AVA

The whole drive back, I clutch his free hand and keep it on my lap; he will smile whenever he glances to his side and finds me gawking.

I missed his attentiveness to the road, the way he would concentrate, making sure he was driving safely, and the smile he would always slip on when he shifted his focus between the road and me as his hand worked the wheel.

It was everything.

We didn't talk much ever since we got back into the car; the quiet and essence of the space that had recollected and inhabited most of Leigh was sufficiently healthy for me.

Until we arrived at the gate of the mountain house, which automatically opened itself and gave us access to our home, Leigh finally spoke.

"You okay?" He turned over to me, looking concerned.

No matter how much I want my smile to come out naturally, it turns out tight and fake.

Leigh sadly sighed and briefly ran his hand against my arm, tenderly stopping by my neck.

"If I have the right to take you away from here, I will." He looked away and clenched his jaw. "But I can't, and it sucks."

Seeing how much it hurts him, I gulped and tried to think of a better lie.
"Leigh, I am fine. It is not like I give a bloody shit about that." I gesture to our building.

He brought back his eyes to me; there were narrowed, disbelieving my utterance.

"What you gave me today is enough." And that wasn't a lie.

For the past fifty weeks, I've dreamt of being alone with him; nothing felt right until now.

"You can text me lat..." I started and stopped when I remembered the witch grounded me earlier. "I will see you in the morning." I feign a smile.

"Come here." He urged and didn't wait; he pulled me into a hug that immediately washed any pain I'd ever felt.

My body relished the affection and heat of his body glued to mine; I held him back, so tightly wishing I didn't have to pull away.

But the villa's front door opened, we had to separate and settle back in our seats.

Leigh parked by the driveway and let me climb out first.

In my heavy boots, I drag my legs forward and stop before Princeton Claire.

"I am sorry I puked on you last night." I embarrassingly apologise.

I feel so stupid finding out she has nothing to do with Leigh in the way I had automatically assumed, and fuck, I gave the girl a hell of my unreasonable attitude.

"No hard feelings. I had showered already." She chortled.

"Still," I mumbled with a sheepish smile on my face before I walked into the house.

When my eyes flash to the foyer's wall clock, It reads seven in the evening, and that one is on descending from the mountain.
We had been careful even though it was supposed to be easier than climbing.

I slipped out of my shoes, knowing the witch would always have something to say. Right now, I wasn't going to give her that pleasure.

Barefooted, I followed the direction to the kitchen, and luckily for me, no one was there; I lazily opened the side-by-side refrigerator and picked a bottle of water, grabbed a cup from the glassware cabinet, and twirled the cap of the bottle to pour some water for myself.

I ended up finishing the whole bottle and getting annoyed while disposing the rubbish. I had wasted time using a cup just to finish the bottle and throw it away.

God!

On my way to my bedroom, I came across Julian; he hastily stuffed something in his pocket when he noticed me and patted my shoulder with a worried expression; I couldn't tell it was real or not, asking if I was okay.

I can't believe mom didn't only choose to slap me, but she went to the extent of humiliating and belittling me before the eyes of everyone. If not learning a little about Princeton Claire's and our love-target differences, I wouldn't even dare look her in the eyes after my shameful downfall in her presence.

"Never been better," I replied with a far-too-serious sexy wink and walked off.

In my quiet bedroom, the bedding was organised, and everything was arranged in a better way than this afternoon when I left it.

I am aware of who cleared it, but it makes no sense, given that she came in to pack up my laptop, ring lights and even the tv cables. How pathetic of her.
I wonder where my both friends are. I hope she didn't seize them too along my properties and lock them in her drawer like the witch from Hansel and Gretel's tale. Only mom isn't a cannibalistic witch; she's just a bitch kind of witch.

I was in my white set of underwear after taking off my pinafore when someone came into my room without a knock.

Startled, I instantly look in the direction.

It was Lilith, in a grey material mini gown, holding a cup of milk and a plate of something I can't quite tell.

Oh please, spare me the pity pretence. Lilith would always do this every time mom had to display her hatred for me. I guess it makes her feel more closer to mom, as she has always wanted to steal my mother from me.

Well, she can have her; I don't want a bloody slag for a mother who slaps me around and compares me with the man she chose to marry and had me with.

"I am naked." I annoyingly point out.

"There's nothing I haven't seen; I changed your cloth last night and the other night and all the nights you were drunk and useless." She smirked.

So she is here to insult me?
I am not surprised; a devil can never be an angel.

"Exactly, you were there. So great how it always turns out, right?" I spat out with spite at the pretentious two-faced snitch in my bedroom.

If it weren't for her, I wouldn't get a real slap in the face, though I will give her one thing since her bite to my arse had led to my stable emotional state. Now I have Leigh again.

