Secrets And Sins Part 3: Happy ever after

Chapter 9

~Ava~

"Beatrice has parents?!"

Despite reeling from the implications of Bea's mother calling, Ava couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Everyone has parents, Halo.

"You don't." The relic responded petulantly, "Why didn't you tell me Beatrice's parents were still alive?"

It wasn't any of your business. Now would you shut it for a second?

Ignoring Halo's irritated grumble in reply, Ava awkwardly teetered in the doorway, unsure if she should stay or go. Bea was listening intently to whatever her mother was saying to her and if she noticed Ava's presence at all, she didn't show it.

Lingering just a moment longer, Ava took a step back, deciding it was probably better to give the other woman some privacy when Bea's hand reached out in her direction.

The sister warrior turned, her wide eyes begging Ava to stay.

"Need you."

Ava let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and nodded, smiling softly. She closed the distance between them and took Bea's outstretched hand, automatically intertwining their fingers.

As Bea refocused on whatever she was being told, Ava busied herself with trying to ease some of the tension she could feel radiating off the other woman. She brought her free hand up to trace the lines of muscle in Bea's upper arm, frowning at the slight tremble she could feel under her fingertips. Ava pressed a little closer, tucking herself tightly into her fiancé's side, letting her hand wander absentmindedly across Bea's powerful shoulders down to rest at the small of her back.

"I don't want it." Bea suddenly snapped, her grip of the Halo bearer's hand tightening.

Ava carefully stroked the tense knuckles with her thumb, the surge of anger she could feel bleeding through the Halo link worried her. Bea was on the verge of losing control and having more damage than the hole in the wall would be hard to explain to the building manager...Ava did her best to quiet Bea's fury by pushing her own sense of calm back against it.

Bea relaxed ever so slightly even with her mother quite clearly shouting at her on the other end of the line. The rant went on and on, the sister warrior's jaw working as she clenched her teeth in an effort to stop herself from interrupting. Ava kissed the point of her fiancé's shoulder, wishing she could ease her discomfort.

"Why?" Bea bit out, words clipped and tight like her jaw.

Ava's heart ached as she watched the sister warrior's face fall at whatever the reply was.

"Fine. I'll think about it." She pulled the phone from her ear and hung up.

Silence descended upon them, and Ava was frozen in place, too hesitant to ask what that was all about, especially seeing the expression on Bea's face. Her fiancé was staring at her phone screen, the white-knuckled hand holding it shook with the strength of whatever she was feeling, there were too many emotions flooding through the Halo link now for Ava to distinguish.

Without making a sound Bea suddenly drew back her arm and threw the device as hard as she could at the bedroom wall. With the strength of her Halo behind it, the phone smashed straight through the drywall and into the ensuite on the other side, the clatter of it bouncing on the tiled floor harsh in the quiet.

Ava tried really, really hard not to react, but couldn't help the sharp gasp that escaped her. Bea's wide eyes darted towards her, seeming to only now remember that the Halo bearer was standing beside her. Bea opened her mouth to say something but all that she could get out was a gut-wrenching whimper, her face crumbling.