Ava

"W-wait but- what? This wasn't supposed to be so easy." I muttered. My eyebrows were scrunched and I didn't know if Jett was playing with me. "You don't want to punch him?"

"I'm the boxer, Ava. He can't punch me." Elias murmured from beside.

"No." Jett chuckled. "Well, if I caught you two having sex together then maybe. But I trust your judgements. You're both adults and very much capable to make choices. If this is what you want, if this is what makes you happy, why would I have a problem with that?"

"So you're like, really cool?" I asked again. Jett had reacted in the most opposite way I'd expected him to. He was smiling, though hesitantly, looking between the two of us. Elias looked uncertain as well.

"I'm not going to say it isn't a little weird, but I suppose I could handle it. Eli has been my best friend for ten years, there's no one I trust more than him. And you're my sister, I know you. I know you wouldn't do this if you weren't sure."

I opened my mouth to say something, then decided against it. Jett chuckled again. "I'm upset you don't even trust me that much, Ava. This had been going on for a year and this is when you decide to tell me? And you," He turned around to face Isabella, who looked like a dear caught in headlights. "You knew?"

"No!" She replied, a little too fast. "Of course not. Eli, how could you have not told me? I'm disappointed in you, hermano. You should have told us sooner."

"Of course, as if I'd buy that." Jett scoffed. "He runs to you for every single thing."

"Just like you." Elias snickered. "You told Ava about you and Isa two months before I found out."

"I always thought you calling her nicknames was an inside joke." Jett murmured. "I feel so stupid now. You both left so many hints and I still couldn't figure it out."

"If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't have figured it out if he hadn't told me." Isa said. 

"Well, that's all well and nice now. But, on a serious note," My brother said. "I don't want to lose either of you, okay? Don't hurt each other."

I looked up at Elias just when he looked down at me, and he smiled, shaking his head. I smiled back. "Aw, they're so lovey dovey." Isabella cooed. He closed his eyes in frustration. 

"I'm going to grab coffee. You want some?" I asked them. They shook their heads.

"I'll come with you." Elias added.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his body as we walked out. Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he said, "See, that wasn't bad at all. I told you we'll be alright."

I looked up at him, grinning when he pressed another kiss to my nose. "Maybe I should start listening to you."

"You should." He said as we walked into the elevator. "Because when I say no one in this world has to power to end us except you and I, I mean it."

"But you and I are not going to end it, right?"

He tipped my head up, his eyes softening. "No, we won't."

Elias kept his arms around my waist, standing behind me as I ordered our coffees. He tucked my hair behind my ear, then bent down. "I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute."

I nodded, his warmth leaving my body as he stepped away. I hummed to myself, tapping my feet on the ground in a rhythmic motion. I felt someone standing behind me.

"Hello, Miss Thompson." There was a whisper. 

I snapped around because that voice was awfully similar. Fred stood behind me, hands in his pocket, smiling wickedly. He was dressed in a long coat, a dress shirt and some pants, and I scrunched my eyebrows. This fucker should have been in jail by now. 

His smile widened. "I'd say you look surprised to see me."

"How the fuck are you here?" I asked. 

"I'm a man, I have contacts outside business, Miss Thompson."

I didn't understand what relevance did him being a man have to do with him having contacts. I had contacts outside business as well, and I was not a man. He just wanted to exert dominance on me. Pity he couldn't. The only person capable to dominate me was in the bathroom at the moment.

"And you happen to just stroll in a hospital?" I raised an eyebrow. "You won't be out for long, Fred. Why waste these days doing boring things?"

He clenched his jaw. "I was visiting someone. Surprise running into you."

"Of course. But I suppose you didn't come to talk to me about this shit? What do you want?"

"Drop charges. Ask Brenda to drop charges or I'll-"

"You'll? You'll what?" I chuckled. "Ruin me, I suppose. And it'll be so easy for you since I'm a woman and you're a man. Grow up, Fred. You're in your fifties, act like your age. Don't threaten me, I'm the last person who's gonna be threatened by you. You managed to keep her quiet for a day, but you'll go to prison. I'll make sure-"

My jaw was grabbed tightly between his fingers suddenly, his face confronted into an expression of fury, and I was too shocked for a few seconds to react. "You brat-"

I grabbed his wrist, pressing down on a pressure point I knew all too well, and he flung his hand away, hissing. "Do not ever, ever touch me, or I'll break your fucking hand in a way no doctor would be able to make it alright."

"Ava?" I heard Elias from behind me. "Who is that?"

Fred turned around and left just as Elias came to me, grabbing my wrist to make me look at him. "Who the fuck was that?"

"Nobody." I muttered, fishing for my phone. 

"Look at me." He commanded. His eyes were burning with fury, but he was still so patient. "I'm controlling myself from going to him and bashing his face in a wall for touching you like that, because you're more important. Talk to me. Tell me who that was."

"Motherfucker." I typed on my phone furiously, pressing it to my ear. My boss picked up on the second ring. "Patricia, why the fuck is he still out?"

"He knows the judge-"

"Fucking change the judge then!" I growled out. Elias grasped my jaw softly, tilting it to the side to check if I had gotten any injury. My heart clenched at that small act.

"We're working on it-"

"Fuck your work. I swear I'll punch his guts out if he comes near me again." 

"He came to you?" She sounded more alert. "What did he do?"

"He asked me to drop the charges and called me a brat. No one disrespects me like that. And he touched me. Do something or I swear I will." I hung up without giving her a chance to respond.

Elias stroked my cheek in the tenderest of touches, waiting. Waiting for an explanation, his mouth not opening in a demand, but his eyes pleading with mine to open up.

"He worked in the sales department." I closed my eyes. "Harassed a woman the other day, I fired him. She pressed charges, but he knows the judge and is out at the moment." When I opened my eyes, his face was unreadable. "Thank you for not going after him and staying with me."

"You're my priority, amor." He said. "You needed someone. I had to make sure you were okay before I beat his ass. And I have enough confidence in you. I've taught you well enough to take care of yourself. You don't need me for protection."

"Physical protection." I whispered. "But I need you for mental strength. And my peace of mind. And emotional support. I need your presence, Elias. In every way possible."

He smiled softly. "What did she say?" 

"She said they're working on it. I think this incident will speed up the process because he did it again. But if it doesn't, I will fuck him up."

"Throw a punch from my side as well, okay?" He said. "What was his name again?"

"Fred."

"Surname?"

"Page. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just curious."

"Don't tell Jett about this, okay?" I told him as we rode up the elevator. He looked like he wanted to protest, but nodded his head. 

His arm around my shoulder was tighter than when we had rode down, and he tipped my head up like last time, but pressed a kiss to my jaw. "He called you a brat."

"He's an ass-"

"And he touched you." He said. "And threatened you. What else did he do?"

"Why?"

"Tell me."

"Nothing. He asked me to drop charges. Why are you asking me these questions?" I asked.

"Just because." He said, his tone stating this was the end of the topic. I huffed, but didn't any anything. 

When we reached Isabella's room again, Elias pushed it open, walking inside as I followed him, then I stopped in my tracks. Four new faces occupied the room. Some very familiar faces. One was embracing Jett, the other one Isabella. They looked up at us when we stepped inside, smiles wide on their faces. I looked at Elias in shock, finding him smiling back. He didn't look shocked like me, it almost seemed like he knew. 

"Well," My mother snickered. "Welcome back, lovebirds. Seems like we need to chat."

-⍣-

Well, drama is coming.