On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3) Page 5

  Not wanting to continue this line of interrogation, Ava ducked under Tyler’s arm and escaped into her wardrobe, rooting around for her boots. Ten minutes later, dressed in her skinny jeans, a charcoal sweater, and black boots, Ava sat in the front seat of Tyler’s Jeep as he navigated the streets carefully. The rain had stopped but they were still slick and Tyler was taking it more cautiously than ever. Ava was grateful for his thoughtfulness.

  As he twisted and turned corners, Ava remembered that she no longer had a car. That’s when the anxiety took over. Tyler wasn’t fully aware of how bad a mess she really was inside. It was part of the reason she never stayed. Too much time together and he would see all of her. All her faults. All her insecurities. All her fears. And there were just so many. She’d had mini melt downs in the past couple of months, but somehow she’d managed to get herself under control before pure panic took over. The problem was, it was only possible when things went according to plan. Tyler had never been in the plan, but somehow she’d adapted and kept moving forward. But a car accident, losing her only mode of transport, hadn’t been factored in. Now it had to be.

  Reaching for the door handle, Ava white knuckled the bar. Digging her fingernails in, she prayed for the panic to pass. She forced herself to concentrate on her breathing as she stared aimlessly out the window. Without a word, Tyler’s hand landed on her thigh and took hold of her free hand, intertwining their fingers.

  Suddenly the world seemed calmer.

  The darkness started to lift.

  The air wasn’t as thick.

  There was light.

  Focusing on her breathing, Ava felt the weight lift and she got herself back under control. The whole time Tyler had remained silent beside her.

  Chapter 9

  Tyler

  What the fuck was that? Tyler screamed in his head. Nothing had happened. Nothing had changed. Then suddenly everything had. Ava had fallen silent and when he’d looked across to see what had captured her attention he barely recognized the woman beside him. Long gone was the playful, sexy woman who’d been teasing him to the point of distraction merely moments ago.

  “Ava?”

  Tyler heard his voice wobble and knew he sounded like a pussy, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t. Ava was ghostly white and her hand was clammy in his. He’d seen her look like this once before. An image that was burnt in his brain. An image he wished he could forget, but knew he never would. At their first meeting, their first encounter, Ava had looked like this. Just once. On that day she’d ended up in an unconscious heap on the floor. Tyler was not about to let that happen again.

  Tyler pulled into the car park faster than he should have, splattering the other cars with a shower of mud and dirty water. Jumping from the car, Tyler was at Ava’s door and helping her out of the car before she had a chance to move.

  He wanted to ask her what was wrong. He wanted to ask her what had happened. He wanted to know what he’d done wrong to cause that type of reaction. Instead he remained silent. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he slipped his sunglasses over his eyes, mussed up his hair, and led her towards the waterfront.

  Silently, Ava fell in step.

  Tyler knew Ava didn’t want him to see her tears falling behind her sunglasses that covered more than half her face. So instead of calling her out, he held her close and just walked. He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that no one recognized him, but he was thankful no one approached him. Right now the only person in the world that mattered was the woman in his arms.

  He felt her suck in a deep breath before coughing it back out. “So, where are you taking me?” she asked meekly.

  “Breakfast!”

  “You can’t be serious!”

  “Absolutely! Come on, Ava, we barely ate dinner and I’ve worked up quite an appetite in the last twelve hours. I’m starving. And before you tell me that you’re not, I heard your stomach growling like a possessed demon earlier.”

  Tyler smiled as he watched the torment cross her features. She blew out the breath she was holding as pink dusted her cheeks. Ava, his Ava, was coming back to him bit by bit.

  “How ’bout here?” Tyler suggested as he paused on the boardwalk at the entrance to a busy café.

  “It’s packed!”

  “So? Come on, let’s grab a table,” Tyler suggested, guiding her to the only free table in the sun.

  Ava didn’t have a chance to reply before she was sitting in an aluminium chair holding a menu.

  “Coffee?”

  “What?” Ava looked up, startled.

