Capturing Oliver (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Aiden heard the knock at the door but didn't even open his eyes to the sound. He knew that it would be Chase again, tying his best to coax him out of bed. He knew why Chase was getting so worried. He hadn't left the apartment in two weeks. He had spent the majority of his time in bed, scrolling through photos of he and Oliver.

The knock sounded again. He rolled over, away from the door. He heard the door open but he didn't even glance towards the person. He felt like he didn't have the energy for it even if he had tried.

"Aiden?"

The voice wasn't Chase's. It was softer, higher. "Ava?" he asked. He was confused, how did Ava get into his apartment? Better yet, why was she there?

"Can I come in?"

Aiden turned to face her with a sigh. He sat up. "Why are you here?"

He suddenly knew why she was here. He had figured that Oliver would have sent someone over to get his stuff. Oliver's cardigan still hung in his closet. His cologne was sitting on the shelf in the bathroom. His t-shirt was in Aiden's drawers. Aiden didn't want to give the stuff back. He didn't want to lose the only reminders of Oliver that he had left.

She looked nervous. Ava stood in the doorway with her fingers linked in front of her and an anxious look on her face. "Can I talk to you?" she asked.

Aiden sighed again. He patted the sheets next to him. "Yeah." He really didn't want to talk to her. He wasn't sure what Oliver had told her, but he knew he wouldn't have spoken favourably about his actions.

Ava walked slowly into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. She crossed her legs and lent with her elbows on her knees. She started to say something but then paused. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Aiden looked down at his dirty shirt and shrugged. "I don't know anymore."

"What happened on that trip?" Ava asked nervously. "I know that this is crossing a line but I need to know what's going on."

"What has Oliver told you?" he asked.

"I haven't seen Oliver in weeks," Ava replied. She sighed as she looked around the room. "He won't return my phone calls, he won't answer the front door when I knock. I even went to his office and they said he hasn't been there in weeks."

Aiden sighed. Oliver must have been a wreck to ignore his best friend and miss work. "Really?"

Ava nodded slowly.

"You aren't here to get his stuff, then?"

Ava shook her head. "I'm here to find out what the heck happened in New York."

"You should talk to Oliver," Aiden told her.

"How?" Ava demanded to know. "I want to help him but I can't unless I know what's happened."

"Did you see the photo?" Aiden asked her.

"The one of Pierce?" Ava asked. Her expression told Aiden that she didn't think the two were related. "Does Pierce cheating have something to do with it?"

Aiden nodded. "I was the reason that photo got published."

Ava gasped. Her hand covered her mouth. "You....You took that photo?"

Aiden shook his head. "It was all a big misunderstanding. His sister hired a private investigator to follow Pierce and he took the photo. Then Rosie gave the photo to me to destroy but she wanted to know who the girl was so I sent the photo to my friend at Celebrity Today. I shouldn't have sent the one with Pierce's face in it but I did, thinking it would never be seen. Then my friend leaked the photo."