On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3) (7 page)

Chapter 11

Tyler

Sweating, smelling, and gasping for air, even then Tyler couldn’t wipe the ridiculously wide smirk from his face. He knew he looked like a fool. The reflection staring back at him as he pushed past the fifth kilometre on the treadmill wasn’t about to let him forget how stupid he looked. But he couldn’t care. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. One he wouldn’t trade for his life. None of the bullshit mattered anymore. Ava loved him. She’d said as much and anything that had come after that was hazy at best.

Shaking his head to try to dislodge the image of the woman who was most assuredly already zonked out on his couch from his brain, Tyler increased the incline and pace and pushed himself harder. After all, the sooner he hit the ten kilometre mark, the sooner he could get back upstairs.

With renewed enthusiasm and the best incentive he could imagine, Tyler ran until his legs felt like jelly beneath him. There was a reason he was a swimmer. Swimming was easy on your body. Well, maybe not easy, but easier than running endless miles. Swimming made you feel weightless and stretched all of your muscles out in one go. Running was painful. And exhausting. And hard work. And he hated it. Tyler knew it had to be done though, so he persisted. As soon as he’d completed the bare minimum, he sprung from the treadmill, suddenly filled with renewed energy, wiped down the machine, and almost skipped back upstairs.

Pushing open his door as quietly as he could, Tyler could hear Ava’s soft snores echoing across the room. Glancing down at her, she looked so precious and small that Tyler couldn’t contain the beaming smile that swallowed him. The pride inside almost burst forth and set the room on fire. Forcing himself to step away, he hurried down the hall and stepped into the shower. An icy cold shower was what he needed right now to get himself under control.

Tyler couldn’t hide his surprise to see Ava still sleeping when he was finished. She looked exhausted. It had been a big couple of days and part of him, the part he didn’t want to confess existed, wondered how she really was. Not the outward fake Ava, the Ava who kept trying to smile no matter how much it hurt her.

Tyler: Hey. You hear bout Ava’s car?

It took a few minutes, but Jake never failed to let him down.

Jake: No? What?

Tyler: Some idiot rear ended her into the guard rail.

Jake: Fuck! She ok???

Tyler: Yeah. Think so.

Jake: ???

Tyler: Seems to be.

Tyler didn’t know how to answer Jake’s question. Was she okay? Was she falling apart and didn’t want him to see? What was she going to do for a car? Did she even have enough money to buy a new one? Was she insured? Questions bounced around his brain like balls trapped in a pinball machine.

Jake didn’t text back. Instead Tyler’s phone started ringing in his palm. Trying not to wake sleeping beauty, he stepped onto the balcony and pulled the heavy glass closed behind him. He didn’t spend much time out there and he was surprised by the wind that whipped around. It whistled as it wound its way between the buildings. Brushing his damp hair from his face, Tyler braced himself and accepted the call.

“What the fuck happened?” Jake demanded brusquely.

Tyler knew he wasn’t trying to be an asshole but sometimes when he slipped into overprotective father mode; it just came across that way. Tyler had faced it more than once since he’d been with Ava and Jake wasn’t even her father. He just acted like it. And Tyler knew that Ava both loved and hated him for it. More often than not, Ava found herself slightly humiliated by his crazy antics but Tyler just laughed them off. Secretly he hoped if he had a daughter someday and he wasn’t around, someone would do the same for her.

“Well, hello to you too, Jake!”

“What happened? When?”

“Calm down, Ava’s fine. She’s asleep on the lounge. Last night in the rain a truck decided Ava’s car would look good as a hood ornament and ploughed into the back of her.”

“Fuck me. And you’re sure she’s okay?”

“Yeah, Jake, she’ll be fine. Just shaken up, mostly. The paramedics checked her over at the scene and gave her the all clear.”

“Oh, okay then. So why is she asleep on your lounge? Surely she could have at least crashed in your bed.”

Tyler let out the breath he’d been holding. Now that Jake seemed satisfied Ava wasn’t dying or harmed, he’d reverted to being the shithead Tyler had come to know and weirdly enough, love.

“Really, Jake? You really want to know about the rules for my bedroom?” Tyler laughed satisfactorily. He couldn’t help but imagine the look on Jake’s face as his words seeped in.

