Finding the Love Back (5 page)

Christian closed the space between them and in an instant he was holding Ava in his arms. “Are we just going to stand here and pretend that we’re strangers?”

He stared her in her eyes, awaiting an answer. When she opened her mouth to speak, he instantly covered her mouth with his in a kiss. It was consuming and Ava felt electrified. Suddenly, parts of her body were awakened that hadn’t been in a long time. Christian’s tongue danced playfully with hers and she fell into his body easily with a sense of familiarity. His arms enveloped her and she held on to the secure feeling she felt as he held her.

Christian pulled back and looked at Ava and said the words she didn’t know she was longing to hear until he said them.

“Ava Marie, I’ve missed you.”

Ava’s head was swirling. She could barely catch her breathe. Had she just heard Christian right? Had he just said that he missed her? Not possible. Not after how their relationship had ended.

It took a moment, but she came to her senses. Being around Christian had always knocked her off kilter.

“Wait a minute. I’m not sure that I can go there,” she stated calmly as she backed away from his embrace. Rubbing her forehead, she tried to process the moment.

“Okay. I’m sorry.” Christian let her go and backed away himself. He just stared at her, trying to see if he could tell how she was feeling by her facial expression. He loved the way that her eyes sparkled. The two of them were much older now, but he knew that the Ava Marie that he’d once fell in love with was still there.

“I’ll get us something to drink. You want a soda?” Ava offered.

“Sure. I’ll have what you’re having, Ava Marie.”

Hearing Christian call her Ava Marie sent chills up her spine. It was a call back to another lifetime that had become a distant memory. She liked the way that her name rolled off his tongue so effortlessly.

Walking to the kitchen gave her a second to get her mind in order. Christian had come in and in one fell swoop, turned her world upside down. It was enough to deal with her father’s health, but to have Christian sitting there in the living room was more than she could handle.

Ava brought two glasses of soda on ice to the living room but when she looked around, she saw that Christian had taken a seat out in the sunroom. She went out and offered him the cool glass of soda and then took a seat next to him. Dolce came running out and took a seat beside her.

As Ava rubbed Dolce’s fur, she began to relax. “So tell me a little more about France.” She looked Christian in the eye, and once they made eye contact, she knew it wasn’t a good idea. He had a way of capturing her attention and drawing her in like no other man ever had.

Christian smiled. “It’s beautiful,” was all he said quickly before taking a long sip of the soda and then speaking again.

“Ava Marie, I know that an apology is in order.”

“Damn right it is!” she chimed in passionately. She’d been waiting to see if he was going to address the elephant in the room.

“We were kids. I was so career driven at the time, I had tunnel vision. I was on the fast track for several promotions and I had my dad in my ear trying to sway me to live out a dream that he once had for himself. I’m sorry.” Christian’s face softened and Ava could tell the apology was genuine.

“I accept your apology. I just never really knew what happened between us. How we could go from being serious about one another to not even speaking. I needed you around. I was going through some things at the time and I thought among other things that we were best friends.”

Christian set his glass down as Dolce came over to him and settled at his feet. He reached over and picked the dog up and setting Dolce in his lap, he began to rub and massage the dog. Dolce looked like he was in heaven.

“Ava Marie, I have a love for you that I’ve never had for another woman. Never. It’s been almost fifteen years since I last saw you and the moment that you pulled up in the driveway, my heart skipped a beat like I was some high schooler with a crush. When I heard you were in town, I took a chance coming over here because I knew that I’d done wrong so long ago. But you know what that was like to try and live up to your parents’ expectations for you.”

That she did. Christian’s comment really hit home. She’d spent two years at the University of Georgia, her father’s alma mater when she didn’t really want to go to school there. She’d heard all of her life how important the Bulldog heritage was and she had plenty of black and red school paraphernalia of her own. She’d loved to go to the UGA football games with her dad as a child. There were several road trips back and forth to Athens, Georgia to see the games and     go to alumni functions with her father. When she arrived at the school campus as a freshman, she loved the familiarity she felt there. But it didn’t take long to realize that attending UGA hadn’t been her dream, it was her father’s dream.

When her mother died, she promised herself that she wouldn’t spend another day living someone else’s dream, even if that person was her father whom she adored. She knew that her father would be heartbroken when she told him of her decision to no longer attend UGA and instead attend a fashion school in Atlanta. She had no idea that he would stop speaking to her, but in her heart, Ava knew that it was the right decision to live her life the way that she wanted to doing what she loved.

