Ava knows who Jimmy O'Brien is - her first love and soulmate. Forced to spend time apart, Ava and Jim deal with their trust issues and insecurities.
When the lovers finally reunite and resolve to fight for each other, their fragile happiness is put...
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Jim and I hadn't talked since the night of the call. I knew he avoided getting in touch with me on purpose, the purpose being to let me miss him and see if I could trust him. A new habit — the one I wasn't sure how to feel about — became a part of my routine. I'd check the Internet for mentions of him as soon as I popped awake each morning. Strange as it was, there were none — no news about future shows, no interviews, although he said he'd do band promo in France.
Another thing had become common — seeing the Toyota and the cap-wearing guy behind its wheel idling in the bookstore parking lot. Today wasn't an exception. As soon as I exited the store, I dashed to the coffee shop across the street and got two espressos. Coffees in hand, I strolled to the SUV and took a deep breath before rapping my knuckles on the tinted window.
It rolled down. A blast of cold air hit me, cooling off my heated skin.
"Declan, right?" I said.
The guy in the driver's seat chuckled. "That's right."
"For you." I handed him the coffee. "I thought you might need it after the afternoon you spent sitting here."
"Thank you." He smiled. "Get in. It's too hot outside."
I slid into the passenger seat. Partly because he was right about the scorching temperature, but also because Jim asked the man to keep an eye on me.
"So." I tapped my fingers on the cup.
"The boy's overprotective." Declan sighed. "He won't sleep until I tell him everything's alright."
"Why would he do that?" I said, more to myself. "If he trusts me, he shouldn't need to keep tabs on my whereabouts."
"Trust has nothing to do with it, Ava, but worry does. Please don't add more to the concerns he already has. Just go along with it. I'll do my job and tell him you're okay, and Jim will rest at night without driving himself insane."
"Have you known him for a long time?"
Declan took a small sip from the cup, humming. "This is good. The next one's on me. To answer your question, for a bit over a year. Jim hired me right after he got signed."
"I see." I stared at my coffee, chewing on my lip. "Is he okay?"
"I think so." Declan winked at me. "The stubborn boy didn't call you, am I right?"
"You are. I can't blame him. I just…"
Miss him. Love him. Need him. Want him. And every other affection-related verb in the dictionary.
A warm smile made Declan's eyes crinkle in the corners. "He does, too. That's why I'm here."
I downed my drink and gripped the door handle. "Thank you. See you tomorrow, I guess?"
Declan nodded. "Drive safe, Ava."
I tossed the cup in the trash and got into my Chevy. After glancing at myself in the mirror, I started the vehicle and drove to the marina to see the girls.
