On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3) (23 page)

Chapter 43

Tyler

Tyler was not a patient man at the best of times, but as the hours turned into days with so much unresolved, his frustrations grew. While his plans seemed to be coming together and everything was falling into place, it wasn’t moving fast enough for his liking. Ava wasn’t back in his arms where she belonged. He knew he had to bide his time and keep his distance, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Tyler: When you going to my place?

Katie: My life doesn’t revolve around you, you know.

The urge to slap his sister was overwhelming. He knew she was only saying it to press his buttons, and her snipey comment hit every single one of them.

Tyler: Please Katie…

Katie: Never seen you beg before. :)

Tyler: Well I am now.

Katie: OK. I’ll go this afternoon.

Tyler: Thanks.

Feeling slightly better that something was moving, Tyler tossed his phone back in his bag and headed to the gym. His life was a mess right now and only he could clean it up. He was just thankful he didn’t have to do it alone. He’d already recruited help. Especially those who could infiltrate the places he couldn’t get near because of his own stupidity. Ava. She was off limits to him. And while staying away from her might be the best thing in the long run, it didn’t mean for a minute his fingers weren’t itching to touch her.

Three sweaty hours later, Tyler chugged a bottle of sports drink and wiped his face on a towel. Although every muscle in his body burnt and he could feel the lactic acid building, his mind had never been clearer. He knew what he had to do.

“Hi Mum,” he puffed down the phone as he tossed his bag onto the back seat of the car and cranked the air conditioning.

“Tyler! What a lovely surprise. You never ring. Is everything okay?”

Tyler sighed. His mother was a master at the guilt. He knew he should call more often but he never had anything to say. Up until recently every day in his life was the same. Wake up, training, eat, nap, training, eat, and repeat. No variance, no excitement, nothing to report.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Even as the words dribbled from his mouth he realised what a gigantic lie that was. Everything was not fine. In fact nothing was. “Just wondering if you and Dad are home tonight?”

“Of course, sweetie. Why is that?”

“I’m on my way.”

“Tyler, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?” He could hear the fear in his mother’s shaky voice and he regretted being the one responsible for putting it there.

“Nothing, Mum. I just want to talk to you both. Can Katie come over too?”

“Absolutely.”

“Can you call her and invite her? If I do, she’ll think something’s up.”

“O-Okay. Are you sure you’re all right, Tyler?”

“Yes, Mum. I’m fine. I’m not sick and I’m not in trouble. I just need to talk to you guys. But look, I’ve gotta go. I’m driving so I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Okay, sweetie. Drive safely. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Tyler added, quickly ending the call.

Already he felt lighter. Dropping his foot on the accelerator, Tyler’s Jeep leapt forward and he was on his way. Even though he’d made the decision and he was happy with it, getting his parents’ approval was important to him. They’d been the ones to support him through everything. Together they’d ridden all the highs and all the lows his career had given him. All he could hope for now was that they were willing to back him as he attempted the biggest ride of his life.

Using his hands free, Tyler spent the next hour on the phone putting things in motion and confirming arrangements. Running his hand through his hair, Tyler grabbed the energy bar from the console and wolfed it down in two bites. He had one more call to make. The one call he’d been putting off for days. The one thing that worried him the most. At least he was already in the car headed out of town. If Jake wanted to catch him, at least this way he had a head start.

“I was wondering when you’d grow a set and return my call.”

“Hi to you too, Jake.”

“Fixed it yet?”

“I’m working on it.”

“Work faster.”

“Jake…”

“Nah, Tyler. I’m serious. Our girl looks like shit. From what they’re telling me, she’s not doing well at all. She comes in early, works through, and as soon as the clock hits five, she’s out the door like something lit her arse on fire.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“And she’s still sick. I don’t know what it is and she’s not talking. To anyone. All I know is she barely eats anything at all and throws up a lot.”

“Damn it!” Tyler slammed his fist onto the steering wheel, accidentally smashing the horn, causing the driver of the car overtaking him to flip him the bird. With his jaw clenched painfully, Tyler forced himself to keep from exploding. “Jake…I need to know…”

“I know you do,” Jake replied, quickly not letting Tyler get too far. “Right now, she’s not talking. Amanda’s keeping an eye on her. Give her the weekend to calm down, then we’ll see how she’s holding up. Hell, if she’s still sick on Monday, I’ll drag her sorry arse to the doctor’s myself.”

“Thanks.”

“Where are you, anyway? Sounds like you’re in a tunnel or something.”

“I’m in the car. Headed home. I need to pick up something.”

“You’re not being a pussy and running away again, are you?”

Jake’s words stung. Tyler wanted to argue and make him take them back but he couldn’t. How could he possibly be pissed at Jake for that jab? All he’d done was tell the truth. No matter how painful or how ugly that truth was.

“No.”

“Good. She deserves better than that.”

“Agreed.”

“Right then.”

“Look, Jake, I’ve got to go, but keep an eye on her for me. I know Amanda’s watching but—”

“I get it, Tyler. Go, get whatever shit you’ve got to do done and get back here and fix this. Fast.”

