Page 81 of This Woman Forever

“And Ava?”

“Alive, although I’m sure she’s going to feel dead in the morning.” Her hangover isn’t going to be pretty. “Where are you?”

“At The Manor.”

Do I ask if Kate’s with him?

“Alone,” he adds, as if reading my mind.

“Oh.” So he’s getting on with his life, is he? I’ve heard it before. “Listen, mate, I think Dan’s just fucking with her head.” Ava’s brother strikes me as the kind of man who doesn’t like losing.

“Yeah, and I’m done with her fucking with mine.” Hence, he’s at The Manor alone. But will he play? I check my phone when another call comes in. “John’s calling me. Mind if I take it?”

“Sure, talk tomorrow.”

“Okay.” I hang up and answer. “John?”

“Where are you?”

“With Ava.”

There’s a slight, surprised pause. “We need to talk.”

My back naturally straightens, and I check Ava. If she was awake, she’d hear every word down the line. But she’s not. “About...”

“Having Sarah back at The Manor.”

I blow out my cheeks. “John, so much has happened.”

“And she’s not entirely to blame.”

I raise my eyebrows but don’t counter. Because he’s right. Ava still doesn’t know all of me. All of who I am. If she did, I wouldn’t be so fucking worried about what Sarah will spill. “I’m not sure I can make that happen, John.”

“I can’t find shit, Jesse.”

“What are you looking for?” Like I’d be able to tell him.

“Contracts, medical records. I’ve had all the paperwork out.”

“There must have been a system.”

“If there was, only Sarah knew it. Ava’s not unreasonable. Will you just talk to her?”

I look down at my wife. Not unreasonable? I don’t know if I can agree. “I’ll come over on Sunday. We’ll talk.” Now is not the time to talk to Ava about Sarah. Neither is tomorrow. Or... ever.

“Okay.”

I chew my lip a little. “How is she?”

“A shell.”

I’m wincing all over the place tonight. A shell because her purpose has been taken away, and I’m the only one who can give it back to her. Problem is, I’m not sure Sarah has the strength to only accept what I’m willing to give and not try to take more. I can’t risk her succeeding in her attempts to break me and Ava. Or has she finally learned her lesson? Finally accepted there never was and never can be anything between us? And what really confuses me is the fact that John is looking past his understandable anger at me to call about getting Sarah reinstated at The Manor. Can or should I even consider that? “I’ll see you Sunday.”

He cuts the call and I drop my phone to the bed.

“Who was that?” Ava mumbles, pushing her face into my chest.

“John.”

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