Love Me Never

13| Vows

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Vows

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Chapter 13: Vows (Ava's POV)

The next morning after breakfast, I heard the house phone ringing. Mom and Dad were busy talking about the wedding and Ashton was on dish-duty, so I went to answer it. I held it to my ear, "Hello?" 

"Ava?" 

I froze while wrapping the cord around my finger. 

"Hello? Ava, is that you?" 

"Brooke?" I asked softly. 

"It is you," she chuckled. "Don't tell anyone I'm calling, please. I just wanted to check-in. I would have hung up if mom or dad answered but I'm glad it's you," she paused, hesitating. "Are you okay?" 

I glanced at our parents before sitting on the couch. "Am I okay? I don't know, am I okay, Brooke? What do you think? My sister ran out before her wedding and now I'm marrying the freaking prince instead of her, so what do you think, am I okay?" I rambled. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. But I had no choice, they would never let me be with Griffin." 

"So you ran?!" I whisper-yelled. "And you totally threw me under the bus, Brooke!" 

"I know and I'm sorry, I really am. But I just thought that you and Rhys make a good match." 

I groaned, "God, why does everyone keep saying that?" 

"Because it's true, Ava. I saw what everyone didn't, okay?" 

I went quiet. "What is that supposed to mean?" 

"It means I fucking knew, okay? You two were in love. You were until he broke your heart." 

I sat there in silence, listening to the soft static of the telephone. 

"Ava!" Dad called. 

"I need to go," I mumbled, hanging up on her. 

She knew. She knew. Oh. My. God. What the hell does she think she's doing? Setting us up for a happy ending? No! She's setting us up to fail! 

"Yes, dad?" I stood in front of him. 

"We're all going to the palace for lunch later. Make sure you're dressed by twelve-thirty, hmm?" 

"Okay." 

So, here we sat in their backyard again, having lunch on a hot summer one o'clock afternoon. "Ava honey, where's your ring?" 

I glanced at my bare ring finger. "Um, actually I—" 

"I took it," Rhys cut me off. And I didn't know if that pissed me off or if I was grateful that he took the question I wanted to dodge. 

"What do you mean you 'took' it?" 

"It's not hers. It was Brooke's. Ava gets a new one." 

I stared at him as he leaned back in his chair, nodding towards me. But... I liked that ring. 

"I'm going to get it exchanged later today," he added. He turned to me. "You don't have to come, but you're free to join if you'd like." 

Oh my god, what is wrong with him? Is he feeling okay? "I'm actually working later," I mumbled.