Normal | Rhekker

Chapter 53- Clara Bow

Ava stepped out of JFK to pickups, looking around she saw a car door open, Brooklyn rushing out to her. Avas face fell and she threw her arms around her.
"Com'on" she urged her towards the car where Bob was sat in the drivers seat.
Ava got in the back, her bag next to her. They pulled away from JFK. Just being with them calmed her, she liked New York and the privacy that came with a big city. No one would know who she was here.

Bob drove them back to their apartment, taking Ava's bag as they made their way upstairs.
Ava set her things down in the guest room, leaving to get dressed up.
She showered, a soft white two wrapped around her she changed into some fresh clothes. Making her way out of the guest room.

"What happened?" She heard Bob say.
"Im not really sure? But if she's flown what- four states away it can't be good?"
Ava leaned against the doorway, "he had a baby, with someone else"
She crossed her arms her throat dry.
"Oh Ava" Bob wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"I'm going to fucking murder him" Brooklyn shook her head.
Bob shot her a look.
"I'll give you two some space" Bob excused himself.

"I'm sorry for imposing, you shouldn't have to keep leaving" she sniffled.
"Hush, don't say that" she sat her down on the sofa.
"Come on" she rubbed her back, "now what exactly happened"
"It was his ex, they were together when we met" she said after a moment.
"She moved to Minnesota and broke it off. Then we were together and she came back after we'd split up"
"They had a fling just before I- I had my accident. She made sure I knew about it. He broke it off while I was in hospital"
"Four weeks, Brookie, he knew for four weeks and he didn't tell me"
"I know" she wrapped her arms around her, crying into her shoulder.

*

When Ava woke there was fresh daylight over New York. A new light in the window. She peeled herself from the bed, Brooklyn's arm thrown over her. She ran and hand through her hair, her face swollen. She splashed some cold water on her face, brushing her teeth in Brookie's bathroom.
"Morning"
"Jesus" Ava turned out of the kitchen. "Sorry Bob. You gave me a fright"
"Sorry I didn't mean too"
"I'm making porridge if you'd like some?"
"Yes, thank you"
She paused, "where did you sleep"
"Oh I came home and saw you two asleep, I slept in the guest room"
"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to kick you out of your own bed"
"It's fine Ava. Honestly" he got out a bowl for her.
"I'll move my stuff back in there, promise"
He touched her arm, "Ava, it's fine"

After breakfast Ava did move her things into the guest rooms, laying out her stuff. Brooklyn came into her, after getting ready to go into the office.
"What's all this" Brooklyn said, noting the envelopes Ava was surrounded by in the bed.
"Nothing" she moved them closer to her.
"Okey, well I'm just heading into the office for a bit. I'll be back later if you want to go out?"
"Sure, that sounds nice" she sat up in bed.
Brooklyn shouted goodbye before she left. Leaving Ava alone in their flat. It was big, and she'd been in it plenty of times before. She took a walk around, getting a glass of water and sitting by the window. She people watched for a while. Watching the city go by below her.
She'd go out, it'll be good for. She always a liked New York.

Ava tied back her hair and put on her sunglasses, making sure to take a house key to let herself back in before she left. New York was hot, and sticky. But not yet that unbearable hot that forced people to the mountains in late summer.

She walked down the streets, along the upper east side and down the to lower parts of two where her old apartment was. She walked through Central park and along the lake before winding up back at a local coffee shop.
Some women a bit older than her spoke in hushed tones behind her.
Ava tuned in, loving a bit of gossip.
"Yeah, she's run off someone, no one can find her. Not even him"
"Bit dramatic? No"
"I don't know, I mean He can do so much better"
"And he has that baby to look after with his ex"
Ava blood ran cold.
"She ever seemed like the nicest"
"Who?"
"That Ava that he was with, I mean South African? Where did he even find her" they both laughed.
"Black coffee for Av-"
"Thank you" she took the cup, hurrying out of the city.

It was later in the day, when Ava was curled up on the sofa that she heard someone approaching outside the door.
"Mabye she hasn't heard" she heard Brooklyn softly.
She stepped inside meeting her eye.
"She knows" she hung open the phone, rushing over to Ava with open arms.
Ava was surround by every paper, article. Images had been taken from her social media and secondary school's website.
Can't keep a man down, work obsessed, whore, couldn't give him a child, how many men has she been with, he was never going to stay with her, promiscuous past. Better off without her. She drove him to this.
She. Drove. Him. To. This.

Brooklyn didn't say anything, there was nothing to say. Ava just cried into her arms.
Once she'd seemed to run out of tears she stood, getting her a bottle of water.
"Here" she rubbed her back.
She moved to clear the papers.
"I haven't finished reading them all" Ava moved to stop her.
"There's not a word of truth in any of these, I think you and I know that" she dumped them in the recycling.
"How about we get out of the city for a bit? Go get some pizza?"
Ava knew what she meant, smiling softly.

They both got changed, Ava tried on a few of Brookie's clothes, having traveled light. She found a white summers dress that stopped at her knee, with an open collar.
They got their things and left the apartment, going to the underground garage she took the car her and Bob shared, but really rarely used outside of summer. She waved to the valet as they left and they were on their way.

Ava had been to Brooklyns family pizzeria a few times over her life in New York. She'd driven them out to where she'd grown up. Her childhood home above the pizzeria.
Brooklyn pushed open the door, the place bustling with life, a little bell ring in as the door opened.
"Brooklyn! Ava!"
"It's so good to see you" One of her brothers that was serving hugged them quickly.
"We've been taking every cell that walks in here to make calls, all around the state!" Damian, ones of her younger brothers said.
"To all the big papers you know? The times, daily's, tabloids, suns. Everyone's gotten a different place of where you've been spotted! 'Bout fifteen minutiae's ago we rang some paper in Arizona saying you've been spotted in Monaco! Had to look that one up on a map"
"Damian!" She snapped.
"It's fine, Brookie, really. I appreciate it" she smiled.
"Take the booth in the corner that you like, I'll send some pizza and lemonade out"
Brooklyn took Ava's hand over the table as they waited for their food and drink.
Ava stare down at her empty plate after, "I really loved him" she said quietly.
"Oh Bekky" she took her hand, passing her a napkin.
"No one ever doubted you did"

Ava straighten her back and blinked away her tears.
"Why you cry Bella?"
Ava snapped her head around "Anita", Brooklyns mother.
"How are you" Ava smiled.
"Why you cry, huh?"
"Nothing" Ava shook her head, her curls moving around her head.
She put a hand on Ava's wrist. "I must find Antonio" She said before leaving the booth.
"She doesn't know what's going on, we try not to stress her"  Damian said moving over with more lemonade. Antonio, her husband, had passed eight years ago.
"She has good days and bad" Brooklyn said, "we're going to drive her to the Catskills a few days early, let her get settled before the wedding"

"I think I'm going to head off" Ava said softly.
"Oh, okey, let me get my purse"
"No it's fine, stay with your family, I'll get the train home" she assured her.
Brooklyn walked her to the station, making sure she got in the train okey.
She sat in a seat facing the window, watching as New York and the stations sped by, as she set off home to the upper east side apartment.
Ava held the phone in her hand. Staring down at the black screen.
She powered it on, her location turned off she watched as texted messes and missed calls rained in. One standing out to her. She switched it back off.

Ava got off a few stops early, wanting to walk to clear her head.
She kept her eyes to the ground, bumping into a man on the street.
"Sorry" she moved past him.
"Ava?"