  “Would you like a coffee?” Tyler asked again, indicating the cute redheaded waitress standing beside him closely. Perhaps a little too close. Ava barely nodded and Tyler placed their order.

  Tyler watched as Ava tilted her head towards the warmth of the sun, exposing her long, pale neck. His fingers itched to touch it but he was in public. He’d refrain until they were alone. Even if it hurt him to do so.

  Sitting on the boardwalk in the sun, it was a perfect day. The bright blue sky was covered sporadically by fluffy white clouds and the odd bird circling. There was a slight breeze keeping the temperature down and sending the intoxicating scent of bacon through the café. Tyler’s mouth watered

  “Tyler,” Ava whispered so softly that he barely heard her over the chatter that surrounded them.

  “Yeah, Short Stack?”

  “People are staring.”

  “So?”

  “So? Don’t you get it? People can see us,” Ava admitted, shaking her head and sinking low in her chair.

  Tyler watched as she tried to hide from view. And he snapped. He’d had enough of all of it. Hiding from the world. Ava sneaking away. Trying to be something he wasn’t. Living his life in the shadows wasn’t the way Tyler wanted to live.

  “Ava, listen to me very clearly. I don’t give a fuck. I want people to see us. I want us to live a normal life. Be a normal couple. Do normal things.”

  “Normal things?”

  “Yes. Normal things.”

  “Like?”

  “Like when my girlfriend comes over, she spends the night. The whole night. She doesn’t sneak out sometime before dawn.”

  “You noticed?”

  Tyler couldn’t stop the snort from escaping. He was slightly offended that Ava thought he was that naïve, but he was in public. He couldn’t afford to lose his shit right now. The absolute last thing he needed was to end up on the front page of a paper throwing a hissy fit. “Of course I noticed, Short Stack,” he kept his voice low.

  “I didn’t mean…”

  “Then why? Please, Ava. I’m begging you. You’ve gotta tell me why you run.”

  When he’d decided to take her for breakfast he hadn’t planned on confronting the issue, but somehow they kept circling back to it. Tyler was tired. Tired of the bullshit, of the secrecy, and the unknown, and if right now was his chance to clear the air, then he wasn’t about to walk away from that, in public or not.

  “Have you guys decided what you’d like?” the redhead asked as she appeared from nowhere placing their drinks on the table between them.

  Quietly Ava ordered and Tyler followed and the waitress vanished just as quickly as she’d materialized.

  “Ava? Why?”

  “I…I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

  “Embarrass me?”

  “I didn’t want someone to see me leaving your place in the morning and then it getting out. I never did it to hurt you, Tyler. You have to believe me. Please. Every night I left I wanted to stay more than you could possibly know. But I couldn’t let you be humiliated. Not because of me.”

  Ava’s confession knocked the wind from him. Out of all the excuses he’d been expecting, all the scenarios he’d been dreaming up over the past couple of weeks, Ava embarrassing him had never been one. Not even something he’d considered.

  Dragging his chair as close to Ava as he could, Tyler didn’t even notice the curious gazes that tracked his every move as it scraped across
the uneven surface. Carefully, he pushed her glasses from her eyes and settled them on her head before throwing his own on the table. He watched as Ava blinked uncertainly, her eyes adjusting to the light.

  “Ava Jacobs, I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully. I love you. I’m in love with you. Nothing you could do would ever embarrass me. I don’t give a fuck if people see you leaving my place. You’re my girlfriend and I don’t care if the whole world knows,” Tyler said confidently and the words flowed so smoothly it surprised even him. He felt like he’d been holding them in for so long that now they were out, there was no stopping them—and no taking them back.

  For a long moment Ava sat there and stared at him, her mouth hanging open. Tyler wanted to say something but he knew he needed to let Ava digest his words. When Ava lifted her hand, the fear paralysed Tyler. He didn’t know if she was going to get up and walk away, slap him, or simply take a sip of her coffee. But she didn’t do any of these things.

