Page 13 of An Unlikely Bride (Lucas & Ava)
My hands clench. Leave it to him to sum everything up with such stark clarity, even if it’s something I don’t want to hear. There is still part of me that wants to try again with Ava, but fuck it. Everything he said is right. Hope is for the weak, so they can keep digging without realizing they’re making the ditch too deep to get out of. A toxic drainage ditch. “I’m not begging her for anything, but there’s a debt between us, so I need to settle that before I go.”
Blake smirks. “Make her pay dearly.”
I don’t bother to correct him. It would only make him argue with me more.
It’s me who owes her. But once my debt is cleared, I’ll be free.
Chapter Six
Ava
By the time I return to the house, my legs are shaking. As soon as I close the door, I let them fold underneath me and bury my face in my hands.
I’m not going to sit around and watch you punish my brother for something he didn’t do.
Blake… That bastard.
How dare he act like I’m being unfair? I’m not the villain here. I’m a victim of Lucas’s deception. And whatever pain Lucas supposedly feels, it can’t be greater than mine. After all, he never loved me the way I loved him.
Even now I want to run back and tell him I forgive everything and that we can start fresh, with me helping him get the painting. I don’t even care if the marriage is only for a year, so long as we can be together. Surely I can change his mind in those twelve months…
What the hell is the matter with me? I bury my face in my hands. What he’s done should be enough to kill my love for him.
Disgusted with myself, I shower quickly, setting the water temp as hot as I can stand. I despise my own weakness. It makes me want to do the very same things that got my mom into trouble.
Too tired to bother with a dryer, I towel my hair and put on some old jeans and a navy-blue sweater. The mirror shows eyes that are dark and unhappy, and I hate it that I’m feeling this way. Why does being rational hurt so bad?
My cell phone jars me out of my misery. It’s an email from Robbie at the Sterling Medical Center.
Subject: Offer
Dear Ava,
We loved meeting you, and we would like to offer you a position at our organization.
I blink, uncertain if I’m reading it right. After weeks of disappointment, it seems shocking that something could be going my way.
I scan the rest of the message, which details things like pay and relocation assistance. The salary looks great, although knowing the cost of living in L.A., it’s probably not that great. Having lived in Osaka, I know how far money goes—or more precisely, doesn’t go—in a pricey city.
But L.A. is a new opportunity. And it’ll mean being far away from Lucas, since he seems determined to remain in Charlottesville. I hate leaving like this, but staying here just isn’t good for me. Driving by Lucas’s house, missing him, thinking about him, obsessing about him—all of it’s just self-destructive. And until now, I didn’t consider the possibility that I’d also run into his family. God. That’s the last thing I want. They probably blame me for not falling at his feet and begging him to marry me so they can get their multimillion-dollar paintings. Blake was
pretty blatant in his hostility, and the others will be too.
Rich people don’t become rich by being nice.
I send a quick note to Robbie, letting him know I’m thrilled to accept the offer and will start as soon as possible. I also text my old college roommate Erin to let her know I’ll be joining the medical center. She’s the one who put me on Robbie’s radar, so I definitely owe her now, even though I know she didn’t do it to get a favor in return. I then call the HR contact, Molly Jayden, to let her know my decision and ask for relocation help.
“You sure you don’t want to wait until after Thanksgiving?” she says, sounding concerned.
“I’m sure. Besides, after Thanksgiving is Christmas, and then there’s New Year’s… I’d rather not wait until next year,” I say. “I don’t have that much stuff to pack anyway. I just moved back from Japan.”
“Ah. That’s right. I remember hearing about that when you came in for your interview.” She hmmms for a moment. “Let me send you our relocation agency’s info. We have a contract with them. They’ll arrange everything.”
It feels amazing to have my life moving forward again. “I’d really appreciate it.”
“And it’s great you’re starting so soon. We needed to fill the position ASAP. Just between you and me, Robbie’s been pretty overwhelmed with the opening and all. We want to make sure everything goes without a hitch, you know.”
“I’m glad the timing worked out.”