Reginald Collier was a stubborn man and she knew that he would never apologize or make the first call to mend their relationship. In all those years, their relationship had progressed to a phone call once every other month or so and a card at Christmas. Ava hadn’t been home to Conner in several years and her father never made an attempt to visit her in Atlanta and Ava contended that she would have to deal with things the way that they were. So she knew all too well what Christian had gone through dealing with the same type of situation with his own family.

“I do know what that’s like. You know that I totally understand. What I don’t understand is how the man that I loved could just walk away from our relationship without really putting any closure to it.”

Christian hung his head and closed his eyes as if he was traveling back down memory lane. “I made a mistake. I had a huge opportunity to travel and have the career that I wanted. Ava Marie, it was all sitting right in front of me. Then I had you in Atlanta. I wanted to make all of that work, but I wasn’t sure how to have a long distance relationship and build my career. I felt like I had to choose one.”

“So you chose your career.”

Actually hearing Christian say what happened out loud was a hard pill to swallow. She lived it, but to hear it come out of his mouth was another thing.

“I did,” Christian nodded. “And I don’t regret doing so. I just regret losing you.”

Ava’s heart raced. She couldn’t believe that she was sitting here having this conversation with Christian after all of this time.

“Well, it’s all water under the bridge now. There’s nothing we can do to change it. I appreciate your apology.” She meant it. Talking to Christian and clearing their past issues was a huge weight off of her chest.

Dolce jumped out of Christian’s lap and proceeded to wander around the sunroom, sniffing each corner and crevice.

“How long will you be here?” Christian asked.

“I originally gave myself a few days to get things together, but I see that it will take much longer to do what I have to do. Daddy will be home in another day or so, but I have to get some things in line for his home care. Fortunately, he’s going to be okay.”

“That’s good to know that he’s going to be okay. And I’m glad to know that you will be here in town for a while. I’d like to make the most of our time here. I’m in town for the next month. I hope we can spend some time together.”

“I’d love that,” came out of Ava’s mouth before she could even think.

“Great. I’ll leave you my number. I know that you have a lot going on here. If you need any help, someone to talk to, or anything, just give me a call.”

Christian got up and they walked to the front door together. Ava felt like a teenager again around Christian. She knew as he left there was something between them that she couldn’t let go of and by the way he had kissed her, he hadn’t let go either.

Grocery shopping proved to be a task. Ava saw everyone from her high school chemistry teacher in aisle eight to a classmate from middle school in the produce section. Her plan was to pick up a few items to stock the cupboards and fridge, but the trip had turned into a serious trip down memory lane that she hadn’t anticipated. She even got the uncomfortable once over from a girl that was once the most popular girl in high school who was her cashier when she checked out her groceries.

Ava was happy to leave the store and get back to the house. She spent the early half of the morning cleaning up and sorting through her father’s bills before she realized her stomach was growling and it was time for breakfast. She first checked in with her office and Lisa informed her that all was well. It set her mind at ease to know that things in her business were running well even in her absence. She loved the fact that technology allowed her to handle business from anywhere. Lindsey would be calling her later to Skype and go over a few style choices for a client.

She cooked herself an omelet and then after looking at the business card all morning, she decided to call Christian. It was a rush to hear his voice. He offered to come and pick her up and take her out to have a real breakfast. When her stomach growled, she agreed.  He showed up looking gorgeous as usual. When she saw him get out of his truck, Ava felt like she was sixteen all over again. She remembered fondly the times that she would wait for Christian to come and pick her up to go out on a date. Fortunately, her parents had approved of Christian dating their daughter, and she and Christian enjoyed many nights out on the town going to dinner, the movies, the mall, and showing up hand in hand for every school function.

Christian waved when he saw her waiting at the front door and Ava almost melted when she saw his boyish grin. It didn’t seem much had changed about Christian Carter. He was still an all-around good guy but he had grown up from that lanky teenager with the fly away hair to a dashing mature man who she still thought was sexy.

Christian, ever the gentleman, came around to the passenger side and opened the door for Ava.

“Hello, Gorgeous,” he said as he kissed Ava on the cheek.

She fumbled over her words as she tried to respond. Instead, she giggled and blushed like a school girl. Christian smirked at his power to render her speechless and he closed the door and proceeded to walk around to get in the driver’s seat.

As they started on their journey, they rode in silence at first. Christian drummed his fingers along with the beat to a song on the radio then he spoke.

“So how is your father?” He looked at her out of the side of his eye, waiting for her to answer.

Ava smiled. “He’s doing great actually. The nurses and doctors are amazed at the rate of his recovery. He’s going to be great. I just have to meet tomorrow with the home help staff that the hospital social worker suggested. Once we get that all set up,” she couldn’t finish her sentence before Christian interrupted her.

“You’re leaving to go back to Atlanta?” he asked, a little edge tinged his voice.