worst of it has blown over.”
Layla’s eyes stayed on me a moment longer before flitting over to Ava. “Honey, if you think running off to Fresno with some rando is gonna—”
“I may be a rando, but I’m also rich and smart and handsome,” I cut in, flashing what I hoped was my most disarming smile.
“Whatever... with any guy,” she said, rolling her eyes, “is gonna make things blow over faster, you gotta know that’s only gonna make things worse.”
“I know,” Ava said, looking from Layla to me with such an intense plea in her eyes that my chest hurt, and I thought I’d do almost anything for her in that moment. “I know, but... I just need a few days away from... everything. I just need a few days to get my head on straight and decide what I want to do.”
Layla’s gaze on me wasn’t any less suspicious, but she nodded. “All right. If that’s what you want, but,” she narrowed her eyes at me, “if anything even remotely creepy happens, we are out of there, got it?”
“Got it,” Ava said, but Layla was still looking at me.
“Got it,” I repeated, doing my best to look innocent.
Layla humphed, and I grinned at her, unable to stop myself, until she finally asked, “What?”
“You think I’m handsome. And charming. You think I’m handsome, and charming, and you’re excited to see what my ranch looks like.” My grin reached from one eye to the other, and I looked at Layla with as much self-satisfied smugness as I could muster.
It was worth the slug to my arm from Layla to hear Ava laugh like that. Her laugh was like pure honey.
I really tried not to be an arrogant, rich asshole. Sure I grew up comfortable, and my government contract has made me ridiculously wealthy now, but I’ve tried my best not to let that define me.
Still, it stung my ego a little when Ava stepped onto the private jet I’d chartered and took her seat without even a moment’s awe. I was used to women being stunned by my generosity—or whatever it was they were stunned by—when I showed off a little for them. Ava just glanced around the cabin and took a seat on the semi-circular couch in the middle of the right hand side. I supposed she was used to this sort of opulence, but it still put me off my game a little. It even made me feel a little bit exposed.
Then Layla swept past me and dropped into the seat next to her, glaring up at me as if daring me to protest.
Instead, I squeezed myself in on Ava’s other side, forcing them both to scoot over to make room. Layla cleared her throat, and her glare darkened. I gave her my most winning smile and reminded her, “Handsome.”
“Handsome only goes so far, buddy,” she answered, setting her purse next to her and rifling through it.
“Be nice, you two,” Ava chided.
“Yes, dear,” I answered, and Layla snorted, pulling a smartphone from her bag and plugging headphones in.
“Ashley is going mental,” she said, scrolling through something on her screen. “She says you need to call her immediately. She’s worried you might have, and I quote, ‘done something desperate’ to yourself.”
“Ugh,” Ava groaned, curling into herself on the seat next to me. I felt her shrinking, being diminished again by the problems and negativity in her life. I wanted to pull her back up again, let her fill the room like she had when we’d been alone together. “I can’t, Layla,” she said, and I reached over, curling my fingers around her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she squeezed them. “I just can’t. Let her know I haven’t offed myself, and I’ll... I’ll call her in a couple days.” I felt Layla’s eyes on us again, on our hands where they were joined on Ava’s lap. I couldn’t blame her for not trusting me. Not really.
Even I wasn’t sure what I was doing anymore. I’d already let this prank go on too long, but the way Ava was leaning against me, seeming to draw strength from me….
I couldn’t just drop her now. I couldn’t take away
Layla’s eyes stayed on me a moment longer before flitting over to Ava. “Honey, if you think running off to Fresno with some rando is gonna—”
“I may be a rando, but I’m also rich and smart and handsome,” I cut in, flashing what I hoped was my most disarming smile.
“Whatever... with any guy,” she said, rolling her eyes, “is gonna make things blow over faster, you gotta know that’s only gonna make things worse.”
“I know,” Ava said, looking from Layla to me with such an intense plea in her eyes that my chest hurt, and I thought I’d do almost anything for her in that moment. “I know, but... I just need a few days away from... everything. I just need a few days to get my head on straight and decide what I want to do.”
Layla’s gaze on me wasn’t any less suspicious, but she nodded. “All right. If that’s what you want, but,” she narrowed her eyes at me, “if anything even remotely creepy happens, we are out of there, got it?”
“Got it,” Ava said, but Layla was still looking at me.
“Got it,” I repeated, doing my best to look innocent.
Layla humphed, and I grinned at her, unable to stop myself, until she finally asked, “What?”
“You think I’m handsome. And charming. You think I’m handsome, and charming, and you’re excited to see what my ranch looks like.” My grin reached from one eye to the other, and I looked at Layla with as much self-satisfied smugness as I could muster.
It was worth the slug to my arm from Layla to hear Ava laugh like that. Her laugh was like pure honey.
I really tried not to be an arrogant, rich asshole. Sure I grew up comfortable, and my government contract has made me ridiculously wealthy now, but I’ve tried my best not to let that define me.
Still, it stung my ego a little when Ava stepped onto the private jet I’d chartered and took her seat without even a moment’s awe. I was used to women being stunned by my generosity—or whatever it was they were stunned by—when I showed off a little for them. Ava just glanced around the cabin and took a seat on the semi-circular couch in the middle of the right hand side. I supposed she was used to this sort of opulence, but it still put me off my game a little. It even made me feel a little bit exposed.
Then Layla swept past me and dropped into the seat next to her, glaring up at me as if daring me to protest.
Instead, I squeezed myself in on Ava’s other side, forcing them both to scoot over to make room. Layla cleared her throat, and her glare darkened. I gave her my most winning smile and reminded her, “Handsome.”
“Handsome only goes so far, buddy,” she answered, setting her purse next to her and rifling through it.
“Be nice, you two,” Ava chided.
“Yes, dear,” I answered, and Layla snorted, pulling a smartphone from her bag and plugging headphones in.
“Ashley is going mental,” she said, scrolling through something on her screen. “She says you need to call her immediately. She’s worried you might have, and I quote, ‘done something desperate’ to yourself.”
“Ugh,” Ava groaned, curling into herself on the seat next to me. I felt her shrinking, being diminished again by the problems and negativity in her life. I wanted to pull her back up again, let her fill the room like she had when we’d been alone together. “I can’t, Layla,” she said, and I reached over, curling my fingers around her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she squeezed them. “I just can’t. Let her know I haven’t offed myself, and I’ll... I’ll call her in a couple days.” I felt Layla’s eyes on us again, on our hands where they were joined on Ava’s lap. I couldn’t blame her for not trusting me. Not really.
Even I wasn’t sure what I was doing anymore. I’d already let this prank go on too long, but the way Ava was leaning against me, seeming to draw strength from me….
I couldn’t just drop her now. I couldn’t take away
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