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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
We snuggled on the blanket until orange hues spread across the evening sky, and the sun cast its last rays on the lake water.
Jim cupped my jaw with both hands and leaned in. His mouth covered mine, and my lips parted so my tongue could meet his. He was driving me crazy. Not only with his kisses and caresses but also with his attention and tenderness. It was as if I floated on the fluffy cloud of his affection, thrilled to soar but terrified of crumbling to the ground at the same time.
We broke apart when the need for more threatened to make us forget we weren't alone — a couple of families were in the vicinity, enjoying the summer day.
"Wanna head back?" Jim kissed my forehead.
"Yeah," I said, scrambling to my feet. We folded the blanket and walked to the car, holding hands.
Jim's hand hardly left my knee on the drive to his parents'. He probably thought I needed reassurance after what I'd told him. I never felt misunderstood or judged when I shared stuff with him, but it didn't mean I liked seeming weak. Despite that, my vulnerable side always showed itself in Jim's presence.
When we parked and entered the house, Jim's mom was in the kitchen.
"How was the sunset?" she asked, smiling.
Jim hugged me from behind and planted a kiss on my shoulder. "Amazing. Right, Ava?"
"The place is beautiful. Do you need help?"
Aria shook her head. "It's all ready. We're gonna try the things Jimmy brought." She nodded toward the charcuterie board. "Take that to the living room and choose some wine, will you, Jim?"
He winked. "Sure. On it."
As soon as we were alone, Aria turned to me. "He's head over heels for you."
Heat engulfed my cheeks. I wished she'd given me something to busy myself with so I'd feel less awkward.
"I—"
"I know my son, Ava. I'm so happy he's in love. That lifestyle of his can be very demanding and lonely. He's not one to complain, but he was under too much stress. It had me questioning whether all of it was worth it."
"Jimmy loves what he does," I said.
Aria beamed. "Oh, I know. I'm just happy he has more than his career now. I want my son to be happy, and even the little time we spent together was enough for me to see he's happy with you. So, thank you."
I wanted to say I did nothing, but Jim walked into the kitchen. His green eyes darted between his mom and me. "Everything okay?"
"I was telling Ava about your pet snake," Aria said, winking at me.
"It was a cute snake, Beautiful." Jim kissed the top of my head and went to the kitchen cabinet. "Mom couldn't appreciate its wild, natural beauty."
