserable.”

She tried to speak but I cut her off.

“If you don’t, I will ensure that every day is just a reminder of what you did to her and you will get the treatment that you deserve.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but the snarl on her face didn’t fade. She bit out a quiet ‘whatever’ and stomped her way back into her house.

I jogged back over to my cadillac. Ava was fiddling with a small, black device in her lap. A happy smile was plastered on her face. The dark circles under her eyes didn’t look so prominent, and she didn’t look so tired.

“What’s that?” I used my head to gesture at the little box.

“It’s a recorder,” Her eyes sparkled with pride as she looked at me. “I got Dora admitting that it was all a lie on tape.”

Without thinking, I leaned over and kissed her cheek. My face hurt from smiling so hard, my chest burst with pride and affection for the girl sitting in my passenger seat.

“You are amazing,” I complimented, causing a dark crimson blush to spread over her cheeks and neck. She shook her head, an attempt to look humble, but I held her gaze and insisted that she was.

“It was nothing.”

“It was everything,” I kissed her other cheek. “Be proud of yourself, Ava. You were so brave.”

She bit her bottom lip and I resisted the urge to capture her lips with my own. Every day I spent with her, Ava proved just how magnificent she was. A true Luna, no doubt. I started driving us back to our house, taking every chance I could to glance at her through the corner of my eyes.

Something in me stirred. I felt like I was seeing her truly for the first time. I knew there was a sort of physical attraction between us, but something more was growing.

A primal feeling, deep and ancient, sank into my gut. The wolf part of me stirred as I caught a whiff of her perfume and my hand brushed against her knee when I shifted gears. Something in the pit of my diaphragm. I could feel it. My wolf needed her as well.

Suddenly, the idea of staying with Ava longer than a year crossed my mind.

Would it be possible to stay married? Would she be able to love me one day?

“What?” She looked at me and crinkled her nose with a laugh. Apparently, I was staring at her.

“Nothing,” I shook my head, clearing the thoughts from my mind. I needed to focus on the upcoming election and she already made it clear she only wanted to be companions - friends.

The wolf in me shifted. He did not like the idea of staying friends.

--

We got to the house shortly and Ava went upstairs to record her own video to prove her innocence in the situation.

It took her a few hours to get it all right. I asked if she wanted any help, but she declined.

“I have to do this myself, Ethan.” She insisted.

She did it all on her own. She recorded, edited and posted her version of the story alongside the recorded proof to back it up.

It took almost no time for the video to go viral. The response to Dora flooded the forums and drama reporters started posting their reactions to it. It only took an hour for the entire online population’s opinion to shift.

Ava’s video was flooded with positive comments, telling her how she was an inspiration for persevering through such a difficult ordeal.

She came back downstairs and sat next to me on the couch, a tired smile on her face.

“We did it,” She breathed, happy tears welling up in her eyes.

“You did it,” I corrected her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into my side. Friends could hug like this, I told myself. As long as I ignored the way, my heart skipped a beat as she snuggled deeper into my side.

“Ethan,” She whispered and I hummed in acknowledgement. “I want to see my mom.”