Avery trusted her heart to a man who promised her forever. When he betrays her trust, should she stay and rebuild what was broken or let go and move on?
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Prepare to be swept away on a rollercoaster of emotions as Avery engages with the comp...
"WHY DON'T YOU ANSWER your call? Here... in front of me."
"If it's important, they should have messaged me already." In a flash, David declined the call and sipped his coffee. His hands were shaking as sweat showed slowly on his forehead when the cool temperature inside the cafe was at its best.
"I thought I could take notes while you talk to your client here."
David tried so hard to read Avery's statement between the lines. He couldn't see any, but he felt something different about her. It felt like he was about to lose his sanity, trying to gauge what was happening inside her mind. Seeing her gaze at him while telling funny stories about Shelly made him conclude he was overthinking the situation.
"I guess I have Shelly to thank for this pleasant surprise, babe!" His hand softly touched Avery's face.
"That or you might curse her! Good thing you're just really busy with work. Imagine my reaction when she told me I should also take this chance to check on you. Crazy Shelly!"
He didn't say a word. But his eyes said it all. In the less than two hours they had been together, Avery learned how to get on his nerves. She slowly removed his hand from her face, remembering how he had used the same hand to touch the woman's pregnant belly hours ago.
Silence separated them. Both stared at each other, trying to read whatever was running through each other's minds. David was eager to comprehend what Avery knew. Since they were together, he could not see beyond her for the first time. Avery was fighting the urge to confront him. A perfect plan would only succeed if she did everything right. One thing was for sure; the ball wasn't in David's court. She had the ball in her hands and needed to ensure that the game would not end without her giving a fight.
While they quietly stared at each other, David's phone rang again. His mouth twitched, shoulder sagged. His actions gave it all away. Avery knew who was calling. With a smile, she told him to answer his phone while she went to the restroom. While she was walking away, she heard him say hello. She reminded herself to be calm and keep walking toward the restroom area.
After ensuring she was out of David's sight, she secretly peeped in his direction. He looked tired and weary. Avery lost count of the number of times his forehead creased. Finally, he stood up and started pacing around their table. The strong-willed, confident, and in-control David she knew seemed to have vanished. He slowly sat, face shocked and mouth opened. Though she felt so much anger and pain, her instinct told her to run toward him. Avery couldn't explain it.
"What did your client say?"
David was speechless. He couldn't find the strength to think about how to get through his situation with Avery. The fear of losing her consumed him as he tried to tell her everything. He couldn't stop. His plans were near completion. Nothing would go wrong, not this time.
"Are you okay? What was the call about?" Avery asked as she shuffled his already messy hair.
He didn't want to lie to her. But at the moment, he thought he was doing the right thing again. Or at least that was what he wanted to believe. He couldn't hurt her again. He didn't want to take the risk of losing her. But he had to do one thing.
"Babe, my client's wife is having an emergency. She can't contact him. I need to go find my client."
Avery fought the urge to get emotional in front of him. Instead, she reminded herself that she had a role in this game. Pretending she was clueless would put her ahead of the game David had started. As painful as it may have been, this was one of those times she needed to be stronger, braver, and bolder.
"I can come with you." Avery started picking up her phone. "Anyway, we are done here."
"No, Babe. Don't worry about it. It'll be quick. Let me take you back to the penthouse so you can rest. And I'll return as soon as I get hold of my client."
"This must be a VIP." She looked at him straight before taking her bag from their table and walking toward the cafe door.
"Something like that. The company can't afford to lose them both." David's heart was battering while his mind convinced him he was doing the most reasonable thing.
He was clueless about what woman Avery had become in the past hours. His plan was foul-proof. Nothing could go wrong, not tonight. He expected everything to fall into place.
Avery acted as naïve as she could to make David believe he had got her in the palm of his hands. That everything going on is to his liking. Never would he have expected that her mind was already steps ahead.
Once they got inside the suite, he paced again. Avery watched him in disbelief. How could a top-notch attorney believe he could hide all his lies from her forever? Was that how weak and stupid he saw her? She rubbed her chest, and the familiar pain and numbness were getting into her.
"If I didn't know that you were leaving to meet a client, I would take from your facial expressions and body gestures you are about to sin. Like a terrible and unforgivable sin, babe."
David's Adam's apple bobbled, his eyes darting around the room. He froze in front of her. Avery knew she was pushing his buttons. She wished he would just come clean and admit everything to her now. Maybe it would be easier for both of them. Less painful for her already grieving heart.
"But I know I can trust you, babe." You have been a big lie all along. "There is no way that you will even think of hurting me. Not again." But you kept on doing it. "So I'm sure you will keep your promise."
He was restless. Unable to think of the right words to say. Eyes closed, he sat on the couch with his hands covering his face.
"I'll go to the room. If you change your mind, knock on the door. I'll go with you."
Avery walked away from where David was sitting. Instead of going to the bedroom, she watched him from the kitchen counter. The scene tore her heart. She bit her lip, preventing her eyes from tearing up. Yet, she couldn't deny she also felt bad for him. She saw how he was struggling.
How did they get to this? Was there still a way for them to get through this?
His phone rang. Hands shaking, he answered the call without realizing that Avery was nearby.
"Hello... Yes, it's me. How long is the interval? I'll be there."
🎵So I'll just shut my eyes
Forget that you were mine🎶
🎶How do you go from making one your home
And then just letting it all go🎵
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