DEAR AVA - CHAPTER 17&18

“We need to talk… Sky” Monica said, and his frown fell, but it was replaced with an offended smirk.

“What the hell are you on about?”

“I just said we need to talk about your mission! You need to speed things up it’s taking too long! Is it that hard to make her fall for you? Huh?” Her eyes shone with evil as she spoke, and the frown returned to his face.

“Look here bîtch, if you’re looking for someone to con, that’s definitely not me. You should take your business further” he said flatly.

“What’s with the attitude? Don’t you know me? I’m Grandpa Joe’s granddaughter, the granddaughter of your boss!” She said desperately and tried to hold his arm…

“You might not wanna try that. I h@?? contacts from strangers, they call my demons out” he warned gravelly, but she touched him anyways, and his hand slipped on her throat.

She gasped in horror as he grabbed her neck, changing their positions so he could slam her back on his car.

“Ah…hh!” She gasped for air, trying to get his strong arms away from her throat but it was impossible.

His eyes turned colder than ice, spitting venom at her reddish face as he continued holding her in place.

“ki||ing you right here and now would be an easy pie, but you got lucky I’m not in one of my messy moods, so fuçk the hell off. Look for your Sky elsewhere, and to hell with you and your grandpa” he muttered, finally letting her go.

Monica fell on her butt beside the car, and he entered the car without giving her a second look.

He revved the engines to life, and she quickly scrambled up to her feet, leaving the car body as he drove away roughly.

She was panting for breaths as she watched his car go farther and farther away.

She was sweating so much, and a liquid fell from her nostrils to her blouse in the front.

She looked at it, and she gasped when she saw blood.

She quickly blocked her nostrils with her fingers as she walked to her car.

Immediately she drove off, the girls came out of the house at once.

“Monica’s car!” Demi gasped.

She’s the first to come out.

“What are you saying?” Octavia replied.

“I swear I saw Monica’s red Porsche” Demi replied.

“Monica in this street? Not possible” Ava said.

“You think so? Am I hallucinating?” Demi narrowed her eyes.

“Definitely” Ava and Octavia chorused, and Demi slipped her arms on their necks.

They finished their popcorns too early, so they decided to go for ice cream.

“I wish we can just go to the tarmac again” Ava pouted

“After what happened last Sunday? You’re fuçking stubborn” Octavia said.

“It’s not my fault, I badly wanna see Alex’s race again and slap that Sèxtus guy” Ava replied, and Demi laughed.

“No chance babe, let’s just go get our ice cream” she said.

They were about to enter the car when Demi’s phone rang.

Her eyes shone with excitement when she saw it’s Ethan.

“Hey! Mr. Cruz!” She picked happily.

“Are you busy? Did I interrupt something?” He asked.

“No! Is everything ok?”

“Nope. I’m just alone in the house and no one to talk to, so I decided to call you” he replied.

“Where’s Amy?” She asked.

“She works till late night at Hawkins mansion, so she spends the night at their boys quarter at times like tonight” he explained.

“Oh…hey do you mind if I come right now? I can keep you company”

“You’d do that?”

Relief showed in his voice as he said that.

“Sure, give me ten minutes” she smiled and hung up.

She turned back and saw Ava and Octavia staring at her funnily.

“Girl! You like Ethan!” Octavia said loudly.

“I’ve been thinking of why she’s so obsessed with keeping him safe! Typical example of no one touches what’s mine! The possessiveness!” Ava held her chest dramatically.

“I know right? Demi and Ethan!!!” Octavia screamed.

“Loudmouth stop! You’ll wake the neighbors!” Demi rolled eyes.

“Leave already! Go meet your sugar boy!” Ava waved.

“See ya tomorrow!” Octavia winked.

“Bye bîtches!” Demi sent them air kisses as she got in her car.

She drove off smoothly.

“Let’s just go look for a taxi and go for our ice cream alone sweetheart!” Ava linked her arm with Octavia’s.

“Sure darling!” Octavia winked, and they laughed as they walked down the street.

*

TARMAC*

“Monica said she’d meet us here, why is she not present yet?” Sandra said, tapping her shoe heels on the ground.

They came in a taxi since Monica is the only one who owns a car and is not here.

“She’s just so unpredictable and it’s sick. Sometimes I feel like plucking out her eyes” Felicia complained, dialing Monica’s line for the seventh time.

As usual, crowd of people are filing into the tarmac, and the playing electronic song is reaching their ears.

Sandra started moving slowly to the song as Monica’s line rang.

“She’s still not picking. Let’s go I’m not waiting anymore!” Felicia suddenly snapped.

Sandra followed her, and they presented their tickets before going in with the crowd.

It’s not hard to find Alex since he’s always in the spotlight.

His shirt is off as usual, and he’s currently standing on the bonnet of his golden car, vibing to the music while the girls screamed his name.

“Gawd, I’m wet just by watching him dance” Felicia gushed.

The race will soon start, so Alex jumped down from the bonnet, and he suddenly saw someone in the crowd.

He straightened his eyes, thinking it’s Ava but it’s not. They just have the same physique.