"Look, your mom had no right to hit you. I've talked to her." She spoke softly, her smirk dissolves, and a serious expression takes over her features.

I don't believe her.

"Why will you do that?" With scrunched face, I asked from beside my bed in only underwear and my hair freely flowing around my shoulders.

Her eyebrows are brought together, forehead wrinkled as a thoughtful frown form on her face.

"Because she needs to know how lucky she is to get to have enough time with you, not every mother gets that chance."

Okay, I know her mother died when she was little and if that's the case, and also the reason she's taking away my mom or whatever their bonding goal is. I don't care anymore.

"Lilith, whatever." I rolled my eyes and advanced towards the closet. "You can have her. It is not the end of the world. People could have other children." And children could have other parents, those who wouldn't blame them for their mistakes or hit them in public or even ever at all.

Her eyes follow me while I walk.

"You don't get it, do you? I am not trying to take Susan from you. I am envious I didn't get to have what you two have."

Oh, please.

"Slaps and arguments?" I scoff.

"God, what happened to you?" She frustratedly asked and plopped into the comfy armchair across the room, taking a sip of the milk that was supposed to be mine.

"Growing up."

"That's chaotic and nothing more, Ava." She opposed, her challenging gaze quizzically drilling while I searched for a plain baggy t-shirt to sleep in.

"So far, so good."

"You're my sister, little, foremost."

There's a clinking sound while she speaks, got me instinctively turning around. I find her putting down the plate of biscuits and a cup of milk on the table.

"Yes, you've been very particular about it lately." I turn away, my hair flipping in the process.

"Look, I might taunt you, but I would always have your back."

"Oh please, taunt?" I sarcastically mumbled, not able to contain the scorn in my tone. "Wasn't it hate?" I added when slipping into the oversized shirt that covered almost my thighs and has its collar falling off my shoulder. "You exposed me to our parents, Lilith. That's not having someone's back. But there's a word for that, and it's simply pronounced, traitor. You have to hate someone to snitch on them." I said to her when I emerged from the closet, pulling my hair out from the shirt.

"Hate is a strong word." She bashfully mumbled in an almost muted tone. "Okay, I shouldn't have, but in my defence, I enjoy provoking you because the angrier you get, the thicker your accent."

Baffled, I uttered: "What?"

"What? It is not every day I see an English combusting." She insouciantly shrugged, rolling her eyes in a sassy manner.

And I am the crazy one?

"And now that's chaotic." I officially declared, my hands automatically surrendering, while my eyes inspect the crazy person in my chair, eating my biscuits.

"Bite me." She dared, sticking her tongue out.

"Now I will." I sprinted, grinding my teeth in the process while I playfully attacked her on the armchair that she was struggling to break out.

"No, vampire. Ugh." She squeals, bursting into an unrestrained belly laugh whilst pushing me off her lap that I was straddling and nibbling on her throat. "I do have cookies and milk for you. Take that and let me go." Lilith offered.

"No, I am Edward Cullen, and I will save you." I chuckled.

"Oh my God." She squeaks. "It's tickling. Ava." Her laughter deepened. "I am not on the verge of dying. Edward Cullen has his reasons."

I was giggling at her fearful voice as she rushed her words out when the door swung open and revealed a worried Christain in a white polo shirt and khaki trousers.

"What are you girls doing?" He asked, his worried expression smoothing to a smile.

"Mayday Mayday, dad, there's a vampire in the building," Lilith exclaimed in my hearing.

"I am only thirsty for her blood," I told the slightly bewildered man holding the doorknob.

"You girls are so adorable." He laughed before he added: "Ava, can we talk in the morning." He queried with a smile playing on his lips.

I nodded, agreeing. "Yes, sure."

Albeit I know what he wanted to talk about, I decided to hear him out because, at the end of the day, he's my only ally when Leigh isn't here, and mom is no more the mother I used to follow to medical school back in London, when she will tell me her, and I are the same, just for me to grow up, and she finds out I am dark and twisted, and now she's relating me to someone else.

"Okay, see you in the gym."

"Good night." I sincerely smiled at him.

"Good night." He replied and began closing the door but stopped midway when some reminder popped into his head. "Oh, and the driver took Tori and Evie back to their homes."

Uhm... That's why they're not here. And I didn't even get enough time with them.

"Okay, Thank you." I chew on my inner cheeks, watching him smile and leave.

"What do you have for your birthday?" Lilith asked, wrapping her arms around my waist; when the door closed. "You do know it's in two days." She sceptically observes me.

That!

I exhaled loudly and climbed off her lap, walking back to the bed where I flopped on my back, watching the ceiling with my hands on my stomach.

"I will think of something."

"It better be cool." Lilith implored from the chair.

