Dear Ava

Chapter 30

Ava remembered the first time she had met Liam. Mason had introduced them.

"And this is Liam, my second buddy. Liam, meet Ava.... Ava"

"Ava Fields, yeah I know." Liam had sheepishly shaken her hand.

"I have not seen you around?" Ava had asked him teasingly, knowing Mason had told her he was not so social.

"Aves, come on," Mason quickly had dragged her out.

'What has become of him?' Ava thought to herself, looking at his face, and not at the gun pointed at everyone. Liam was the one all along? She had never ever thought it would be him. His face was panic-stricken, Ava had never seen him like this. All she recalled was the innocent person she once met. Why did it have to be him? What was his problem with Mason?

"Liam," Oliver tried to go near him, to talk, to reason with him. They never expected to encounter such a kind incidence while coming here. He too remembered the Liam he used to hang out with. The four of them were such good friends, guess they had judged him wrong after all.

"Don't move, don't move I said, if any of you..." Liam warned, aiming at Oliver. No one knew if he dared to pull the trigger or not, but this was not the Liam they knew, he had already killed someone.

"Liam, ok, we won't." Ava interrupted, she just wanted Liam to stop aiming at Oliver. "Look here, huh? Liam, why are you doing this?" she just wanted to get his attention. Her mind was on overdrive. Nobody knew what to do in a situation like this.

"What do you mean Aves? I am doing what? I am just..... you and Mason.... you and he should never have been together. So stop talking..." He huffed. "You don't get to question me... you don't, get it?"

"Liam," this time it was Oliver, trying to get Liam's focus off Ava, she looked horrified at whatever Liam had said. It was hurting her way too much, more than she had expected. The wound of Mason's death was fresh in her heart, and someone had just ripped it open. She couldn't comprehend what to say next.

"Oliver," James whispered from behind them. Noah was standing in a corner behind the both of them, "Oliver, don't interrupt, we have a plan."

"What are you guys saying?" Liam's attention turned back to them. He had heard them whispering.

Ava got a quick look from James telling her that they were onto something. She had to do something. She had to get Liam's attention back to her. He wasn't here to listen to her praise Mason, though. He would get angrier, she didn't know what he would do. She had to speak, she had to say something about him.

"You were telling me about Mason, Liam, what did you mean by that?" But that didn't work, he just looked.

"You said Mason was not good enough for me..." she didn't believe the words she was speaking. 'I love you, Mason,' she whispered in her heart.

"Yes, he wasn't!" Liam's gun lowered a little. His eyes turning to Ava.

James could do with this, he continued with his plan.

"Look, Oliver, move slightly, get Noah covered, he's calling the officer," James whispered to him once again seeing Liam's attention was diverted enough. As compared to others, he was more a man of sense, than emotion, in a week of finding the letters, he had realized that involvement of the Police Department was inevitable, they were dealing with a murderer here. He had visited them very recently, he and Ava, presenting them with clues, letters and theories but never in the world could anyone have predicted that it was Liam.

"I'm on, guys," Noah whispered.

"What are you guys doing, stand down," Liam screamed at them, focusing on the gun and it's aiming once again.

"Talk to me, Liam. I'm hearing, don't pay any attention to them," Ava couldn't keep up this act anymore, but she had to be strong, she couldn't let one more person get hurt. 'You and Mason shouldn't have been together.' the sentence revolved in her mind, was she the reason Mason was gone?

"Aves," Oliver whispered, he could see her spiraling out of control.

"Oliver," Liam's menacing tone was too much to handle. What had happened to his ever so shy but wise best friend?

"Best friend of Mason right? See? Do you guys see this? Life is so unfair." he stopped to take a breath. "Mason had the best of it all, did he not? The coolest kid of the uni, loved by everyone, The Golden Boy."

Noah's eyes flashed with guilt.

"He had everything," Liam continued, "Everything, a best friend, good grades, girls behind him all the time, yet, yet he had to choose you, did he not? Huh? Ava? He had to choose you."

Ava sat down, she could not stand anymore. She was the reason Mason was gone.

"Ava," James went towards her. Everyone that knew her knew the guilt that was eating her inside out, but things couldn't be changed now, could they? It was not Ava's fault and she had to understand that but her heart would never heal.

"It's not you," James whispered the words she wanted to hear the most, she looked at him.

"Here, you look here." Liam continued, "So, I did it, If he could have everything he wanted in his life, his fame, his brains, looks, people, I would take one thing, I would take his life, let him have anything else. He lost everything, see?"

"No," Ava spoke firmly.

"They have arrived." Noah's whisper informed her of the arrival of the police to the scene. It had given her the strength that she needed. 'It will all be over soon' she reassured herself.

"He didn't lose anything Liam, you lost it, you lost your life, Mason lived his to its full extent. What did Mason lose? His people, no, they are still here, his popularity, well, he never did care about that, his memories are still here, so he is still here, living through us. You lost Liam," she faltered, "You lost the only person in your life, you lost your people, you have lost your mind, you lost your humanity, Liam, you are dead right now, nothing but a shell of yourself, not him, he still lives, he does...." she cried.

The doors burst open as Liam dropped his gun, heavy tears flowing out of his eyes, realization dawning upon him. "No..." he looked hysterical. Tears flowed out of his eyes uncontrollably. He didn't even protest as they dragged him out of the room, his hands were cuffed.

"You guys handled it well, we are sorry for the wait." the officer informed Noah and went his way.

James went ahead and wrapped his arms around Ava, she needed all the support she could get. For the first time since the news of Mason's death, Ava broke down crying, she let it all out. Oliver too sat down. Mason's murderer was found, he finally had the justice that he needed. It was all over. Mason would rest in peace.

'Dear Ava,

Thank you.'