Normal | Rhekker

Chapter 55- Hoax

Connor clocked off once again, leaving his desk as soon as he could. He passed Ava's office, nothing has moved in the weeks she'd been gone. He saw his reflection in the glass and moved on. Keeping his head down.
He made is way to the empty apartment, reheating yesterdays dinner in the microwave.
This has become the new normal for him. He sat down on the sofa and turned on the tv to watch the Jimmy Fallon Show.

"Thanks for making dinner" she kissed his cheek, curling into his side.
"I love you"

Connor turned off the TV once his dinner was done.
He rubbed his eyes, he wasn't spending another night alone in the apartment.
He drove down town to the first club he saw, getting a stamp on his hand as he entered.
He sat at the bar, sipping his drink he had a look around.

It grew more lively as the night went on, Connor nursing his third drink.
He caught sight of an exchange in the back corner.
It had been so long since he'd last done it. Had a high like that.
Something pressed into his leg, Connor pulled out his keys.
Drive safe, I love you
He squeezed the keychain in his palm, finishing his drink before leaving the bar.
He stepped out into the cold air, sobering up with the walk home.
He collapsed onto the bed, his eyes tried, Connor buried his face in the sheets.
He missed her.

Connors alarm buzzed, waking him early in the morning. He moaned, rolling over he rubbed his eye. Connor crawled out of bed, nursing a slight headache.
He brushed his teeth, checking his phone.
Ava was reported as being in Moscow. She hates the cold.
He put his phone down, spitting into the sink.
Connor got an extra shot in his coffee that morning.

He got little to no work done that day, his paper work piling up that he'd often take work home with him. Anything to not be alone in that house alone with his thoughts,
His phone buzzed in the table next to him, a welcomed distraction
"Hello?"
"Are you alright, you sound awful?"
"I'm fine, Claire. I just feel a bit down. That's all" he rubbed his eyes.
"Because Ava left you"
"Yes, Claire" he said bluntly.
"Well have you talked to her?"
"No, she, she left the night I told her"
"Well why didn't you stop her?"
"I wasn't in the house, I left"
"You left"
"Yes, yes Claire I left! I wanted to give her space okey. I don't need the judgement"
"Oh you don't need the judgment? Connor how self-centred can you be. Have you seen what's being written about her? You are aware not everyone has a PR team to maintain their image right?". He didn't have anything to say to that.
"I hope you two work it out, for your sake more then anything"

*

Ava stretched out in the guest bed, her window open above her head. She'd pack most of her things last night, a few new possession purchased over her time in New York.
Ava pushed the fresh white covers off her legs.

She stepped out into the kitchen, new pyjamas bought in New York. She helped Brooklyn make breakfast.
"I'm going to fly back home tomorrow" she said, moving the fried eggs.
"What? Ava you don't have to, you're welcome to stay for as long as you need"she touched her arm. "I know" she nodded, "I can't thank you two enough, but I need to go back to work. I need answers"
"Okey, okey" she nodded, wrapping her arms around her.
"But you know I'm Italian and Jewish, so the last thing I'm going to do is let you leave hungry" she turned back to the breakfast.
"And we'll have a nice dinner, I'll get a bottle of wine and some nice cheese" she waved her hand. "Im going to miss you" she wrapped her arms around her.
Brooklyn buried her face in Ava's neck, "I'll see you in a month for the wedding"
She pulled back, "you know wedding are full of single people"
"Single lawyers" she teased, plating up the breakfast.

Brooklyn and Ava spent their last day together around New York, going to their favourites cafe and shops before they parted. They picked up a nice bottle of white wine which Bob popped just before they had dinner.
They sat down to speak before they ate, pouring the wine. Ava took both their hands, "you know I'm so grateful, for both of you" she squeezed their hands.
Ava had two glasses of wine with dinner, taking her call to the rooftop terrace. She sat back in a bench, looking up to the starry sky.