***

I've been turning and tossing on my bed for an hour, but I couldn't bring myself to rest when my head wouldn't take a break as the thought of Leigh's lips on mine had been the only rumination going in my senses.

My fingers had been caressing my lips since an unsuppressed smile lingers on my lips through thinking about earlier.

If Lilith could wake up and see my idiotic situation in the dark, she would probably criticise everything wrong with it.
Yes, Lilith had fallen asleep on my bed, after we had danced to some trends on her TikTok and mine, that I logged in on her phone.

It was past midnight when I couldn't take it anymore. I let my foot dip into the carpet and find my slippers.

The thought of our hands holding, memories of my time in his arms, the pull of his charming smile that seems so unreal right now, my body just needed more to accept I wasn't fascinating.

My footsteps were stealthy when I quietly left my bedroom and a deeply asleep Lilith.

In my slippers and oversize shirt, I crossed the hall to the door I shouldn't be turning open at this time of the day, given we have companies in the house and parents who would disapprove of this.

Crookedly, I swirl Leigh's doorknob and open the dimmed bedroom, where the lights were off, and the large telly was showing a professional football game between 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders.

The volume was on mild level, and Leigh was on his foot by his king-size bed, shirtless, drinking water from a glass cup.

He was only wearing a tight black brief, I quickly took my dilated eyes away from that region and shot them up to his face as I froze in my track, not even reasoning adequately to close the door behind me, and it was a great risk I was putting us.

His eyes had long found me; he was stifling a smile as he asked: "I thought we are taking it slow?"

That!

I nervously gulped, having nothing to say as every sense of thinking had left me abandoned by the opened door.

Then he began approaching, rising every hair on my body.

He kept walking and didn't stop. He came behind me, snatching the doorknob from my immobilise hand; he closed the door and leaned his head on my shoulder, hugging me from behind me.

His skin was warm, his arms too strong but gentle when they had me in them. I could barely move. I bet he could listen to my heart beating loudly in my chest.

"You are shaking." He whispered to my ears. His voice was thick and deep, waking those butterflies in my stomach that I thought had died last summer.

"It happens naturally whenever you're close... I can not help it." I stuttered, staring forward, while my body remained attentive to every detail of our closeness, the movement of his hands around my stomach, the sense of the touch, the warmth of his skin against mine, the calmness of his heartbeat, his even breathing, blowing in my neck.

"God, you have no idea how much I missed you." He whispered so sensually and confident, kissing my neck insistently.

My eyes instantly closed to the contact of his soft lips to my skin; I couldn't deny the faint moan that left my lips.

Goodness, look at me, so pathetically in love.

I was already crawling back to him like I'd been waiting for a green light after a year of his silence.

In most of the books I've read, forgiveness and moving forward doesn't come this easy; the women hold on to their pride and dignity and let the man chase after them. But sadly, I made my story different by failing the covenant of women.

I needed oxygen, and without him, I was just a soulless body; when he offered me a chance for a second life, I took it in a heartbeat, throwing away the pride and all that made me a woman.

Sawyer would be disappointed about all of this if I were brave enough to share my American love story with her. But sadly, it was secretive.

He grabbed my hand in his, a genuine smile on his deep red lips, which strongly highlighted his dimple.

"You can show me." I bite my bottom lip at the beauty of his warm sparkling eyes.

He smiled even more, exposing his paper white teeth, and hell, if that didn't make me want to drop my pantie and jump on him.

I guess, after all the lessons and practice, the workout and training, I am still that vulnerable little girl who so badly wanted to be seen by her stepbrother.

And that proves I am miserably weak, but right now, I didn't care what my mind and head saw me as; my body was doing the lead, and it is telling me, there's no better place than here, in Leigh's bedroom, letting him hold my hands and leading me to his bed-just having all of him to myself.

It was enough; it felt better than any accomplishment I've ever dreamt of.

He got onto the bed and helped me next to him until I was seated beside him, our backs against the headboard, and I was facing the telly screen, then he repositioned himself, facing me fully, with his legs folded, touching my bare thighs. That got my body reacting and my entire mind focusing on the spot where our skins were touching.

The intensity of his eye on me had blood flowing to my cheeks.
I should say something and rescue my shy self.

"Is that a new game?"

"It was today's game. I missed it live."

"Cool," I mumbled, nervously playing with the hem of my t-shirt, for he wouldn't stop staring instead of watching the game playing on the telly.

"Can I ask you something?" He questioned, enthralling my gaze to lock with his lovely dark eyes, and I nodded, swallowing.

"Why did you dye your hair?" He inquired curiously.

I playfully scrunched my face at his irrelevant question.

"Is a hairstyle, and people changes hairstyles often." I point out.

