Five

It has been two days since I last saw Ava, or even heard from her, and I am already on the verge of going insane. I want to see her – I need to see her. I haven't been able to get her off my mind, even more so than before. I want to feel her lips on mine again. Hold her in my arms, and never let go.

I'm thankful it's finally Saturday. I have spent the whole morning planning everything out. I want to surprise her, but not go overboard. Judging by her apartment, though it is a rather lavished looking place, it didn't seem like she is still living off her parent's wealth and is probably living off the funds of her cake store. She never struck me as the expensive type, and never seemed to brace the path her parents had set out for her, to take over their family business, and walk in her father's footsteps.

I don't want to come off to strong, like I'm trying too hard to impress her. I just want our night to be special. Our last 'first' official date is still special to me, but things didn't go exactly as planned afterwards. When Ava had been struck by a hit and run driver, who to this day I am still searching and wondering who it was, she had lost all her memories of me.

It was the first time I had felt true devastation. I hadn't even felt like that when my father had died, I had almost felt a little relieved, as guilty as that made me feel. But when I had learned that there was a chance Ava would never remember me, or the time we had spent together, including the moment I had spontaneously kissed her in my kitchen, when she was still a hostage, I felt like I had lost a large part of me.

It was her.

It was in that moment, that I realized just how much I truly love her, and how large a part she had become of me. From that moment on, I had tried to do anything and everything I could to get close to her, I almost resorted to stalking her, but left most of that up to Lucas. He tracked her as far as San Francisco, where she had enrolled in a community college. I was surprised her father had left her leave so far from home, and also enroll in such a public school.

She had bodyguards with her, but still like any other school, they weren't exactly allowed to be by her side the entire time she had been in the school walls. It was the perfect opportunity to get my second chance at a life with her. My determination had grown too strong at that point, I had come up with an entirely different persona, to try and get her back.

But when I finally got that first date, I almost fucked everything up, and I remembered the feeling of everything slipping through my fingers. I had panicked, and did the only thing I thought I could do, as a last resort. I kissed her, to try and muster any memories from just that simple act.

I hadn't expected her to remember everything.

It had been both a good, and bad thing.

After that, I couldn't stay away from her, but still felt like we didn't have enough time. With the way everything had played out up until that moment, I didn't want to wait for the next time we would be separated. I had snuck out and went to her house, the night right before I lost her. I had rushed everything, and slept with her. We had both wanted it, but I should have waited. Maybe if she hadn't become pregnant, she wouldn't have left, and the last three years we could have built a family, the right way.

With me in their lives, from the moment Emily was born.

Now, I have missed out on the last three years of her life, one of the most precious years of a child's life with their parents.

And I wasn't there.

My heart lurches in my chest and I try to banish the memories.

I am going to do it right, tonight.

I promised myself. I'm not going to mess this up again, I have much more than just Ava on the line now; I have our daughter. I want to be in Emily's life so bad, the want is just as great as my need for Ava. I never thought I would feel this way about anyone else, until I saw her big blue eyes stare up at me. Just the mere picture of the two of them together gave my fucking butterflies. Butterflies!

I don't get that shit, except with Ava. Everything with her is new and exciting, I love every second of it. I never want it to end.

With God as my witness, I will marry that girl.

***

I'm waiting patiently outside her apartment while Ava is upstairs, making sure everything is good with the babysitter. I asked once more if I could go up and meet Emily, but I could tell Ava was even worried about leaving her with the babysitter. I can see she has become a very protective parent, and it makes me wonder where her new-found fear has come from.

Tonight, is the night I find out, just what happened three years ago. Why did she just leave her entire life behind, and move overnight?

I'm so busy mulling over my thoughts, I don't notice when the doorman opens the door for Ava. When he clears his throat, I turn, and feel my jaw hit the floor.

Ava looks breathtaking in a simple, black spaghetti strap dress that reaches just above her knees, paired with a dark blue shawl to keep away the nip in the wind, and heels that made her legs go on for days, making me want to wrap them around my–

I abruptly cut off my next thought and mentally shake my head. If I get ahead of myself now, there is no going back. I won't get the answers I need, and the whole night is going to fall apart, I just know it.

I can't handle her running away again.

"You look beautiful," I whisper in her ear and place a tender kiss on her cheek, dangerously close to the corner of her mouth. She bites her lip and nods her head in thanks, her cheeks turning a bright red. Another thing I always loved about her, is how easily I can make her blush, with just one comment.