Connors phone vibrated in the bedside locker next to him. He ignored it for the first few rings. Before opening his eyes more he forced himself to answered it, seeing the name he jumped up in bed.
"Ava!?"
"Hey" she breathed.
"How are you, are you okey, are you hurt?" He sat up in the bed.
"I'm fine Connor" she said shortly, "I'm in New York, with Brooklyn"
"Oh, yeah, okey"
"I was just ringing to let you know I fly back in tomorrow morning"
"I'll, pick you up from the airport" he said.
"I wasn't looking for you too, it was just a courtesy call"
"When do you get in?" He asked.
Ava exhaled, "terminal one, I get in at twenty to ten"

*

Ava stepped out of the airport, nervously brushing the hair that fell into her face as she stepped into the street. There he was. She wasn't sure how long he'd been their for, the plane had gotten in early. Ava was rooted in the ground as they looked to each other for the first time in weeks.
"Welcome back" he broke her gaze, glancing to the ground.
"Here" he moved from leaning on the car to taking her bag.
"Thanks" she wrapped her arms around herself as they got into the car.

It was uncomfortable, to say the least, the traffic was pretty bad and Ava hoped it would clear. "Where are we going?" She asked, he'd missed the turn for their apartment.
"I thought we could go for a coffee?"
"Oh, yeah sure" she shifted.
Coffee meant talking.

She took a deep breath as she sat down, pushing her hair from her face.
Connor set two coffees down for them.
They sat in an awkward silence, Ava hiding her face in her coffee.
"You cut your hair" it was shorter, and straightened.
"I did, yeah" she pressed her lips together.
"You went back to her"
Connor was silent.
"Did you fuck her?" Ava said bluntly.
"God no Ava" he looked around, "Jesus" he said quietly.
"Did she try to fuck you?"
Connor held her gaze.

Ava produced a large stack of envelopes from her purse, all of which had been opened. And Connors face fell immediately. "So you know what they are then"
"You weren't meant to read them" he said, the tops of his ears turning red.
"They were address to me" she fires back, New York giving her the time to find her feet.
Ava picked one off the top of the pile and held it out to him.
Connor took it cautiously.
"Read"

Connor exhaled. "My dearest Ava"
"There's a comma" she interrupted, closing her eyes. "You did letter writing, we both know what it means"
"My dearest, Ava" he corrected himself.
"I long for us to be together, and I promise to never part with you once we are reuioneted" he finished, dropping the envelope to the table. His words hanging on the air.

"You left" she said quietly.
"I left so you would stay"
He swallowed, looking around nervously at the other tables.
"I'll rent a hotel room, give you some space. You take the apartment"
"No" she said certainly, "that's far too expensive, we're both adults. We can survive living together I should hope"

There was a lump in his throat.
"It wasn't my kid"
Ava seemed to be processing what he had just said.
"Robyn- she knew"
Ava shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"I- I'm sorry"
"We should heat back, let you unpack"
Connor paid the bill and drove them home.
"I'm pretty tired, I'm going to get some rest before work" Ava said.
"Okey, let me know if you need anything"
Ava disappeared down the hall to unpack and Connor made his way to the study.

Ava dumped her dirty clothes into the launder hamper and lay back on her bed, her feet to the covers her knees were bent.
The phone rang out twice. "Bekky!"
"How was your flight?"
She felt herself relax. "Good, I slept most of the way" that was a complete lie, and Brooklyn knew it. "Are you okey?" She sensed there was something wrong.
"Did you speak to Connor yet?"
"It wasn't his"
"It wasn't his child, Brookie" she pressed her head into the comforter.
She was quiet for quite a while.
"That bitch"
Ava laughed, she laughed until she cried.
"She is, she is a piece of work"
"So what now?"
"I don't know" she rolled into her side.
"Were staying together in the apartment"
"Well that's something"
"Do you think it's salvageable?" She asked.
"I don't know" Ava said honestly.
"Well you always have me, but at lest you have Ini in the same state"
"Mhm" Ava hummed.
"And I'm always here if you want to talk, or any advice"
"Oh yeah, and what would your advice be?"
"Remind him what he's missing"

Connor turned with his glass of water, making his way to the bedroom he spotted a pillow and blanket laid out on the sofa. Connor looked down their hall, their bedroom down closed. He sat back on his bed, he wasn't sure how he didn't expect this. Setting his glass down he pulled the blanket over his legs, he lifted his head back to look down the hall, at lest he knew she was safe.