I am not confiding, not about days I would stay up all night, staring at my door, letting myself believe he was just across the hall, in his bedroom, listening to music or doing homework. Or nights, I find myself almost dialling his cell phone number when the anticipation of seeing his phone call through my mobile phone had become so tiny, and I knew he wouldn't call because I had demanded the distance that was killing me.

Without him, I had terrible days, worst moments that could not be expressed and were tough to define. All those breaking points led to my ostentatious change.

At that stage of my life, it felt like every eye were over me; it was like everyone could tell what was going in my head; I wanted to cover up so badly and lead everyone in another direction that wouldn't unfold my dark secret, my hurting and regrets.
So that's the inspiration behind my fake blonde hair and bad attitude.

"I know, but you wouldn't just change your hair color without reason. The Ava from sophomore wouldn't." He thoughtful said.

Can we do something different other than talk about my hair? Like sex, for instance.

"That sophomore Ava will not stay forever, she grows up, and now she's a senior." I impatiently retorted.

"I know..." He began, but I cut him off. "I don't want to talk about it; kiss me," I said, grabbing the back of his neck to support me as I set myself over this lap, straddling him and connecting his lips with mine.

I bit his bottom lip passionately. The smell of his sweet fragrance, so safe and attractive. He gasped when I began lowering my hands down his hard torso; I took advantage of his lips parting and tagged his tongue with mine. My fingers paid careful details, tracing every muscle on his trunk, his bulgy pecs, down to his chiselled two-four-six- abs, down to his abdomen.

He drew in a deep breath, slightly shuddering. My fingers kept on going way down, dangerously low to his V-line as I slowly sucked his lip. I swear I felt him expanding in his brief, so I started to ground my hip slowly against him, moaning myself, but his hands suddenly clasped my both wrists, holding them by each side of me.

"Ava." His voice was strained when he breathed in my mouth.

With my eyes closed just like his, I frown. "Don't tell me no, because our parents are married, Leigh they're going to stay married." I breathed, my voice fueled with painful emotion.

"Here, right now, it freaks me out not to bend you over and pull that shirt off of you. It stings not being able to have you as I wanted. Cause damn. I am fucking caught up in you."

"Then do it," I begged, wriggling my hands in his, but he wouldn't let me slip.

"I can't." He whispered weakly. Our faces were so close; our noses were brushing.

I've waited, it was him or no one. He can't just say no to me.

"Why?" I croaked, my closed eyes crammed with tears.

"Hey." He finally released my hands, cupping my cheeks in his warm palms. My teary eyes open, and I find him worriedly watching me. "I am an adult; you are not. I can't take advantage of you."

What?

"My seventeenth birthday is in two days. Most of my classmates have..." I bite my inner cheeks mid-sentence and look away from his eyes. "I want you. Don't say no." But there is always something putting boundaries between us.

He quietly pulled me closer and grabbed my lower lip in his, kissing me deeply and prolonging, his hands not letting go of my face.
I could feel his apology and the withholding of his desire in the intense kiss. When he pulled back, he asked: "Do you want to know something not so fun about Princeton?"

I nodded once, my eyes fixated on his.

"I lost my games, and I almost got replaced."

What? Him? Leigh Boyce lost a game?

"I thought you won the league?"

"I did, but the first semester was challenging, so it was hard to focus. Julian and Claire helped me. Mostly, Claire, we talked a lot. About you, mostly, and it was like you were there." He adorably smiled and tenderly got me off his lap.

"You thought of me?" I blushed.

"The whole year, I talked about you to all my teammates." He said. "But I made sure not to mention this about us." His finger point to the two of us.

"But Claire?" I asked.

"She knew. I told her I left myself back at home, and she said, that's absurd; I am there with her." A serious frown deepens into his face. "So I told her that it was my body, but my soul, my heart, my strength and breath were abducted by my stepsister in Vegas, who left a permanent mark in me."

Is it selfish to be happy he didn't move on? That our distance had messed him up as it had done to me?

I turn away, smiling to myself. It was at that moment, the door opened, pulling my heart out with it.

The light was immediately turned on, brightening the whole room.

"Ava? What are you two doing?" Lilith's mystified voice came up.

Bloody hell.

Speak. Think of a lie. No, instead, I gaped with wide, panicked eyes that could sell me away.

"Ava couldn't sleep; she came to watch Raider's game with me," Leigh explained, or rather lied to his sister.

I wouldn't know what to do if he wasn't always saving my arse.

"Okayyy?" She sounds wary. "Ava, you should go back to bed." She jerks her head towards the open door.

God!

"Yes." I blow out a breath through my mouth and climb out of bed, ignoring her curious eyes, observing me and Leigh's half-naked body.

I put on my slippers and scramble to my bedroom, parting ways with Lilith as she heads for her bedroom.