“Oh fuck, Tyler. Hell no!”

“Didn’t think so.”

“Well, if she’s okay, I’ll let you go.”

A pair of warm arms slid around Tyler’s waist, startling him. “Fuck!” he swore as Ava’s warm, soft body pressed against his back. He hadn’t even heard her open the door. Covering Ava’s hand with his own, he noticed how tiny and delicate they were compared to his.

“She’s fine, Jake,” Tyler assured him as he turned to Ava and rolled his eyes dramatically.

“I’m okay, Jake,” Ava added sweetly.

Suddenly Tyler was desperate to end the call. He didn’t want to waste a moment of his time with Ava. The phone call may have eased Jake’s anxiety, but for Tyler it just reinforced how precious each moment was and not one of them was worth wasting.

“Jake, we gotta go.”

“Okay then. Tyler…” Tyler didn’t wait for Jake to finish. It wasn’t important. It was bound to be just another lecture about taking care of Jake’s princess.

Turning around, Tyler swept Ava into his arms and looked down into her bleary eyes. She was still half asleep. Her hair was everywhere, her eyes thick with sleep and her lips chapped, but Tyler couldn’t help but think she’d never looked lovelier than in that moment. When the breeze kicked up and took control of her unruly hair, the scent of her apple shampoo made Tyler groan.

“Feeling better, Princess?”

“Princess, hey?” Ava grumbled into his chest as she nuzzled even closer.

“Yeah, I like Princess.”

“Okay then.”

“Okay then. Feel like a drink?”

“Sounds good.”

Ava stepped back and ran her hand through her hair and when it caught on a knot, she gasped in horror. Without a word, Ava darted around Tyler and raced through the apartment only to slam a door behind her. Chuckling to himself, Tyler dived into the fridge and grabbed the jug of orange juice. Pouring two tall glasses on top of the ice cubes, he put the carton back in the fridge and plunked himself down on the barstool.

Taking a long swallow, Tyler almost choked when Ava stomped into the kitchen and threw herself on the seat beside him. “What’s wrong, Short Stack?”

“Don’t.”

“Oooo…someone’s got her cranky pants on today,” Tyler teased as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave it a squeeze.

“Why didn’t you tell me I looked homeless?” Ava snarled as she gulped down her juice in one long swallow.

Tyler just laughed and pulled her close, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. “Princess, you didn’t look homeless per se, more zombie-like, I think.” After coping a wicked slap to the centre of his chest, Tyler restrained her violent hands. “Okay, Short Stack, now you’re awake, we need to talk.”

He watched as his words settled in and Ava’s whole disposition changed before his very eyes. Her shoulders drooped, her eyes fell, and her breathing became rapid and shallow within the space of seconds. The transformation was unmistakable.

“Now, don’t be like that. You always think the worst. Of me and of you. It’s not bad. I was just wondering if you’ve had a chance to contact the insurance company about your car?”

Chapter 12

Ava

As soon as the sigh passed her lips, Ava was humiliated by how loudly it came out. However, Ava knew she couldn’t hold it back. She’d been preparing herself for something terrible for weeks. If she was being brutally honest, she’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop since the moment Tyler swept her off her feet and whisked her around the dance floor.

“My car,” she gasped, unable to contain the relief.

“Of course, your car,” Tyler smirked. “One day, Ava, you’re going to believe it when I say I love you.”

“Maybe.”

“No maybes about it.”

“We’ll see.”

“You never know. One day, I might just prove it.”

Tyler winked.

Ava’s heart stopped.

He was kidding.

He had to be.

“Anyway, back to your car troubles…have you had a chance to talk to the insurers yet?”

For the next twenty minutes Ava and Tyler debated the pros and cons of actually insuring a car. Maybe it was because Ava had a shitty insurer who provided even worse service than they did value for money that everything was so damn difficult. After being on speaker and wasting a large chunk of the afternoon, with her heart in her stomach, Ava collapsed dejectedly into the lounge.

“Well…”

“Yeah.”

