Getting back to "Normal" | Rhekker

Chapter 18- Shaken

Connor tapped his knuckle against Ava's doorframe, drawing her attention from her book.
He smiled, holding up a brown paper bag.
Ava shock her head, "Don't tell me you got suspended again" she teased him, closing her book.
"Not this time" he smiled, handing her the bag. Ava slipped off her bed and into the bathroom to get changed. She'd been up early in the morning and had already showers and brushed her teeth.
"What are you reading?" Connor called, studying her desk and bedside. He picks up the book Ava had discard
"Re-reading wuthering heights" she says, coming out of the bathroom in record time.
"That was quick"
"Yeah well when you have no door you learn to get changed quick" she jokes, slipping on her shoes.

Connor drops her book back on her bed and Ava stands up, clutching the side of her head.
"You okey?" He asks, brushed some hair off her temple.
"I'm fine, just a headache" she dismisses it. "Probably from the lack of sunlight"
Connor picks up his bag of towels, "okey, but if you start feeling unwell we can head home"
"You mean back to the hospital?" She says turning to the door.
Connor joins Ava in the doorway, "four more days" he reminds her, holding out his pinky finger.
"Four more days" she whispers, wrapping her pinky around his, swaying their hands together.

They drove to the lake again, with Ava being much more talkative this time and quizzing Connor on all his lasted surgeries.
"He did what!" Ava turned to him in shock.
"Yeah, he though he was having a heart attack because of shooting pains in his left arm. But when I rolled up his sleeve he was nearly cutting off cicurlation in his arm from all the duct tap around it"
"No wonder he had pains in his arms" Ava shook her head in disbelief.
They arrived to the dock and Ava stripped off her hoodie and leggings.
"Do you want me to wait for you or am I good to go?" Ava asked with a hair tie between her teeth, wrapping her long hair into a bun.

"You can go" he confirmed, pulling off her shirt. Ava dove into the water out of sight of Connor, he heard a splash and waited for her to resurface.
"It's fucking freezing!' Ava shouted up to him, trying to concentrate on raising her body temperature.
Connor dove in next to her, not expecting the water to be as cold as it was, given Bekker found Chicago cold almost year round.
"Jesus" Connor muttered, gasping for breath as he came up for air.
"I warned you" Ava chuckled, already lying on her back in the water.
Connor lay back and closed his eyes, feeling Ava's hand slip into his. Connor opened his eyes to look at her, she had done this without being asked. Seeing how calm Bekker was Connor closed his eyes again, deciding it best not to address it.
They float in peace for what feels like hours, the only sound around them those coming from the late.

"Ava" Connor says suddenly, in a way that tells her he's been trying to say this for a while.
"Yes?" She opened her eyes to see what was bothering  him.
"I never properly apologised for everything I said to you" he shook his head, "it was disgusting the way I treated you"
Ava sighs, breathing out through her nose. "I won't argue with you there"
"I should have heard you out Ava, you were always so good to me. I saw that you were struggling and I ignored it" he said harshly.
"I failed you Ava, when Robyn was suffering I stood by her through everything, but I ran and let you when I saw you struggling"
"Connor, it's okey" she tried to tell him before he interrupts her.
"No Ava, it's not. Your sick and suffering and I cause it, I caused your pain" he rambles.
"Connor" Ava tries to interject, her hand slipping from his as she moves to me vertical in the water.
"Ava just please forgive me-" he whispers miserably, tears pooling in his eyes.
"Connor" she says louder this time, taking his face in her hands.
"It wasn't your fault" she tells him, forcing him to look at her.
"But-"
"It wasn't your fault" she nearly shouts at him.
"Your behaviour didn't help by any means, but you weren't solely responsible" she runs her thumbs in little arches across his cheeks.
Connor places his hands on either side of Ava's ribs, pulling him closer to her in the water. Ava wraps her legs around his waist out of habit and rests her head on top of Connors. Inhaling the scent of fresh water mixed with his cologne.
Realising that she's wrapped her legs around him Ava goes to move them back, only to find Connors strong hand on the bottom of one of her thighs, supporting her and keeping her close to him.