The Probability Of Not Loving You

Chapter 23 (unedited)

Alex woke up to an empty bed.  Fear rippled through him, anxious that Christian might have called her and she left, much like she used to come running to him but that was no more.

He lifted himself up and heard the shower running. He walked over to his luggage. Rummaging through it, Alex found a pair of slacks, a t-shirt and hoodie. He didn't know if Ava, the socialite, would dear step out in his gym clothes. Nonetheless, it was all he had for her.

Ava stepped out of the shower, hair up in a messy bun, covered in nothing but a small towel. Alex's pants tightened. The tiny white towel barely went over anything beyond her waist. Alex hadn't seen her thighs in a long time and his mouth dried just at the thought of kissing them.

"Eyes up here," Ava said teasingly and turned away as though she hadn't meant anything by it.

Alex laughed it off, despite every inch of him wanting to grab her and take everything that he was being teased with. "There's some clothes on the bed if you want them."

"If I want them," she asked, amused.

Alex smirked. "My clothes aren't exactly fashionable."

Ava moved past him and bent over on the bed. Alex exhaled deeply looking up her legs and turned away before he saw where they ended up.

"Are you going to give me room to change or not?" She chortled as she picked up his slacks. "You have seen it all, I suppose."

Alex licked his lips, doing his best to concentrate on her words and not the fact that she was baiting him towards something. He just didn't know what.

"Boundaries, Ava," he muttered, while he wanted to trample over every line that they had drown. "Let's at least have that. I'm going to shower."

By the time he finished she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Ava was still drop dead gorgeous in his slacks and hoodie. She smirked when she saw him. "When are you feeding me?"

"Now."

Alex pointed to the door and Ava walked ahead of him. He didn't know what he missed the most about their interactions. Despite knowing that she would leave him in the end, Alex relished their moments together, relearning how to communicate and be close. It almost felt like it was enough. But he knew that once she was gone, it would hurt.

Silence fell between them as they stepped into the empty elevator, one after the other. Her eyes, soulful and wild, stared back at him. For a long time when they looked at each other her eyes had been empty. She had forgiven him. Alex hadn't dared dream and knew it had been a long time coming but that morning was the first time that he thought she no longer had pain where they were concerned.

Ava looked at him with a smile. Alex smiled back and before he could say a word, not that he knew what to say, the elevator door opened. Ava's eyes widened and forced him to look towards the door. A reddish browned haired woman stood with her mouth opened and a suitcase in her hand.

Hannah.

"Alexander Evans," she said grinning broadly. "You got hotter."

Alex laughed. He never knew how to take a compliment from a woman. He was still the same old awkward boy that she loved. Ava had wondered how he had a reputation of being a smooth talker when they were in university. But Ava knew, he preferred one on one interactions. People who didn't know him thought he was extroverted like her, because he could blend in and pretend, but he was shy.