Santa Fe Billionaire

Chapter 46

Ava

The flight was long and even though I was doing nothing I still found it exhausting. It also gave me a long time to think about everything and well, I'm thinking I was perhaps a bit too hasty. I have such strong feelings for Sebastian. I still feel torn about what I saw but having got to know him like I have, he just doesn't seem like the kind of man that would cheat on any woman. There must be a plausible reason. It's too late I am here now back on my home ground. My chest hurts and my heart is literally torn in two.

All of me wishes I'd stayed. I could have just found some space in a different hotel or a different town. Coming all the way back home, well let's just say it is perhaps a little dramatic. However, I did want to see my mother and Zoe. They always give me perspective only I feel somewhat daft now. I'm a grown up for a start and I should be able to handle this situation. 

I'm in the cab on the way to my parent's house. I've not even let them know I'm coming back but my parents will be at home. It's four o'clock now and by the time I get to them it'll be half past. My parents don't usually do much on a Saturday they enjoy the local farmer's market, coffee and cake out at Bessie's café and a mooch around the shops. Dad usually ends up in Stan's hardware store and mom always ends up in Lizzie's vintage dress shop. There was a time many years ago when my mom used to do a bit of sewing for Lizzie. Mom is a dab hand with a sewing machine and has many patchwork quilts dotted around the house. My favorite is the Christmas one that comes out straight after Thanksgiving.

I've checked my mobile several times, okay so I've checked it literally every few minutes but there are no new messages. My heart has dropped to my feet and I feel like crying all over again. Does this mean that Sebastian has given up? Was me getting on the flight the last straw for him? It's not as if we live in neighboring towns or cities after all. My finger's itch to message him but something holds me back. Pride maybe? It's not as if he hasn't said he was sorry so many times nor can I forget his words at the airport. 

"We're here." Says the cab driver. I let him know I want to pay with my debit card. He punches some numbers into the card reader then passes it back to me so I can enter my pin. A few seconds later I've paid and standing outside my parent's house with my rucksack at my feet. My shoulders are tense, I roll them back and forth a few times. Actually I'm working up the nerve to go inside and face them. I can just imagine how mom is going to cluck around me like an old mother hen. Dad probably will want to punch Sebastian, even though I now think there is a plausible reason for the ice maiden kiss.

Before I can get my stuff together and head off to mine and Zoe's apartment the front door is flung open. It's petrol blue and stands out against the dark paneled wood of the house. "Ava honey, what are you doing here? Is everything alright? Come on in." I told you she'd start clucking but then I guess I would do too, if my daughter had come home unexpectedly from a trip planned for three weeks. I bet mom was curtain twitching again. Don't laugh. She can't help herself, always peeking at the window mainly to see what the Carlton family are up to. It's a bit of a thing in their street. 

The Carlton family moved in six months ago, so far they've had two new cars, loud music coming from the house and a whole array of young adults coming and going. This is as you can probably guess is a respectable neighborhood but now the Carltons have moved in, well we're not so sure. Mom seems to think they are drug dealers with their fancy Range Rovers, a Porsche turning up then leaving a few hours later and a whole host of girls dressed according to my mother in not an awful lot. "You'd see much more on a sunbather than those girls who keep coming in and out of there. Mark my words there is something not right going on across the street." To be honest I think that there is nothing going on other than the Carltons are a well-to-do family with a son who to me looks around nineteen and has a healthy appetite for girls and naturally has plenty of friends. But you know what parents can be like. 

As soon as I reach the front door mom's arms are around me. I begin to sob into her shoulder as she soothes me by rubbing and patting my back. "There, there. What's happened? I bet it's a man." See moms are so wise aren't they? I continue to sob. Then I hear my father's voice.

"What did he do to my little girl." I release myself from my mom and dive straight into my father's protective arms. 

"A woman kissed him." He coughs. 

"Why don't you put your bag down sweetie and come into the kitchen. Ma will put on the kettle and you can tell us all about it." I wipe the snot from my nose, great crying again and blubbering like a five year old. And to make matters worse the last time I checked my mobile, Sebastian still hadn't messaged me. At least in Pretty Woman the movie, Richard Gere gets in his limo and drives across town, serenades her from the car and rushes up with a bouquet of roses. I'm being utterly unreasonable, Sebastian did tell the whole airport that he loved me and was going to do everything to change my mind. So, it's not Richard Gere but now I feel helpless that I got on the blasted flight. At least if I'd stayed there I could have let him explain properly and maybe it would have changed everything.

Not sitting here in my parent's kitchen crying my eyes out. "Tell us about this man then honey, and the kiss." Mom says as she puts a nice hot coffee in front of me. 

"His name is Sebastian Garcia and..." Dad cuts me off.

"Not The Sebastian Garcia?" Right, so how would my dad know that? I nod. "Sweetie how on earth did you meet him? He's the richest man in Europe and most of the States." I can see he is torn between being supportive and wildly impressed. 

"How do you know about him?" I am bewildered. 

"He's always all over the news and being interviewed. It's pretty difficult not hearing about a tycoon sweetness." He takes a sip of his coffee and peeps his eyes over the brim. 

"It so happened the hotel I checked into is owned by him and we bumped into each other. I couldn't stand him at first. In fact I thought he was a miserable, grumpy and conceited prick." My father coughs. I'm still his little girl to him and he doesn't like me to use words like that. 

My mother doesn't utter a word but I can tell she is in shock by the way she throws herself down on the small two seater sofa under the alcove in the kitchen and places her hand to her mouth. "Then I just kept bumping into him and he invited me to dinner." I swallow the lump in my throat that is threatening to bring on yet more tears.

"Take your time sweetheart." Mom says. I swallow and start again.

"He had a hotel tour to go on and we travelled to some really beautiful places, it was all going so well and..." I falter and get myself to together. Dad who is sitting next to me at the island strokes my arm and I clasp my hand over his for comfort. "I fell in love with him." I begin to cry. Dad cuddles me to him. I sit back up and wipe my eyes. "Then, well I saw a woman kiss him on the lips. She was beautiful and he didn't move away from her. I lost it and felt hurt and betrayed and just ran out on him. Got the first flight back and here I am." I wipe my eyes again because I'm just not able to stop crying. 

Mom gets up and comes over to me and puts her arms around me. "Darling I am sure it wasn't anything like it looked. Sometimes there is a reasonable explanation. Maybe it was a relative of some kind. I've kissed your uncle Dean on the lips on more than one occasion. You know a quick peck, there isn't anything in it." She strokes my back. "Have you tried calling him since you've landed? You poor thing. You must be so exhausted." 

"I am. I'm really drained Mom." I tell them about Sebastian messaging me, how I chose to not reply and the fact that he came to the airport. "He said he was going to make it that I'd change my mind."

"Well there you go then." She says. "I'm sure he is going to fix it. But if he calls or messages you, don't be stubborn and silly darling. At least give the man a chance." Mom kisses the top of my head. 

"I bet he'll be on his jet on his way over here if he feels that much for you." Says dad. This gives me a little spark of hope. I hadn't thought of that. It's possible, Sebastian does have a jet. What if he does fly here? All of a sudden my heart lifts a little and the greyness that is fogging me up lifts too. The early evening sun is shining through my parent's kitchen window and for the first time since this morning, I feel a glimmer of something.