Bad Publicity

15. Stitches

Ava POV

The sound of my phone ringing scares both of us. He stands up and I doig in my bag for my phone.

"Hello?" "The Baileys just called for an emergency meeting. Get your ass down here" he says.

I sniffle to hold back further tears "Dad I can't I'm at the hospital with Bella."

"What's wrong with her this time?" he spat. "She slipped and fell on glass." I tell him holding myself back.

"I don't care, make sure your ass is here by the next 30 minutes." "I'm not coming" I tell him.

"It's not an option" "Leaving Bella isn't an option!"

"I swear to god Ava. Stop being a fucking bitch. My company is on the line." Bella is my top priority. "Run your own fucking company" I tell him.

My daughter is hurt and he wants me to leave her? I've had enough of this. "You just better be here" he says before hanging up.

He didn't expect my outburst. I let out a breathe before turning around and sitting back down.

The anger I'm feeling make my tears long gone. Jaxson stares at me confused but I just continue to sign the paperwork.

He decides to sit beside me and read over everything I write down.

Jaxson POV

After what seems like forever the doctor finally comes out. His white jacket is covered in my daughters blood.

The sight makes me want to cry for her. "We're going to have to give her stitches on both her forearms, her knee, and her left leg" he says.

My poor princess. "Can we at least be in there with her?" Ava asks. Bella is probably scared.

"Only one of you!" He says looking between both of us. "You should go in" I tell her.

I really don't have the right, which sucks. Plus Bella will probably prefer if her mom is with her.

Ava hands me her things before walking into the room with the doctor. I can see Bella sitting up on the bed in a hospital gown.

She smiles at Ava a little before wrapping her tiny arms around her. Watching Bella get hurt is the worse pain I have ever felt.

It hurt knowing I couldn't help her feel better in that moment.

I watch through the window as Bella squeezes her eyes shut, letting a few tears escape while holding Ava's hand.

Ava is crying again. I can't even blame her. Bella is too young and way too pure to experience any type of pain.

It's not even fair. The fact that it isn't even her fault makes it even more upsetting.

The paparazzi is going to wish they never picked up a camera a day in their life when I'm done with them.

Ava's phone starts to ring. I start to answer it, but then I see that it's her dad.

I don't like how mad he made Ava so I just keep declining. I haven't known her that long but I know for a fact that her being that mad isn't normal.

She doesn't seem like the type of person to ever get that mad. I left her to raise a child on her own and she's helping me save my company.

After the sixth call I decide to answer. If he is calling this much knowing the situation Ava is in it has to be important.

"YOU LITTLE SLUT!" What? "YOU JUST LOST US A THOUSAND DOLLAR DEAL. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS COMPANY MEANS TO ME AVA. ALL YOUR NO GOOD FOR NOTHING ASS HAD TO DO WAS SHOW UP AND TALK. GOD AS SOON AS I SEE YOU IM BEATING YOUR ASS!"

"Hello?" is all I can say before the line goes silent. I get over my confused state pretty fast.

What the actual fuck. He has no right to talk to Ava like that. No one has the right to talk to Ava like that, not even me.

She raised Bella alone for four years while running his company and he has the nerve to talk to her like this over a meeting?

He threatened to hit her. What kind of father would do that? Realization finally hit me.

He's been abusing Ava this whole time. That explains her random bruises when she comes home at night and his rant about taking care of her if she didn't listen.

He must treat her like she's not even human. The thought of him even yelling at her makes my blood boil.

I wasn't the nicest to her from the moment I met her. I completely misjudged her and abandoned her.

She goes through so much and you can hardly tell. Ava really deserves the world,

I go to hit redial but the doctor walking out catches my attention. "Are you okay?" he asks me and I nod.

"You're Isabella's step father?" He asks me. I honestly don't even deserve that title.

"I'm her biological dad" I tell him and he nods. "Oh I'm sorry, it's just she called you Jaxson and I didn't want to get anything wrong." I just nod.

"Anyway, she's all done with her stitches and she's asking for you!"  I nod and say a quick thank you before entering the room.

When I walk in she is giggling at whatever Ava had just said. The smile on her face changes my entire mood.

"There's my princess!" I tell her. You can see the long marks where the stitches are but at least she's not bleeding anymore.

There's still dried up blood around the area where the glass was. "The doctor said he was going to get me candy" she says happily.

I chuckle "you deserve it, you did such a good job being brave" I tell her and she beams. "It still hurts tho" she adds.

I nod "it won't always hurt it just needs a little time to heal" I tell her. "What does heal mean?" she asks.

"It means to get better" Ava says smiling at our daughter. She looks okay now with Bella being okay.

I decide not to bring up her father in front of Bella and to wait a better time, but the thought of him continues to upset me.