Page 79 of This Woman Forever

I check Ava, tapping the steering wheel, wondering what to say. I’m not sure anything will benefit the situation. She’s not thinking straight. There’s a man back there nursing a bruised body and a bruised ego to prove it. I grimace at the state of my shirt.

One for the bin.

I drive calmly, wondering if she’ll speak. Condemn me. Yell at me some more, hit me. The bright lights of a billboard shine into the car when I come to a stop at some lights, and I press my palms into the wheel, bracing my arms, taking in a long breath. “I love you, Ava,” I say to the world outside my car. “With my fucking heart and soul, I love you so much.” I press my lips together, facing her. She’s staring out of the window. “Will you ever understand how much?”

She doesn’t answer, so I gingerly reach for her face, turning her toward me.

Her eyes are closed. Too much drink. Too much drama.

“No,” I answer for her, sighing. “You couldn’t possibly.” A horn sounds behind me, prompting me to pull off, the lights now green. “I don’t know what tonight was all about,” I go on, talking to myself. “But it was below the belt.”

Worse than you stealing her pills?

“Oh.” I laugh. “You chose now to join the party?” I ask. “Where have you and your shitty sense of humor been the last week while I’ve been alone?”

Observing from afar.

“How good of you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ava slurs.

I flinch and look across the car, finding drunken eyes squinting at me. “Never mind,” I mutter. “Go to sleep.”

“I’m not tired.”

I roll my eyes, silently asking my dear brother how to deal with this.

Are you kidding? I died before I had the pleasure of a dramatic female to contend with. Thank God.

I laugh but quickly stop, checking Ava. She’s closed her eyes again. “Not tired?” I ask. “No, but totally shitfaced.” Returning my attention to the road, I frown. Thank God. “Are you saying I should walk away?”

Did you hear me say that?

I hum, smiling a little. “She’s a handful, isn’t she?”

Yeah, bro. And you’re two handfuls.

“She kissed another man.”

You fucked her like she was just another lady of The Manor.

I wince.

Stole her pills.

Another wince.

Felt another woman’s arse.

“Okay, enough.”

“No, actually, I’ve had enough,” Ava mumbles, coming alive again.

I sigh. “Go to sleep.”

“I’m not fucking tired.”

“Okay.” She’s fighting to keep her heavy eyes open. “You’re a case, Mrs. Ward.”

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