Somehow he wished she’s here to watch him race, but he can’t risk it again after what happened with Sèxtus last week.

And talking about Sèxtus…why is he not here?

His red car is here, but Sèxtus isn’t in sight.

“What’s going on?” He muttered.

“Gee!” Oscar suddenly came rushing.

“Sèxtus isn’t here, is someone replacing him?” Alex asked.

“Sèxtus is dead!” Oscar said, and Alex frowned.

“What are you saying?”.

“We need to get outta here, his gang will soon be here. They’re claiming you ki||ed him!” Oscar said urgently, pulling his arm but Alex broke free.

“Why should I run? I didn’t do anything!”

“It doesn’t matter dude, you know how crazy his gang is!” Oscar insisted.

“And I said no! ” Alex insisted too.

“Alex Chambers!” Sylvester’s voice broke into the argument, and they both turned to see him with like twelve members of the gang.

Sylvester is like Sèxtus’s second in command.

He came closer , and the screams from girls died down when they sensed the danger in the air.

“Eliminating Sylvester is way too extreme, don’t you think? He h@??d you so much but he’d never think of ki||ing you, how dare you lay hands on him!” Sylvester spat.

“I dunno what you’re talking about. I haven’t set eyes on Sèxtus since last Sunday!” Alex shot, and Sylvester made to punch him,but Oscar caught the punch and pushed him away.

“Alex didn’t ki|| him, dude. Alex isn’t a ki||er” he said.

“And you expect me to believe that? Sèxtus tried to capture a girl that Sunday! It’s very obvious you’re interested in the girl and that’s why you cleared him!” Sylvester shouted.

“You’re accusing the wrong person” Alex said calmly.

“What do you mean?” Sylvester demanded.

“Gray” Alex muttered, remembering when Grayson came home that night with a wounded head.

“Gray?” Oscar faced him.

“Let’s go” Alex replied, getting in his car.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sylvester said as Oscar got in too.

Alex didn’t reply before zooming out of the tarmac.

“What’s happening?” Felicia muttered as the girls excitement died down completely.

*

HAWKINS MANSION*

Monica never smiles, but her coldness this night is burning so much that Amy even got so scared to greet her when she entered.

She was at the verge of bursting cos her neck and cheeks are bulging so much.

“Where’s grandpa?” She questioned.

“He’s at the dinning” Amy replied, unable to look up.

Monica dropped her bag on the ground, and Amy quickly picked it up as she walked to the dinning room.

Grandpa Joe spranged up immediately he saw the redness on her neck as a result of Grayson’s choking earlier.

“What happened to you?” He came out to her immediately.

“Tell me what you’re keeping from me about Sky! I met him and that bastard behaved like I’m a nobody! He did this to my neck!” She spat lividly.

“You met Sky? Didn’t I tell you not to try that? I told you to let him do his thing his way!”

“How can I stay still when it’s my revenge! How do you expect me to do nothing when Ava is growing wings everyday in the campus! She slapped me last week!” Monica shouted in tears, and the old man quickly walked up to her.

“She did what?”

“Just tell me the truth about everything right now. Is Grayson Harper really Sky?” She asked, and he started wiping her tears

“Grandpa” she sniffed, and he smiled.

“Seems we have to teach Ava some lessons even before Sky will be done with her”

“Is Grayson really Sky?” She asked again, and without answering, he hugged her.

*

A BAR*

Noah practically ran in, and he easily spotted Grayson who’s sitting in the middle of the place.

There’s no single bottle of alcohol in front of him. He’s neither a drinker nor a smoker, he h@??s both.

“Young Master!” Noah walked fast to his table, and he kept his poker face intact.

“Chairman found out about everything already, and I’ve been wanting to tell you but he cut my connections and grounded me. I was able to come tonight cos he wasn’t at the mansion” Noah reported.

“How much did he find out?” Grayson asked.

“Everything. He made sure I spilled everything about you and miss Ava. I’m so sorry young master, I was…

“Chill out, it’s not your fault” Grayson cut him off.

“What do we do? He’s planning to chase her” Noah said.

“What about Yolanda? Was she at home during the spill?”

“Yes. She never left the mansion” Noah replied.

“She probably found out too, and right now she surely has a plan” Grayson muttered.

*

ICE CREAM CAFE*

Octavia and Ava got their preferences already, and each came out with a tray containing her bowl of ice cream.

There’s an outdoor setting, so they settled down facing each other, and they Mõ@?ed at a time after tasting their first spoons.

“I really don’t see what’s so special in the toothpaste you’re eating” Octavia made faces

“Mint flavor, not toothpaste” Ava retorted.

“No difference” Octavia replied, getting her phone to visit Instagram.

“I wonder why he never posts his picture on IG” she muttered.

“Who?” Ava asked.

“Gray…I’m following him” Octavia replied, and Ava took the phone from her

There’s truly no single picture of him on his page, all he posts are pictures of blank spaces or chess boards or dark night sky with captions like…

HOLLOW
DARK
ALONE

“Weird” Ava muttered.

