Page 99 of Honest With You

Maybe all is not lost after all.

Sliding off the barstool, she grabs her suitcase and wheels it to the bedroom, looking over her shoulder at me.

“I’m going to take a quick shower. Order whatever you want for dinner. I’ll do the same when I’m done.”

I shake my head, to which she frowns. “I ordered food for us earlier. The Uber driver should be getting here soon.”

“What did you get?”

“We’re downtown, across from the harbor. What else would I order you?”

A knowing expression passes her face and it warms me up to know she remembers our late night rendezvous as teenagers. “Jollibee?”

“Of course. And don’t worry, I didn’t forget the peach mango pie.”

A full blown smile erupts in her face and she looks just as giddy as she did when we were in high school and I would make the thirty minute drive down here to get her favorite chicken, spaghetti and pie trio.

“Go on. Take a shower and you can tell me all the rules over dinner.”

“Sarap! I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had this!” Ava rubs her belly, the action causing a small sliver of skin to show as her satin pajama top rises. I tear my eyes away from it, not wanting to fall headfirst into temptation when I’m still trying to woo my girl back.

“How long?” I grin, wiping my mouth of spaghetti sauce. I’m lowkey obsessed with the sweet and tangy Filipino-style pasta. Ava got me hooked on it, and ever since then, I have to have it at least once every two weeks. It reminds me of her, of how we used to be.

“Years. It might have been that night after Matt’s party when you snuck me out and we sat in your car in Coronado, eatingchickenjoywhile watching a K-drama on your iPad.”

My head snaps up and I regard with her an incredulous stare. The Ava I know would not let six years go by without even ayumburger.

“You’re kidding?”

She shakes her head and climbs onto the couch, pulling a throw blanket over her legs. We were sitting on the floor, eating our dinner in front of the TV while she did some work on her laptop and I went through footage of what we shot today.

I threw all our trash in the bag our food came in and set it outside for housekeeping to pick up.

I join her on the couch and face her.

There’s a good two feet between us, but it might as well be a hundred with the way her eyes dart around the room, avoiding mine.

“How come?”

She burrows herself deeper into the couch, her cheek pressed against the pillow. The exhaustion from the day is evident on her face but she smiles without humor, her eyes clearly replaying memories she wants forgotten.

“Let’s just say the last few years haven’t left much time for me to indulge.”

I’ve seen her workaholic ways. She’s always the first one at work and the last one out. She only leaves work early, and early by her standards was still dinnertime, a handful of times. I only know that because Vanessa is not exactly quiet, so I’ve seen her and Ryder having to physically drag Ava out of her office.

Ryder has asked me a few times to come with, but seeing as Ava and I have yet to even talk about the confession I made to her weeks ago, I declined. I didn’t want to make things awkward for her, or pressure her when she was already under so much stress after taking over the company.

She’s an amazing woman, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I still love her. I’ve spoken to both my mom and Uncle Luke about how much I still care for her, but there’s not much I can do about it. The only thing I can do is wait and give her the time and space to sort her own stuff before inserting myself back into her life.

But then, a moment like this happens where there’s no barriers between us, no coworkers around to watch our every move, and I’m overwhelmed with the urge to get down on my knees and plead for another shot at winning her heart and most importantly, her trust.

I’m willing to do just about anything.

“Can you tell me about it?” I ask in a whisper, afraid that she’ll say no and shut me out.

I coast my eyes upward, letting them trail every inch of her while I wait for her response. I eat up the sight of her because it’s all I’m allowed to indulge in and the reality of not even being able to hold her or touch her stings, but it’s my penance for breaking her heart. The fact that she even allowed me to be in her life is already a gift.

Finally, she makes a sound. An awkward laugh.

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