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“I’m not pregnant,” Ava protests.
“You left my daughter. And now look what’s happened.”
“Listen to me,” I hiss. “I wouldneverleave Ava without a damn good reason. I wouldn’t walk away from anyone I care about for my own goddamn selfish reasons. I protect the people I care about. I’d trademy happiness for theirs. Not that I’d expect you to understand that for one fucking minute.”
Her eyes pop wide and the color drains from her skin. “I… I... That’s not what it was like.”
I grind my teeth so hard my head starts to pound. I’ve said too fucking much. My arms tighten around Ava as I drag in a splintered breath.
Zena shakes her head, the whites of her eyes popping. “Ava, tell him. That’s not what it was like. You know it wasn’t like that, don’t you, darling?”
“I do, Mum,” Ava mumbles, seeming to use a whole lot of energy to answer as she grows weaker in my arms.
I ignore Zena’s frantic words tumbling out, focusing my attention on Ava as I place her down onto the hospital bed that’s been wheeled in for her.
“I was grieving. I’d lost my husband,” Zena babbles. “Losing someone you love means you need a fresh start sometimes. I had to move away. I was a mess; I couldn’t be the mother she needed. I thought I was doing what was best for her, that she’d be better with her grandfather.”
“Who are you trying to convince? Me? Or yourself?” I snap, losing all patience for the woman who let my girl down. The woman who left a scared child to grieve alone.
I turn away, using my body as a shield to block her out as I move closer to the bed. Ava looks at me with questioning eyes as Zena keeps blathering on behind me. I brace one hand on the metal frame and lean in.
“Best doctors and nurses in the world here, Ava. You’ll be safe.” I stroke her hair away from her face as the nurse straps a blood pressure cuff to her arm.
Her eyes track to the two medical staff before she looks back at me.
“You hate hospitals.” Her forehead creases with a frown. “You told me in Thailand.”
“That’s right, I do.”
“But you’ve been here since Gramps came in.” She searches my eyes, and a flare of hope ignites in my dead heart that for the first time in over a month she’s looking at me with something other than hatred in her eyes.
It’s enough to make my breath stall in my throat.
Zena starts sobbing theatrically and tries to push around me to get closer. I stay rigid like a wall around a fortress, protecting what’s inside. She scrambles to the other side of the bed instead, getting in the way of the nurse as she grabs ahold of Ava’s hand.
“Darling, are you okay?”
“Fine,” Ava croaks, her eyes never wandering from mine.
“You know I didn’t want to be apart. I asked you to come to LA so many times.” Zena keeps rambling, but Ava just looks at me, a barrage of questions building in her eyes. “And we’re having a wonderful time together, aren’t we? We’re going to be working together, going to red carpet events, celebrating your movie, your success,” she splutters. “It’s what you wanted. You saidso yourself.”
I wish someone would slap her to shut her up.
“You’re going to be famous, Ava. We’ll be recognized everywhere we go. You and me. Mother and daughter. Your story will be talked about everywhere. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened. You’ll see. Aren’t you glad it’s out there now? Being shared with the world? It was too big not to share, Darling. You know I’m right.”
My stomach drops to my feet as the haunted look in Ava’s eyes grows with each blink.
“Jet?” she whispers, her breath catching.
Zena sniffles. “Look at me, darling. Look at me. I can explain. Mitch thought it was a good idea. You wanted to say yes when he suggested it, I know you did.”
My soul is torn from my body the second her pupils widen with realization. The second I see that stab of pain go right through her heart.
“What’s going on? Tell me the truth, Jet.Please,” she begs, searching my eyes.
Every cell in my body goes on high alert as I’m frozen in place, witnessing her crumple in front of my eyes.
“Jet?” she chokes.
