Page 31 of This Woman Forever
“The first night. How?—”
“Coral, seriously. Enough. Whatever you thought I felt, whatever you imagined happened between us, you’re wrong.” There’s a competition happening with an award up for the woman with the thickest skin. I think Coral might be edging out in front.
“Where’s Ava?” she asks.
My shoulders lift, tense. It’s a simple question but it somehow feels like a threat. “Leave,” I order through a tight jaw. “And I swear, Coral, if I see you around here again, I will call the police and have a restraining order slapped on you, do you hear me?”
“But, Jesse, please, listen to me.”
My head goes into my hands. My God, what will it take for her to hear me? The sofa beneath my arse moves, and I look up to see she’s sat down at the other end. “What are you doing?” I sigh.
“I need you to hear me.”
“No, Coral,” I say calmly. “You need to hear m?—”
The door swings open, and my heart jumps into my throat when I see Ava on the threshold of my office, her eyes bouncing from each end of the couch constantly, taking in the scene. No. Oh fuck, no.
I stare at her like a clueless fool, scratching through my mind for some instructions.
Get up! Go to her!
But the second my muscles finally listen to my head, Ava backs out and pulls the door shut.
“Oh, there she is,” Coral muses.
I blink, turning my eyes slowly her way. She’s resting back on the couch, relaxed. I stand, unable to control my shakes, and bend, forcing her back farther. “Get the fuck out of my manor and my life,” I seethe, looking her up and down on a contemptuous sneer. “You pathetic leech.” She can’t hide her hurt. Good. Fucking hate me. Please, just fucking hate me and leave me the hell alone. “You’d better be gone when I get back.” I stalk to the door and yank it open, finding John on the other side. “Get her out of here,” I order, passing him and jogging down the corridor. I scan the summer room, try to see through the crowds of people who have taken to the dance floor, searching for an explosion of white. Nothing. I pass through, shrugging people off, smiling tightly, trying to get to the bar. No Ava. Sam looks up, as does Drew. “Have you seen Ava?” I ask.
“No.” Sam frowns. “I can’t find Kate either. Maybe they’re together.”
Drew laughs lightly. “Seriously. You can’t find your wife and you can’t find your girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Sam breathes.
“Of course.”
“Coral turned up,” I say, backing out of the bar and looking up and down the foyer.
“Coral?” Drew blurts.
“Yes, Coral. Ava walked in on me talking to her in my office.”
“Talking about what?”
“Nothing, Drew,” I snap. “That’s the fucking point. There’s nothing between us, never has been.” And even though Ava knows that, she has every right to be upset about me leaving her—on our fucking wedding day—to appease an ex-fuck who won’t fuck off. Ava was right. I shouldn’t have uncuffed us. Fucking Coral.
I leave the boys and hurry upstairs to our suite, bursting in and scanning the space, checking the bathroom, before dashing back downstairs. Where the hell is she? I look at the door onto the driveway. Has she left? I’m a bag of nerves as I walk slowly to the doors, pushing out of them. I find Kate sitting on the steps nursing a cigarette and a glass of water. She peers back at me as she exhales. Her face is blotchy. Her eyes puffy. “Everything okay?” I ask, trying to sound concerned while scanning the driveway for Ava.
“Perfect,” she says, smiling.
Fuck it. I can’t just ignore the fact she’s been crying. “Sam’s looking for you.”
She turns back away from me. “I’ll be back inside soon.”
I haven’t got time for this. “I don’t know what’s going on with Ava’s brother, but?—”
She swings around. “What’s Ava said?”
“Nothing. Just that there’s history.” I look back over my shoulder into The Manor. “Look, Kate, Sam’s a good guy. Don’t fuck him around, okay?”