Handing her a bottle of water, Tyler flopped onto the lounge beside her. As soon as he did, Ava was on her feet, unable to sit still. Pacing back and forth, she was ranting and muttering and making absolutely no sense. She knew it, nevertheless she was thankful when Tyler remained silent and just let her get it out of her system. It took a while and she could feel Tyler’s eyes tracking her every move. From the corner of her eye she could see the bemused smirk.

With a final huff she collapsed onto the lounge again, intending to sit beside him, but losing her balance halfway and ending up perched in his lap.

“Hi,” he whispered as he placed a not so innocent kiss behind Ava’s ear that boiled her blood.

“I need to ask…”

“Anything. You know that.”

“Would you let me finish?” Ava snapped, annoyed as she wiggled on his lap until she was straddling him. Biting his lip, Tyler nodded, encouraging her to continue. “My car’s a write off. The public transport near my house is shit at best. I only have tomorrow and Monday morning before I head to Sydney for the rest of the week.” Ava stated the facts, trying desperately to remove all emotion from the situation. Not because they weren’t there. They were. In abundance. The issue was they were all there. Driving her insane. Making her want things and think things and dream things she had no right in wanting. “I was wondering, if it’s okay with you and if I’m not in the way, would I be able to stay here for a couple of nights, get the bus to work on Monday, and then I’m away. I won’t get in your way or…”

“Ava!” Tyler’s strong voice shocked her. Ava’s eyes shot up and were instantly ensnared by Tyler’s steely gaze. “You don’t have to ask. Stay here as long as you like. In fact, why don’t you think about leaving some stuff here so when you do stay, you don’t have to cart it around?”

Tyler’s suggestion knocked her sideways. Literally. Seeming like a complete klutz, Ava attempted to pull back from Tyler, which unbalanced her so she inevitably ended up on the lounge beside him, almost kneeing him in the chin as she fell.

Tyler laughed. She could see he was trying not to but failing miserably.

“Not expecting that?”

“No…not…at…all,” Ava barely spluttered the words out.

Tyler looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. His eyes were filled with disappointment. “I don’t know why not.” He pushed Ava off him roughly before clambering to his feet. “Come with me,” Tyler requested, sticking out his hand expectantly.

Ava couldn’t hide how much her hand shook as she extended her fingers and dropped her hand in Tyler’s. It wasn’t a question of trusting him. She trusted Tyler implicitly. It was herself she didn’t trust. She didn’t trust her big mouth or her traitorous body. Nervously, Ava followed him down the hallway.

“Close your eyes, Short Stack.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Ava squeezed her eyes closed and sighed dramatically. When she felt the warmth of Tyler’s hand settle over her eyes, she realised he wasn’t joking. He knew her too well. Ava had every intention of peeking and Tyler had taken that away from her. “Spoil sport!”

“I know you,” he whispered into her ear and Ava wasn’t sure if it was the warmth from his breath that tickled her ear that set her pulse soaring or just his proximity.

Shuffling her feet, Ava felt herself being directed around a corner before being tipped off balance and landing on her butt on Tyler’s gigantic bed. Tyler let go of her hand and Ava felt him moving away from her. Sitting alone on the bed, it was all too disconcerting for Ava to string together. Tyler’s scent was everywhere. She could smell his cologne in the air and if she wasn’t bewitched before, she was now.

“Open your eyes, Ava.” Tyler’s strong, proud voice broke the silence and Ava’s eyes flicked open quickly. “See these empty shelves here?” Tyler pointed at not just one or two but a whole row of shelves. “These are yours. All you need to do is put your shit on them.”

Gobsmacked, Ava’s mouth gaped open.

“Did…did you just do that?”

“Ava,” Tyler frowned. “Do you really think I’d do that?” Ava shrugged her shoulders, feeling like complete shit. “It’s been like this for weeks. Didn’t you notice when you were raiding my wardrobe?”

“Nope.”

Ava felt sick. She was light headed and her stomach was doing somersaults. It was all too much. Too fast. The worst part was Tyler was just trying to be a good guy. He didn’t mean to make her head spin. She knew all he wanted was for her to be happy.

Forcing a half smile, Ava sprang from the bed and jumped into Tyler’s arms without pausing to make sure he’d could and would catch her. “Thank you,” she murmured against his neck, trying to get as close as possible.

