Perfect

Chapter Thirty Two

-ALEX- 

From Ava:

I don't think so. You really don't want to see me in those fancy ballgowns or whatever, I'd look massively out of place.

  I shake my head slightly as I read her text, and then bit my lip as I began composing my own - slightly risque - text back.

To Ava:

Yeah, those fancy ballgowns you would wear would look a lot better on my bedroom floor instead. You'd definitely not look out of place there.

  Again, it did take me a few seconds to decide whether it was an appropriate text to send to her so early on, but I knew Ava - unlike the other girls I had seen of late - actually had a sense of humour, so I hit the send button.

  "Hey," I catch attention of my cousin as we travelled in the same car towards his premiere. "Do you know why Melissa cancelled last minute?"

  "Why does Melissa do anything?  I have no idea anymore." He is brutally honest with his answer as he fiddles with his shirt cufflink. "That reminds me though, all this talk with Melissa..." I look back up to him again from my own cufflink. "You're really serious about Ava, aren't you? Or, you want to be?"

  "Yeah, I mean she's like no girl I've ever dated before, something feels like it's meant to be," I didn't press on, mainly because he was so far deep in his own relationship woes, it would have been mean to rub my current happiness in his face, as it seemed like I was doing. "Why?"

  "Are you ever going to tell her?"

  "Tell her what? That I like her, because that's kinda already evident from the fact I keep asking her out-"

  "Tell her about what happened in University?" He cuts me off, leaving me in silence for a few seconds, wondering how to even reply to that. "Because if you're going to be serious about her, I think you should tell her what happened."

  "My own brothers don't even know what happened in University," I reply. "I haven't told anyone anything about my University days."

  "Maybe that's your problem right now," He said. "You haven't spoken about it to anyone, except me obvs."

  "I don't really want to be talking about this right now, especially since we're about to go on a red carpet."

  "Why are you avoiding the question?"

  "Because-" I let out an exasperated sigh, scratching my neck. "Because what happened at Uni was a real, real low point for me mate, and I'm scared."

  "Scared of what?"

  "Scared that if Ava and I really are meant to be, what if this scares her away?" He doesn't reply, only listens to my words. "And I lose her? Sure, it's only been a week, but it's been the best bloody week of my life so far."

  "If you and Ava are meant to be, or if you're not and you go on to find someone else even more amazing to you," He pauses for a second, almost like he was thinking of what to say next without it sounding offensive. "Then what happened at Uni wouldn't get in the way of you two being together. Fate or not."

  "Why have you brought this up now?" I am incredibly grateful that we were the only two in the car, the rest of the family dividing up in the other 4 cars available for us to take to the premiere.

  "Because you've been giving me some advice about Melissa," He gives a small, sincere smile. "I can't just stand by and not give you advice as well."

  "Even when I haven't asked for it?"

  "Hello," He sits up straight, now a dead serious face on. "Why do you think your Mum now obsesses about who you date? 'Universitygate'."

  "Oh no, don't call it 'Universitygate'." I groan in despair.

  "That's pretty much what it was, bro," He scoffs. "Heck, that was the biggest scandal EVER! How Uncle Clark managed to keep that away from the media, nobody knows."

  "Believe you me, there's this fear that it'll always come out," I sigh out loud. "You really think I should tell Ava?"

  "I mean, not immediately, that will probably really scare her away," He shrugs. "But when you know how serious you are about her, and how serious she is about you... That's when you're gonna have to lay all the cards down on the table."

  "Thanks bro," I pat his shoulder. "For the impromptu, unscheduled, slightly premature pep talk on my soon-to-be first serious relationship that wasn't first orchestrated by my Mother."

  "Hey dude, if she makes you happy, I'm all for it." He puts his hands up, smiling. 

  With one last look at my phone and saw that Ava hadn't replied, we got out of the car which had parked up alongside the red carpet, causing the huge crowd of photographers in front of the blown-up picture of Grayson's film to erupt into chaos, screaming our names and calling out for us to look in their direction. 

  "Alex, Alex!" An interviewer for an online entertainment website persistently calls out after I walk over to sign autographs, even though I was just the son of a music producer and happened to do some TV roles every now and again. "Alex, over here!"

  "Hey," I manage to muster up my 'showbiz' smile, one which I only use for the cameras.

  "Hey Alex, how proud are you of your cousin for his movie role?"

  "Super proud of him, is that even a question?" I joke, causing the reporters to laugh. "It looks like a good movie and I'm excited to see my cousin in such an action role. Never knew he had it in him."

  "And how do you feel about a certain lady also attending the premiere as well?" I raise an eyebrow, both in confusion and curiosity. "Katherine's here."

  Media trained me reminded myself that I shouldn't respond in my usual 'Oh fuck' sense, so I just smile and replied with "Well that's good."

  After answering another question about what I had in plans for my own career - maybe a few more acting gigs and so forth - I walked away.

  The look on my face told Grayson everything about how I felt about the red carpet experience.

  "I know." He said as we walk into the movie theatre. "I saw her already."

  "Why is Katherine here?" I ask.

  "Because it'll look good for her career if she turns up? I don't know," He shrugs, shoving his hands into his pockets. "But don't worry dude, she won't come near ya."

  "I really bloody hope so." I sigh once again before we walk down the aisle, and sit ourselves down in our designated seats. 

  "But heads up," He clears his throat to signal how uncomfortable he was, causing me to look back at him. "She's kinda sitting right behind you."

  I immediately look back to see the seat behind me had a picture of her along with her name stuck to it, causing me to groan in disbelief, sinking deeper into my chair.

  This is going to be a long night. 

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Much love as always!