“I plan to.”

Tyler hung up, relieved. It had gone better than he dared to hope it could have. After a long gulp of the warm water from the bottle on his door, Tyler turned up the stereo, slumped back in his seat, and put his foot down. He had shit to do and now he had even more of an incentive to get it done as quickly as humanly possible.

The moment his car’s front wheels touched the concrete driveway of his parents’ suburban home, his mother was there waiting, with her arms folded over her chest and a worried expression covering her face. He knew he was about to get an earful. Slowly he inched up the driveway before turning off the ignition. Taking a deep, calming breath, Tyler climbed from the car and was greeted immediately with a slap.

“What the—?”

“Tyler Andrews! Don’t you ever do this to me again! You hear me?”

“Yes, Mum,” he replied automatically. He might have been a grown man living his own life. He might have flown around the world and represented his country at the highest level. He may have met everyone from presidents to royalty. But when he came home, he was still just his mother’s son. Something she’d never let him forget.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on now?”

“Is Dad home?”

“Not yet.”

“Let’s wait for him.”

“Tyler…”

He turned and looked at his mother. She wasn’t happy. Her lips were a straight line and the concern in her eyes reassured him that he was making the right call. He only wanted to do this once, so she’d have to wait. He didn’t think he had the strength to do it twice.

“As soon as Dad and Katie are here, I’ll explain everything. I promise.” Placing a kiss on her forehead, Tyler wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her inside. “I’m going to run and have a quick shower. I came straight from the gym and after sitting in the car smelling my own stinky arse for the past couple of hours, I know I need it.”

“Okay then.”

Tyler headed towards the bathroom, pausing to grab a clean towel from the linen cupboard. “Oh Mum?”

“Yes, Tyler?”

“What’s for dinner?”

He watched as a sneaky smirk covered her face, erasing all her worries. It hadn’t been his intention to distract her, but it was working perfectly. “What do you think?”

“You’re the best!” Tyler called as he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door his mouth watering with thoughts of his mothers roast pork and vegetables.

Twenty minutes later, Tyler’s cramped muscles had eased, he’d showered and shaved and was feeling a lot more confident. Even though he believed with everything he was that he was doing the right thing, somehow though, after everything he’d been through and everything he’d achieved, he still needed his family’s approval. Their support meant the world to him and he wanted it now more than ever.

Walking into the dining room, he found his family sitting around the table, sipping coffee.

Without even waiting for Tyler to sit down, his mother declared adamantly, “Right! We’re all here. Start talking.”

Chapter 44

Ava

All she wanted to do was sleep in. It had been the week from hell. Everything just seemed hard. Too hard. She’d barely achieved anything at work and the mountain was growing each day of things that needed to be looked at, but she didn’t have the energy to care. Her relationship with Tyler had crashed and burned, going down in a spectacular blaze for the whole world to see. Not to mention her body was killing her. The lump on her head had started to subside thankfully, and her stomach seemed to have settled down, as long as she didn’t eat. The only thing in her crazy, upside down life that was going right at the moment was her latest book. Missing a few hours’ sleep had proved to be worth it, because the final book of James and Anna’s story, the one responsible for catapulting her life from mundane and ordinary into the barely recognisable mess she now endured, had been sent to her editor. What’s more, she was happy with it.

Scrunching her eyes closed, Ava willed sleep but it didn’t come. After ten frustrated minutes, Ava jumped in the shower and mentally made a list of things to do today. She still hadn’t found a place to move into and with a little over a week to go before she was homeless, it was trying her nerves. She tried to remain positive and believe her friends wouldn’t let her down, but it was always there, niggling in the back of her mind. Amanda had offered to let her crash on her couch as long as necessary, but Ava liked her space and would only use it as an absolute last resort.

After pulling on her yoga pants and one of Tyler’s shirts she’d found, she piled her hair into a messy bun and wandered into the kitchen. After gulping down a large glass of orange juice, Ava started assembling boxes. Today the packing would begin and she was going to be ruthless. Anything she didn’t want, anything she didn’t use, or anything that was just damn ugly wasn’t making the trip. If Goodwill didn’t want it, then it would go to the landfill. It was time to make some changes in her life. Changes that made her feel good. Changes that were purely selfish.

Four sweaty, dusty hours later, Ava slumped to the floor, exhausted. Glancing around, she saw how much more she had to go and sighed heavily. Considering her apartment was a one bedroom shoebox, she’d crammed a whole lot of crap in there.

A determined knock on the door made her drag her aching body off the floor. Wiping her forehead with the back of her arm, Ava felt gross. She had the compulsion to hide and wait for whoever it was to go away just so they didn’t have to see her like this. She was a mess. Coated in a thick layer of dust, dirt, and sweat, she smelt and she wanted nothing more than a long soak in a hot bath.

“Hi.” She tried to smile as she yanked open the door, but the smile died on her lips.

“Morning, Ava,” Luke’s timbre voice replied as he looked her up and down unashamedly.