“Any time, Short Stack,” Tyler promised as he stalked towards the bed, Ava still in his arms. Before she had a chance to react, Ava found herself being tossed like a toy across the room and onto his bed, landing with a bounce.

Two short hours later, the sun was beginning to set as Ava cracked her eyes open. She untangled herself from Tyler. The thought crossed her mind that she’d slept most of the day away. As quickly as it had settled in, it passed. She’d needed the sleep and she didn’t regret a minute of it.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Tyler grumbled, his eyes still closed.

“I was wondering,” Ava said so sweetly it made her own teeth hurt.

“Yes…”

“Can I borrow your car? Just to run home and grab some stuff?”

Wordlessly, Tyler reached out and grabbed her and pulled her back into his lap. Obviously he was wide awake now. “Of course. Give me ten minutes and I’ll come with you.”

“It’s fine. I just need to grab some clothes and stuff and I’ll be back. Why don’t you stay and start dinner?”

Hanging his head, Tyler huffed. “It starts.”

“What starts?”

“I gave you a shelf less than three hours ago and already I’m being treated like a housewife.”

“What! I…but…I…shit!”

“Breathe, Short Stack,” Tyler chuckled against her neck, the vibrations setting her whole body on fire. “I was kidding. Geez!”

“Asshole!” Ava tried being cross but the light in her eyes gave away the truth. “That was mean.”

“Sorry.”

“No, you’re not! You should be, though.”

Ava climbed to her feet and pulled her clothes on, her shirt getting caught in her hair, resulting in a string of obscenities that would make even the toughest sailor blush. When she was dressed she turned back to Tyler and her mouth fell. He was lying on the bed, the sheet low—enticingly low—and his hands behind his head. The relaxed, lazy drawl on his face exuded happiness. Fighting the urge to dive back into bed with him, Ava forced her feet into her shoes and headed out the door.

“Pick up dinner while you’re out,” Tyler called as Ava passed through the kitchen, swiping his keys from the bench.

As soon as she sunk into the leather seats of the Jeep, Ava rested her head against the steering wheel and sucked in deep breaths. The truth was she needed to go home and get some clothes but more than that, she needed a moment to breathe. Just some space to take in everything that had just happened. As much as she loved Tyler, and there was no doubt in her mind that she did, right now she just needed some room.

When she arrived home she couldn’t remember how she got there. She’d driven in a daze. The moment she burst through the front door, dropped her hand bag, and kicked off her shoes, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Slipping into her computer chair, Ava started typing furiously. She wasn’t sure the last time she’d felt a compulsion this strong to block out the world and just write.

Page after page she typed.

When the room fell dark, she barely noticed and just kept typing.

When her phone buzzed in her bag, Ava’s wide red eyes struggled to adjust to the dark as she moved away from the computer. Tripping over her own shoes as she groped about, it took a minute before her fingers wrapped around the vibrating silver phone.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!”

“No, Ava, you’re supposed to say hello when you answer the phone, not shit!”

“I’m sorry, Tyler!”

Tyler didn’t respond. At least not with words. He didn’t need to, though. His snorting laughter said it all.

“Shit! What time is it?”

Ava ran her fingers through her hair aggressively before she bent backwards, stretching out her spine, earning her a loud crick. The pressure it relieved made Ava sigh satisfactorily.

“Just after eight.”

“Shit!”

“It’s cool. I was hungry, so thought I’d see how far away you were.”

“Shit, Tyler. I’m so sorry. I completely lost track of time. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be on my way.” Flicking on lights, Ava was darting around her apartment, throwing clothes and underwear in her navy sports bag.

“Don’t stress, Short Stack. It’s no issue at all. Why don’t I order in and it will be here when you get here?” Tyler’s voice was so steady, calming, it soothed Ava’s racing heart.

“Th-thanks, Tyler.”

“No troubles, Ava. None at all. But I gotta ask, what have you been up to?”

Ava sucked in a deep breath and held it. There weren’t many secrets between her and Tyler, but right now she had a confession to make, one she wasn’t ready to make or was completely convinced she should make.

“Nothing much. Hey, I should let you go so you can order us some dinner and I can grab my stuff and come home.”

The pause that fell between them felt like it would never end.

“Sounds good. See you in a bit.”