  Instead she reached up and kissed him.

  In front of the whole café and anyone who was looking, Ava kissed him. And not just some innocent peck that could easily be interpreted as friendly. She gave him an honest, passionate kiss that set Tyler’s whole body on fire and sent all the blood in his body south.

  “I love you too,” she murmured against his lips.

  Tyler couldn’t hold back the smile. His eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas and his cheeks nearly split from his grin but he didn’t care. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, Tyler reached around Ava and pulled her as close as they could get in public.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just shut up and smile,” he bossed as he clicked a selfie. “Thank you, Short Stack. You just made my day.”

  Ava giggled, a sound so sweetly seductive Tyler almost forgot his need for food as it was replaced by the uncontrollable need for the woman in his arms. Knowing he was about to get himself in way too much trouble to deal with today, Tyler placed a quick, innocent kiss on Ava’s swollen lips before dragging his chair back to his side of the table.

  While Tyler watched Ava stuff forkfuls of food into her mouth, he adjusted himself as discreetly as possible. The soft moans and whimpers emanating from Ava’s swollen lips were not helping his current situation. For the first time in twenty-four hours Tyler saw her relax. Things were on the up.

  Taking a sip of his coffee, Tyler chuckled as Ava moaned with pleasure, shovelling another load of fluffy pancakes into her mouth. “Enjoying that?”

  “Mmmm,” Ava snorted as she tried to swallow prematurely, resulting in a wild coughing fit.

  Feeling content for the first time since he’d woken in a cold, empty bed days ago, Tyler pushed aside all the arguments and all the things that still needed to be said and just enjoyed the moment. The moment that he took a bite from his fluffy scrambled eggs and steamed spinach, Tyler lost all thought. For a few peaceful moments they sat enjoying the sunshine, their breakfast, and the sound of the water lapping lazily against the dock.

  Rocking back on his chair, Tyler pulled his phone from his pocket and clicked a few buttons before placing it face down on the table between them.

  “What’d you do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That smirk. You did something. I want to know what it was.”

  “Maybe you don’t.”

  “Tyler!” Ava tried to look menacing as she waved her cutlery back and forth but instead, Tyler couldn’t help but to think she looked damn adorable.

  “Ava,” he countered, unable to wipe the mischievous grin from his face.

  Tyler could see she wanted to argue. The whole time they’d known each other, Tyler had never known Ava to back down from a fight. He wasn’t expecting today to be any different, so he was slightly shocked when Ava remained silent. But when he she pouted, sticking her perfect pink lip out, Tyler knew he was fucked.

  “Don’t do that!” Tyler warned, his voice coming out in a growl.

  She fluttered of her eyelashes and tilted her head to the side. “Do what?”

  “You know exactly what.”

  “Tyler, sweetie, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Without breaking eye contact, Tyler quickly finished his breakfast and leant back in his chair, stretching his long arms high above his head. “Fine! I posted an update on Twitter. Happy now Miss-I-Need-To-Know-Everything?”

  “Very!” Ava chirped as she swallowed down the last of her coffee and reached for the bill on the table between them.

  “Don’t even think about it, Short Stack,” Tyler advised as his huge hand landed on top of hers, dwarfing it.

  “I can buy breakfast, Tyler,” she complained.

  “I know you can. But what sort of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t take my girlfriend out for breakfast occasionally?”

  “An equal opportunist?” Ava quipped, quick as a button.

  “Nice try. Now, I’m going inside to pay, and then we’re going for a walk!”

  “Yes sir,” Ava saluted as she scooped up her purse and wound her way between the tables and out of the restaurant.

  Chapter 10

  Ava

  While she waited for Tyler, Ava sat down on the concrete balustrade and watched the world go by. Even though she was struggling to pull her mind from her own private bubble, a bubble in which only she and Tyler existed, she noticed everything happen around her. Happy couples walked past pushing prams and holding hands. Old people shuffled by chatting about the weather. Teenagers whirled past on pushbikes and scooters almost knocking people over, laughing as they went. The world was a happy place. With the sunshine and the laughter it was hard to feel melancholy about anything.