I open the door for her and run around the side, trying hard to keep the skip out of my step as I did. I tore into the night, wanting to get to my set up as quickly as possible, so I can spend the next however many hours, in just her presence.

"Where are we going? I wasn't sure how to dress," she asks, and pulls at the bottom of her dress. I reach my hand over to cover hers, giving her fingers a light squeeze, to resist the urge to bring her hand up to my lips.

"You look perfect, regardless what you're wearing," I say, and can't help the cheesy grin that stretches across my face when her cheeks heat up again.

"You don't have to try so hard, you know," she teases, but I can tell it is more due to her embarrassment.

"I'm not trying at all, and trying too hard, at the same time. I felt I never had the chance, or the time, to say any of these things to you before. Now, I want to tell you you're beautiful with every breath I have, until the day I die."

Ava opens her mouth, then clamps it shut, before turning to look out the window. I crack a small smile, knowing I left her speechless, and continuing roaring down the street, anxious to get to our destination.

I pull up beside the small garden entrance, and feel enthused when I see Ava's confused look. She has no idea what I have in store, and that makes me all the more excited for the surprise I finally came up with, that I felt wouldn't over do anything, but would also be a perfect 'first' date.

"What is this place? I think they're closed." She points to the 'closed' sign, even though the sign under that reads the hours, and said they were still technically open.

"You'll see when we get inside, come on." I grab her hand and whisk her inside, the door already unlocked for me like I had requested. There is a young man standing at the front desk, but he is the only employee and customer in the entire place.

"Good evening, you must be Ashton and Ava, we have been expecting you," he smiles and picks up two place mats. "Follow me, through this way," he says and leads us through an archway decorated in luscious leaves and flowers, out into an open concept garden.

I feel Ava's hand tighten in mine and look down to see her eyes open in amazement and wonder. My shoulders relax a little, glad that she seems pleased with the surprise so far. We are led to a two-seat, round table in the center of their outside garden, in the middle of their decorated cobblestone floor.

"W-what is this?" Ava asks and continues to look around for the presence of other people. I lead her over to a chair and pull it out for her.

"I hope this isn't too much. I wanted to do something special, but I didn't want to overwhelm you," I say and feel sweat gather on the back of my neck. She looks around for a few seconds, before a light smile touches her lips and she looks at me.

"It's very sweet, not too much at all. But where is everyone?"

"That's part of the surprise, I rented out the place for a few hours, so we can have the whole evening to ourselves."

She gasps and her eyes widen. "Why would you do that? I can't imagine how much that cost you."

"I don't care about the money Ava, your time is more important than that, and right now, I want as much of it as I can get." I smile tenderly at her and watch her melt under my gaze. The waiter returns with two menus and a bottle of red wine. He pours two glasses before dismissing himself to give us time to look over our options.

"They advertise fruit and vegetables a lot here," Ava mutters.

"That's their whole theme," I say.

She looks up from her menu curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we are in a garden. If you chose an item on the menu that contains any fruit or vegetables, a perfect example is a fruit bowl, you get to choose which fruits you want in the bowl from the garden, and they are washed and chopped fresh in the kitchen after you pick them and hand them to the server."

"You can't be serious?" she asks and gapes at me. I nod simply. "That is so unique, I love it."

I wonder if she will remember the very specific reason, I brought her to a place like this.

She looks at me over the brim of her wine glass and raises and eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you hiding something?" she asks.

I guess it's going to take a little more effort to remind her.

I just smile and look back at my menu, making my decision just as the waiter returns to take our order. I'm thankful when Ava and I both order a meal with fruit, mine specifically with a large bowl of it, which makes my plan fall into place further.

The waiter writes down our orders and collects our menus before he scurries off, return soon again with two small wicker baskets. He hands them to each of us and walks off without saying anything. Ava gives me another confused look and stares between the basket and me.

"Come on," I say and stretch my hand out to her. She takes it timidly and I lead her further into the thicker parts of the garden, where most of the fruit trees and bushes are. I keep walking until we stop at a small patch of strawberries bushes, and I see her eyes widen in realization.

"Is there a reason you brought me here, and did all of this tonight?" she asks quietly.

I nod. "Yes, as a reminder of the first time I realized my feelings for you, and the time I realized I couldn't hide them any longer."

