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“Maybe I should go stay at my apartment. You need some space.”
Ava didn’t want that. She couldn’t stand to be away from him, but then again she sometimes felt like he was smothering her. It was a weird mix of emotions that she couldn’t reconcile.
“No, please stay. I’m sorry. I’m just nervous about the exam.”
Xander felt unwanted and that her excuse was just to placate him. He felt like leaving but what kind of person would he be to do that to her before her exam. He knew the stress it caused. Maybe she would become the old Ava after she was done.
“It’s almost time for you to take your medication.” There was the face again. I should have kept my mouth shut. He ignored it and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. She went to the bedroom and tried to study. They were two boats drifting apart.
The next morning Ava felt a little better but still miserable. She would be testing all day. Xander stayed out of her way. He let her shower and dress first. Then he got himself ready for work. Barely a word was spoken between them. He left for work first, giving her a peck on the cheek and wishing her good luck.
On the way to work, Xander’s heart was heavy. He loved her, but he didn’t want to be around the tension any longer. He was working on an important case, and he needed to keep his concentration. How could he when all he thought about was her and why their relationship was burning out.
At the entrance to the building where her exam was to be administered, Ava ran into Luca Gatto. He was also taking the exam.
“Luca, how are you?”
“I’m well but if you don’t mind me saying, you look sick.”
“I am. Just my luck for it to happen before the test.”
He put his hand on her forehead.
“You feel warm. Do you have a fever?”
“It’s not as high as yesterday, but I had no intention of missing this exam.”
“Ava, I’ve missed you. Do you want to get some lunch at the break?” He clasped her hand with his own.
“Sure, I’ll meet you here at twelve-thirty.”
As they went to their seats she thought, why did I say yes? It was obvious that he still had feelings for her. She would tell him at lunch that she had a boyfriend that she was in love with, wasn’t she?
She took her seat and got prepared for what was going to be a long three hours. Her head was hurting, but she needed to put as much effort as she could muster to take this part of the exam. After the first three hours of the exam were over she felt confident that she did well. She did not find any one part of the exam difficult but then again she still had another day and a half to go. This afternoon would be the essay part. She wanted to text Xander, but she had left her cell phone at home since it was not allowed in the testing room. She met Luca at the front of the building.
They went to a nearby café for a quick lunch and discussed parts of test they were unsure of their answers. Then Luca asked about her relationship status. She hadn’t talked to him for several weeks, and he wasn’t aware of her being back with Xander. She had told Luca about Xander during one of the times they shared his bed. She could see the disappointment on his face; it was obvious to her that he wanted more from her than to be just friends.
As time neared for the start of the afternoon session, they went back to the exam site. She bid him farewell and went to her desk. Her head was pounding even worse than this morning, but she was going to have to deal with it until she finished.
* * *
Xander wonderedhow Ava was doing with the exam. He knew that she was not able to take her cell in the building with her, and he would have no contact with her until this evening. He, unfortunately, had to meet with clients and would not be home until after eight or even later. He wanted to ask her about her day and offer her some comfort.
When he did get home that night, she was asleep on top of her quilt. He pressed his cool hand to her head, and she stirred.
“Xander?”
“Yes, baby, I’m home. How was the exam today?”
“I think I did well. I still feel crappy but one more day to go.”
“Did you see anyone from your graduating class?”
“Yes, Luca was there, and we had lunch during the break.”
Xander bristled at this piece of information. She had told him that she had slept with Luca during their separation. She had said that Luca wanted more, but she couldn’t give it to him.
“Oh? What did you talk about?”