“I know, right? But I love weird guys” Octavia winked.

“You like Gray?” Ava gasped.

“No way! I just fancy his lifestyle. I’m his number one fan” Octavia replied.

“You’re only on his side cos you h@?? Alex” Ava laughed.

“What about you? Who do you prefer between the two?” Octavia asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? Alex is my type” Ava replied.

“Whoaaaa!!!” Octavia rested back on her seat, and Ava grinned.

“Hey pretty girls” a female voice interrupted their chatter, and they looked up to meet Yolanda’s smiley face.

“Yolanda Harper!” Octavia gasped.

“Heiress of Famoux? Fuçk!” Ava stood shockingly, and she smiled.

“I’m sure you know my cousin, Grayson. Heard he’s staying at your place”

“Huh? He’s your cousin? Wait… Harper…it makes sense” Octavia muttered.

“There’s something you must know about him, Ava” Yolanda said.

*

ETHAN’S PLACE*

“So…tell me what you like” Demi said, settling beside Ethan on the small chair after taking a good look round the house.

It’s so small and has limited space, and there’s only one room which he shares with Amy.

The kitchen is almost down, and the bathroom is rusty.

She’s so full of pity right now and he’d probably feel bad if he could see it.

“My likes?” He asked.

“Yeah” she replied, staring at his face.

“Nothing to talk about… I only like dancing cos I’ve been doing it since I was young, even before I lost my parents in the fire” he replied, and she sat upright.

“Fire?”

“Yes. Our first house caught fire when I was ten, and it took my parents away. Amy wasn’t at home then, but I was in with them. I survived with this burn scar on my face and I went blind cos of the toxic flames” he explained, and she almost started crying.

“You’re not crying for me right?” He asked as if he could read her mind.

“You’re so strong” she muttered, and he smiled.

“I know, right?”

“And I’m sorry, I’m sorry you had to go through all of that” she couldn’t hold back her tears this time.

“You’re crying” he said, and she quickly wiped them, but another round fell.

“Don’t cry” he said, lifting his hand to find her face.

She took the hand and placed it on her face so he started wiping the tears.

“Don’t cry” he repeated as he wiped, and she pulled him into a dear hug.

*

AVA’S PLACE*

Grayson pulled up in front of the house and pulled his brows together when he saw Alex waiting.

Immediately he came out of the car, Alex charged towards him, and before he could get it, he threw a punch at his mouth.

Gray staggered on the car body, and Alex started breathing heavily.

“You ki||ed Sèxtus, didn’t you? Why am I even asking? You did it!” He shot.

Grayson wiped his lips with his palm before standing straight.

“So?” He said, Alex gasped.

“So? You ki||ed a human and all you could say is so?”

“Should I start crying? He deserved it cos he touched what he shouldn’t have touched! You should be glad I didn’t go after his family too” Grayson replied.

“I’m not surprised, you’ve been ki||ing since our elementary days after all. You ki||ed our English teacher, you stabbed her with a pen on the neck! You’re still that monster!” Alex retorted.

“Of course! What were you expecting? A change? C’mon I’d rather die than change” Grayson said with a maniac smile, and a taxi stopped in front of the house at the same time.

Ava came down with Octavia, and she rushed to him, her eyes so full of disbelief

“It’s not true… right? You didn’t ki|| Sèxtus” she said, and he licked his lips habitually.

“Yolanda got to you obviously” he muttered.

“Tell me you didn’t ki|| him!” She shouted.

“I did. I ki||ed him and I’ll do it over and over again” he replied, and a tear fell from her right eye.

“How could you…”

“He was meant to die the moment he chased after you” he interrupted.

“I never told you to do that! Is that how little a human life is to you? Why must someone else die because of me!!! I didn’t ask you to!!!” Her tears increased, and Grayson felt his jaws clenching on their own.

Octavia was watching with uncertainty from her spot, and Alex looked so calm.

Oscar is by the door, watching speechlessly.

“Say something, talk to me why did you do it!!” Ava grabbed his shirt by the collar, pulling him helplessly.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. I ki||ed him and I don’t regret it” he said blankly, and she let go of him, smacking him loudly on the face immediately.

The slap made him bleed from the lips again, and she started panting as she felt slight tightness in her chest.

“Housing agreement cancelled. I’m gonna return your cash. Leave my house” she said coldly afterwards, and his eyes twitched.

“Seriously?”

“Leave my house!!!” She yelled hotly, and he immediately walked in.

Oscar made way for him as he entered, and he came back with a small file.

He opened his car and threw the file in, then he faced them.

“I’ll come for my remaining things later” he said, then he faced Ava alone.

She stopped crying already, but there’s still tears on her face.

“You’ll regret this, princess.” He said with a haunting smile before getting in his car.

He drove off, and Ava released a pent-up breath which made her lose balance.

Alex placed an hand on her back quickly, pulling her to a comforting hug.

She resumed crying in his arms, and he secretly kissed her hair.

“It’s ok. Angels don’t cry” he whispered, rubbing her neck gently.

TBC.