She sucks in a sharp breath and turns her face away, but I already know her cheeks are tinted a bright pink. We silently bend down and start to pick our handful of strawberries, before I lead her towards the other berries. Once we have our pickings, I take our baskets to the back door and hand them off to the waiter.

He says it will be a little while until everything is prepared, and comes back quickly once to refill our wine glasses, and leave the bottle this time. Now is the perfect opportunity to try and ask Ava questions. I look at her and clear my throat, catching her anxious eye.

"I was hoping to ask you a few questions, something that has been bothering me," I say. She shifts in her seat and bites her lip, but doesn't protest. So, I continue after a deep breath." What happened after that last night? Why did you leave, without saying anything to anyone?"

Ava doesn't seem surprised by my question, as if she has been expecting me to ask it for as long as I have been wondering. She herself takes a deep breath and looks down in thought, thinking over her words before she looks back up at me.

"A week after that last night, I started to get the typical pregnancy symptoms. Behind my parents back, I took a pregnancy test that promised early results up to two weeks, and it said I was exactly two weeks and 2 days pregnant. I knew I couldn't hide it from my parents, so I told them, and my father lost control. He wanted to know how it had happened, but I couldn't give you up, so his punishment was to move us halfway across the world. We ended up moving to Romania, where I was home-schooled for the last year of my education, and basically under house arrest until Emily was born."

She pauses to inhale sharply, her bottom lip trembling slightly. I take my chair and move it closer to her around the table, taking her hand in mine.

"My mother was the only supportive one out of the two of them, encouraging me to go back and take another shot at community college, this time for a degree in culinary and pastry art. When Emily turned two, I had saved up enough money to finally move away from my family and buy out what is now my small bakery shop. I have been here ever since and haven't spoken to my parents since. They have tried to send gifts and money for Emily and I, but I have rejected them every time."

It all makes sense now. My heart swells knowing that she hadn't made the choice to leave, meaning she hadn't run away from me. Her father had taken her away from me. He is the reason I spent the last three years in agonizing heartbreak, thinking she regretted everything between us, that I was never going to see her again, hold her or touch her again.

The relief I felt in my chest was soon replaced with a new-found sense of anger.

Curse her over-protective father! If it wasn't for him, I would have everything I ever wanted right now; Ava and our beautiful daughter, and the memories of raising our family together. He has robbed me of those precious moments, and I am determined to make him pay.

I look at Ava, who is staring at me with curiosity and wonder, and I hope she can't see the anger and raw determination for revenge on my face.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks. I manage a smile.

"About how much lost time I want to make up for," I whisper and grasp her hand in mine. She smiles tenderly and looks down at our conjoined fingers, my thumb rubbing soothing circles across the top of her hand, loving the feeling of her warm, silky skin beneath mine.

"I never thought I would see you again," she says.

I tighten my grip on her hand. "I knew I would. I almost lost you once, I wasn't going to lose you again. It was a promise I made to myself the day I discovered you were gone, like a puff of smoke in the wind. It wasn't enough to keep me away; I hope your father realizes that soon." The words sound more threatening than I intend them to.

Ava looks up at me curiously. "I hope you don't plan to confront my father, I don't even know where he is anymore."

"I don't plan to do anything," I quickly lie. Whether she knew where he is or not, I have plenty of connections to help me find him, when the time is right.

First, I need to devote all my time to winning back Ava, and our daughter. I need to break through whatever fears she has, when it comes to me being in Emily's life, and hers.

"I don't need any more drama in my life, Ashton. Things have just started to settle down and feel like normal, and that's all I want myself and Emily. She is still very young and impressionable; I don't want her to be raised with the same fear and paranoia that I was raised with." She frowns at me and pulls her hand away.

I already miss the warmth of her skin, and I start to panic slightly.

"I promise, Ava, I have left that life in the past. I don't ever want any harm to come to you or Emily, and I will fight until my last breath to make sure that never happens." I look at her with pure determination in my eyes, and I don't look away until I see that she understands.

"I know you will," she whispers, and offers me a gentle smile. I melt at the mere sight of it, and the cursed butterflies are back, invading my stomach until I almost feel sick with glee.

She is so god damn beautiful, I almost can't take it.

After we are done eating our meals and paying the bill, which I am thankful that Ava didn't fight me for, she quickly pulls out her phone and scans the screen. A ping of jealousy hits me, but I know deep down, she is worried about Emily and the babysitter.

"How is everything?" I ask, as we walk back to the car.

