Crime (h.s. au)

Chapter Twenty Four

Harry

I'm not used to this. There is a voice in the back of my head telling me I need to get used to the feeling I currently have, but then there's another voice saying it's not going to happen. It's the angel and devil fighting upon each of my shoulders, dictating how I should go forth with my actions.

Inviting Ava over for dinner was a shot in the dark, but once again, she agreed. There's something going on in her mind and I'd give anything to know. My job is filled with countless times I wish I could get inside someone's brain to understand each and every aspect of what they were thinking. None of them even come close in comparison to how badly I wish I could understand Ava's.

The amount of times I had wished to even get the chance to see if she was attracted to me felt like failures. It seemed so far-fetched, so unattainable, that when she came to work to pick me up and take me to her home, just to kiss me, opened the door. It was out on the table and clear to see she felt whatever I had felt.

Each and every time I see her without anyone else around, it's a different feeling each time. Little by little, I'm getting to know her and understand more of what the world of Ava is like. She can ask me anything she wants and I'm more than willing to tell her. I think of it as reassurance. If I open up, perhaps she will as well. It's a give and take scenario, but it's a slow moving one. To me, I've come to terms with what I need to do and that's to be patient.

To think that this beautiful woman has never been in a relationship didn't faze me, because I'm the same way. Women were never a top priority and settling down seemed almost overwhelming. There weren't any influences in my life that had stable relationships; I was built on what I had known and what I had seen.

With Ava, she didn't want attachment. I hadn't asked if it was because she wasn't ready or because she didn't want to be in relationships, but it was clear to see she's been so focused on where she is today. Her determination and independence are what makes Ava who she is.

I just wish I could know everything.

"Thank you again for having me over," Ava smiles, walking to the door. I had taken her appearance in the second I opened the door. She has tight jeans on, a black tee, and a green jacket I had seen her wearing only once before. For some reason, it was the white sneakers on her feet that almost made me feel as if she was real. Her suits and heels are her prominent look that I see her in. Athleisure had never crossed my mind when it came to her; the beautiful woman in suits is what I always envision her in. It's a powerful look.

"Anytime, as always," I remind her, her hand holding mine. She turns to face me again and leans towards me, setting a kiss to my cheek. Each time she does so, I still. It's not so much because I don't know how to react to her gesture, but because she's seemed to have taken a liking to the scar. There have been moments I find myself thinking if she feels sorry for me, but I know that's more than likely not the case.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she grins, and I reciprocate the gesture. I unlock the door and open it for her, her body turning to walk out. My lower lip is taken between my teeth and I quickly grab her hand, tugging her back in.

Her gray eyes meet mine momentarily before I press my lips to hers, her hands grabbing my waist. I keep one hand on the door to balance myself while the other sets lightly on her neck, my thumb brushing lightly along her jaw. The feeling of her plump lips against mine is intoxicating. If only she knew just how much she affected me. It's almost too much, considering our circumstance. What's concerning is the fact I don't want her to go.

"I don't want to go either," she mumbles on my lips, my eyes opening lightly. I can't tell if I had spoken the words out loud, or if my actions did the talking. My breathing seems to have picked up, her hands once more finding their way beneath my shirt to feel my skin. Ava had done it earlier in the evening, her fingers lightly brushing the skin of my hips. It was such a simple touch that impacted my senses far too much than it should have.