Page 82 of Stolen Kisses
President?
Why not?
I didn’t watch the news as much anymore.
I didn’t watch it, because I couldn’t stand the idea that I might see him. It was like emotional bullying and a reminder of the big question on my mind.
Did he kill Christina?
It was so hard for me to see past what I saw him do to Todd, but I had to be objective and lay out all the facts I’d witnessed and heard. He wasn’t the only guy I saw Christina with and she’d said they’d just gotten back together. That tended to suggest that he wasn’t the father of her baby.But…
She hadn’t specifically said it was the baby’s father who wanted nothing to do with her. She just said: ‘he wants nothing to do with me.’
That was vague and I’d assumed she was talking about the baby’s father. Maybe she wasn’t.
Also, it wasn’t him I saw at the penthouse. That was however where Christina was found dead.
A little knock sounded at the door and I turned to see Ava standing in the doorway.
Ava. Claudius’ Ava.
She was carrying a plastic carrier bag.
The last time I saw her I was running away from her restaurant like a coward, because I’d seen Luc.
“Hi,” she beamed.
I straightened up. “Hi.”
A tentative expression washed over her face. “I hope you don’t mind me coming by. I just wanted to see how you were. Claudius kind of told me what happened and I just wanted to check on you.”
I smiled, feeling grateful for her sincerity. “Thank you, it’s nice to see you.”
“Oh good, and thanks I thought it might be a little better having me here. The guys tend to get a little annoying.” Ava chuckled, her bright green eyes sparkled. She walked in and sat beside me. “I brought some food and treats. I didn’t know if you had any friends around that would come over to cheer you up.”
Friends …
People used that word so loosely. There was a time when I had a host of people I called friends, but they weren’t. There were girls who wanted to know me, because of my connections with Luc and Claudius. Girls who wanted to know me, because they thought it would increase their chances of getting with a mafia guy, and those girls who were just bitches.
“No, I don’t really have any friends as such.” Saying it that way didn’t sound so bad, not like I was such a loser.
She looked me over and gave me a little smile. “Well, thank goodness I came by. And less friends means we can pig out on all of this.” She held up the bag which I now saw had all sorts of chocolate goodies.
I actually laughed. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. As you can tell I have a sweet tooth. I think I may gain twenty pounds after the baby comes.”
“After?” Most people gained weight with the baby.
“Yeah, my friend makes the most amazing cupcakes and I know I’m going to indulge. Now and after.”
I had to laugh. “Those sound like amazing cupcakes.”
Ava nodded and her ponytail bobbled. “Yes. I’ll bring some next time. Some for you, and Flynn … maybe twice the amount for me and baby.”
“How far along are you?”
“Fourteen weeks.” She grinned. “Fourteen weeks of Claudius going crazy and pampering me like I’m in a glass ball that’ll break if someone breathes the wrong way. The other day at the restaurant he was trying to set my office up on the main floor. I stumbled on the stairs the other week and it freaked him out.”