"The sitter said she put Emily down for a nap about a half-hour ago, she isn't sure when I will be back, so she doesn't want her up too late."

I hum quietly in response, alright thinking of wanting to get her back to my place, or hers, and do unspeakable things to her in bed. It has been so long since that last night, she still looks just as gorgeous now as she did then, and I can imagine her body has matured just as lovely as her face and personality have. Even after having a child.

I open the door for her and we take off down the road once more, the gentle lights of the night guiding our way, as a comfortable silence settles in the car. I reach over and grasp her hand in her lap, caressing her fingers between mine, like they were made of glass.

I don't want our night to end, and the feeling of dread over comes me, when we pull up in front of her apartment building. I see her hesitate in the seat and bite her lip, my hand still holding hers.

"Uhm, would you like to come up for a bit?" she asks quietly. My heart starts racing, threatening to burst out of my chest as I nod, not trusting my voice. She smiles and waits for me to run around and open the door for her. I toss my keys at the doorman and quickly pull Ava to my side, wrapping a firm arm around her waist.

She smiles shyly up at me and leads us through the door.

Oh, how I want to smother those lips.

I can feel my self-control breaking with every passing minute. The confined space in the elevator isn't helping, either. The thought of wanting to push her up against the wall, and take her right here, was overpowering. I let out a sign of relief when the door finally opens and she leads me down the hall. My hands are shaking as she pushes open the door and heads straight for the living room.

She sheds her coat and places it on the coat rack. My eyes gaze over the exposed skin on her back and shoulders, watching her as she moves around the house, fixing things up as she goes.

"Sorry if the place is a little messy," she says, but I barely hear her. My self-control has all but disappeared completely, my hold very slight on it. I don't respond, my eyes unable to move away from her silky skin and perfect curves, that look so tempting in that dress.

She finally stops and turns to me, her bright green eyes wide with confusion. One look from her is all it takes. I cross the room in a flash and capture her lips in a hungry, heated kiss. I'm relieved when she responds immediately, and melts into my touch, her fingers grasping at the collar of my coat.

My hands find their way into her hair, tossing around the strawberry scent of her shampoo. I can't get enough of her taste. I want her closer, as close as humanly possible. The urge to pick her up and haul her off to the bedroom, to cover my body with hers for the night, it's overwhelming, pushing at the back of my head, causing my hands to tremble.

"Stay with me tonight," I whisper against her lips when we pull away for air.

"What?" she asks in an airy tone, her voice sounding like she is in another place.

"Let me take you to bed, and wake up next to you in the morning. Make me the happiest man alive, Ava, and let me sleep with you in my arms." I dip my head down to seal our lips again.

"I can't," she says, pushing on my chest slightly. "I have to pick Emily up soon."

"She is close by, and can stay there for one night." I try and bring her close again, but her senses are rushing back to her, and she pushes me away further. My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach, and is replaced with fear.

"I'm sorry, Ashton, I can't. Not tonight," she says, and turns back towards the door. "Maybe another night, when I can better plan for someone to watch Emily."

I take slow steps towards her, a sly smile spreading across my face.

"Does that mean I can see you again soon?" I ask, taking her hands in mine. I'm glad she doesn't push me away this time, and allows me to pull her into my chest. I rest my chin on top of her head, running my fingers through her hair and inhaling her scent. I want to stay like this forever, but I know she is going to pull away again too soon.

"Yes, I suppose it does mean that," she says with a smirk on her face. I feel the conversation coming to an end, and her anxiety to see Emily seeping off her.

I dip my head down and give her one final kiss, letting my lips linger on hers before pulling away and placing another kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, my sweet Ava," I whisper in her ear, before letting myself out. I take a few seconds when I'm on the other side of the door, to try and regulate my breathing. I seem to forget about everything when I am with Ava, even basic needs like breathing! It's impossible to think around her, every rational thought is thrown out the window, with one smile from her.

I shake my head and make my way back down, remembering I have a new mission now. I felt bad for lying to Ava about confronting her father, but I also knew she would have never approved of me seeking him out. I do plan to stay true to my word, and make sure that my meddling does not affect her or Emily.

As I signal the doorman to bring my car around, I pull out my phone and quickly pull up a familiar name, and start typing out a message.

I have a new job for you, something a little more exciting this time.

I like the sound of that! Call you tomorrow, going to need major details.

I smile as I tuck my phone in my pocket, already formulating the perfect plan.

It's payback time. Bradford style.