  Feeling her phone vibrate in her purse, Ava dug through the crap she carted around until she found it. Unlocking it, she checked what was going on. She’d been tagged in a post. Nothing unusual about that. Amanda often tagged her in silly jokes or inspirational quotes or even just a damn good picture of a guy who may have misplaced his shirt.

  Opening the notification, Ava’s heart sank. Amanda wasn’t guilty this time. This time it was all on Tyler. If a picture says a thousand words, then this single post was shouting from the roof tops. Along with the photo he’d snapped earlier, a photo Ava thought would only ever be seen by them was a long string of hashtags.

  #Brunch

  #Romanticdate

  #Worldsbestboyfriend

  #Perfectdayforit

  #Happy

  #Beautifulgirl

  #ShortStack

  Ava’s stomach flipped and the pancakes she’d eaten way too quickly felt like they were about to make a reappearance. She had no idea how she was supposed to react to that. Part of her wasn’t surprised he’d done it. Ava knew her constant hiding was driving him insane, but the other part was slightly shocked he’d pushed.

  “Ready?”

  “Y-yeah,” her voice faltered.

  It took barely a moment for Ava to make the decision she’d been wrestling with for months. She had no doubt at all she was in love with Tyler. Deep down, even if she didn’t like to acknowledge it, she knew he loved her too. Ava wasn’t sure what had been holding her back from loving Tyler. From putting it out there. From putting herself out there. From being happy. But in the split second, the moment he’d stepped from the café and settled his dark glasses over his chocolate eyes, the decision was made. The truth was it never really had been a decision. It was more a confession. Something she just had to accept. Something she had to own up to.

  Without waiting for Tyler to make a move, Ava stepped to his side, wrapped her arm around his waist, and sank her hand into the back pocket of his jeans. The confused and amused look that caught him off guard was worth it.

  “Right then. Let’s go.” He stumbled, kissing the top of her head and leading her along the edge of the water.

  Three hours later, Ava’s feet were killing her. Boots had not been her best option, but in her defence Tyler hadn’t told her he planned
on walking the hocks off her. It only took forty-five minutes of whining and whining for him to take the hint and end their walk.

  “So…”

  “So…my place or yours?” Tyler asked with a tremble in his voice.

  “Well…”

  “Come on. Spit it out. Don’t get shy now, Short Stack,” he taunted as he checked her with his hip, almost toppling her from her feet.

  “I was thinking…”

  “Did it hurt? Do you need an aspirin?”

  Tyler didn’t even have the chance to laugh at his own joke before Ava slapped him. “Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?”

  “Desperately!”

  “Well, I was thinking that since I’m pretty much carless at the moment, would it be okay if I stayed with you for a couple of days?”

  Needing to put some space between them, Ava stepped back and let go of his hand, instantly stuffing her fingers in her mouth and chewing her nails. But Tyler wasn’t letting her have it. Stepping into her personal space, Ava sucked in a breath as he yanked her flush against his body. “Stay as long as you like,” he assured her, his words punctuated by the not so innocent kisses he dropped on her neck and jaw line.

  Ava’s heart beat took off. “Stop!”

  Startled, Tyler jumped back, almost like he’d been electrocuted. “What?”

  “You need to take me home. Now!”

  It took a minute for Tyler to catch up, but the moment he did, a cheekiness covered his face that heated Ava’s blood as it rushed around her body. Without missing a beat, Tyler swooped down and tossed Ava over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Shocked, Ava could do nothing but laugh.

  And it wasn’t only Ava who was laughing.

  The passersby had stopped to watch the childish games, laughed, and pointed.

  Feeling her face burn under the scrutiny, Ava had nothing to do but squirm and squeal. Draped over Tyler’s powerful shoulder, Ava began slapping Tyler’s butt playfully.

  “Ava!” Tyler growled menacingly, sending a rumble right through his body.