Craving Ava

7.1 - Life After Her

Easton

I woke up at the same time I usually do, thanks to the alarm on my nightstand. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Ava sleeping peacefully through my phone screen. It was dark where she was, but I could still see her, thanks to small lamp she forgot to turn off.

I quickly shut off the alarm, afraid to wake her.

I stared at her a few seconds more, not yet wanting to leave.

I turned around and attached my phone to the charging cable without hanging up, then went downstairs to have breakfast. As I was leaving early, Rosa wasn't here. I had given her the last couple of days off in addition to the weekend, but it was rare that I got to see her before arriving home at night. Surely I could ask her to come earlier, but she had her own life to deal with, and she already did more than enough once she got in, leaving my penthouse absolutely spotless and organized every single day.

I went into the fridge and made myself the usual kale and spinach shake that Ava hates the smell of.

I drank it quickly and got dressed, unplugging the phone shortly after. Having to hung up on her hurt more than I expected, but there was no realistic way I could have carried her with me throughout the whole morning.

"Sleep well, angel." I said to her. She was sound asleep, but I still meant it.

I hung up the call and quickly left the building, getting into the the back of my black Sedan driven by Daniel. A storm was making its way across New York, thunder echoing through the skyscrapers above us as we drove to Maxwell Industries. If this was any indication of the day I had ahead of me, I was already hoping for it to be over.

***

"We have to do something about mom!" Complained Ella, erupting through my office like it belonged to her.

Frustrated, I shook my head in disdain.

"One of these days, you're going to get me in a sticky situation. You do know people come see me here, right?" I shot in frustration.

"Yeah, and I'm one of them." She darted, as she sat in the emerald green couch I had placed against one of the walls that wasn't made of glass, dropping a very ugly neon orange purse next to it.

Astrid appeared, muttering a silent "I'm sorry." I nodded so she knew it was fine, and she closed the door behind us.

"You're going to give my assistant a heart attack if you keep this up." I stared at her with a condescending look that made most men scared, but they had nothing on my sister.

She knew she had me wrapped around her finger, and nothing she could say or do would erase that.

"She can take it." She flashed her pearly white teeth at me. "But as I was saying... Mom needs to be stopped!"

I leaned back on my chair, resigning to being forced to give her my full attention.

"What did she do now?"

"She has been calling my store every freaking day! And when I don't answer, she takes it as an invitation to harass the girls." She referred to her employees.

Ella and I couldn't be more different. Having been born only two minutes apart, we looked nothing like each other. She was the spitting image of my mom, with her blonde hair, lightly tanned skin and blue-green eyes. And I...

All I saw was my father when I looked in the mirror.

But the differences didn't stop there. Ella was bubbly, vibrant, creative. Everything I wasn't, at least not from the get-go.