“Nice shirt!” Sam added, winking at her.

Ava wanted to cry. Or run and hide. Or both. “What are you…you doing here?”

She watched as they exchanged knowing glances. There was something going on and Ava wasn’t in on the joke. She hated secrets and not knowing, but the lazy smirks on their faces told her everything she needed to know. They weren’t about to spill the beans, no matter how much she tortured them.

“We’re here to help.”

“Help what?”

“Help you, silly,” Luke explained vaguely, ruffling her hair with his gigantic paws.

“So, you going to let us in or what?” Sam asked.

Stepping back, Ava watched as the two towering men stepped into her apartment. Overcome by not only pure humiliation, but claustrophobia, Ava strode over to the door and pulled it open, letting the cool air filter through. She needed air and a lot of it. For a moment she remained silent with her arms folded over her chest as she watched the men move about her apartment silently. Each wore low slung board shorts, a t-shirt that hugged their impressive muscles, and expensive running shoes. Without a word they started working, taking books off the shelves and filling boxes.

Feeling out of place, Ava hustled and joined in. Soon, all three were silently cramming boxes closed and stacking them by the door. When another knock at the door came, Ava felt her heart drop. Who could possibly be showing up now? Before she had a chance to climb over the saucepans that littered the kitchen floor at her feet, Sam was pulling open the door.

“Wow!”

“And you are?” Sam asked, blocking the opening.

“Amanda. Is Ava here?”

“Ava!” he called out. “Someone named Amanda is here?”

“In the kitchen, Amanda.”

With a smug smile, Ava watched as Amanda ducked under Sam’s arms, her eyes never once leaving his as she inched across the room. Ava leant back against the counter with a smug smile as Amanda stepped over a box and slid up beside her.

“Care to explain what the fuck is going on here? And more importantly, why I wasn’t invited?”

Ava laughed. A full, loud, obnoxious belly laugh. Her whole body reverberated and it felt so good she didn’t want to stop. Ava couldn’t remember last time she’d laughed so hard.

“Ava, are you okay?” Luke asked with a worried look on his face. He’d emerged from her bedroom, holding the picture from her wall as if it was a piece of priceless art.

“I’m fine. That can just go in the trash, Luke.”

Confused, he asked, “You sure?”

“Absolutely. I never actually liked it, it was just the first thing I found that was the right shape and size.”

“Good. ’Cause I wasn’t going to say anything but, fuck, Ava. This is ugly!”

The laughter came again. Not just from Ava. All four burst out laughing as Luke held the picture up and Sam put his fist straight through the centre. “Looks better already,” Amanda snorted.

While Sam and Luke continued packing, Amanda dragged Ava into the bathroom and slammed the door.

“Seriously, Ava, what’s with all the man candy?”

Ava couldn’t stifle the giggle that bubbled up her throat. Luke and Sam were hot, there was no denying that but they were…Luke and Sam. She’d seen them do too many dumb things over the past couple of months to see them as anything more than big brother types. And the things she’d heard, she wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole. “Honestly, I have no fucking idea. They showed up, walked in, and started filling boxes.”

“So you get sexy slave labour without even asking?”

“I guess Tyler was involved somehow,” Ava choked out, all the fun and frivolity seeping from her face.

“Wow! You really do lead a life I don’t understand.”

Ava shrugged. She led a life that she didn’t understand most of the time. This was all new to her. She didn’t ask for the help, but she wasn’t stupid enough to turn it down either. A knock on the bathroom door startled them both and Ava leapt from the edge of the bath where she’d been perched.

“Ava?”

“Yeah?” She smiled, pulling open the door only to come face to face with the solid, muscular wall of Luke’s broad chest.

“We’ve got to take off, but most of it’s done. We’ll be back next Saturday with the truck to move it all for you.”

“Thank you, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, we do,” Sam butted in. “We promised Tyler—”

“Tyler’s not here.” Admitting it shredded Ava’s insides. It was a fact. Tyler wasn’t there. He’d never be again, but it still hurt like a bitch.

“We know,” Luke consoled, dragging her into his arms and squashing her against his chest. Through his sweat drenched shirt, Ava could feel his heart beating. Ava grabbed a handful of his shirt and sniffed against his shoulder. Feeling Luke tense beneath her she tried to pull away, but the moment she did he hauled her back in close. He wasn’t letting go. “It’s going to be all right, Ava.”

“You…don’t…know…that…” she blubbered.

“Yeah, Ava. We do.”

“Hang in there. You’ll see.” Ava turned her head and saw Sam staring intently at her. Ava felt bad. Her being such an upset mess was obviously making them uncomfortable.

“What do you mean?”

“Just keep going, Short Stack,” Luke told her, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek before fleeing out the door, Sam hot on his heels.

For a minute, Ava stared at the door, willing them to come back and explain. They never did. Turning to Amanda, she saw her mouth gaping open and shock in her eyes. “Seriously, what the fuck is going on?” Ava demanded, her voice filled with venom and maybe a little hope.