Exhausted&Lost

Chapter Eight

After they said their goodbyes at The Hideout, Ava went home and called Izzy. "You will NEVER believe what happened to me today!?"

But Izzy wasn't surprised... "The two of you were eye fucking the ENTIRE night. I've never seen you so giddy over a guy. Chris and I were laughing about how the two of you followed each other around like love sick puppies all night."

Ava listened as Izzy in all her wisdom gave her some advice. "Your whole adult life, you were with a man who didn't love you like you deserve to be loved... I understand why you're hesitant. But you said yourself, you felt an instant connection. You owe yourself a chance at happiness."

Ava smiled, "Y'know, I don't pay you enough to be my therapist, Iz. Thanks so much for listening. Love you."

She plucked up the courage to send Dave a text.

Hey! It's Ava... what are you doing? she typed. Her finger hovered over the send button for a moment when Izzy's voice echoed in her head. "You owe yourself a chance at happiness"

She closed her eyes and hit the send button, flipping her phone on to the seat beside her and heaving out a breath she didn't realise she was holding.

After he left the hideout, Dave was worried that he had been too intense, but he wasn't getting any younger and he was done playing games.

He had to let Ava know that he was interested in more than just a quick fuck, and he couldn't ignore the way his body yearned to be close to her. He cracked open a case of Coors and sat out on his deck.

His phone buzzed and he grabbed it, smiling when he saw Ava's name.

Hey, I was actually just thinking about you.

His response made Ava grin, she agonized over the next message for a few minutes, but the 2nd glass of wine she had poured herself was helping with the courage she needed. She remembered him telling her that it was his weekend with the girls this week, so she knew she wouldn't get to get to see him until they were back with their mom, and she wasn't quite sure she would last that long.

El is in bed... wanna come over?

Dave nearly broke his leg again when he scrambled to jump up off his seat. He knocked back the rest of his beer and grabbed his coat.

On my way.

Ava shot up and freshened herself up in the bathroom, fluffing up her curls and concealing the bags under her eyes. She headed upstairs to check on Elliott and ruffled his blonde curls. She smiled down at him and dared to let her mind wander to the possibility of Dave meeting him as she plugged in his monitor.

She poured a glass of wine for Dave and set it on to the coffee table, anxiously awaiting his arrival.

When her door knocked, she took a deep steadying breath before moving towards it. Dave was leaning up against the wall facing her door.

"Hey you." she chirped, unable to keep the smile off her face.

She stepped aside to let him in and he reached his hand out to squeeze hers as he passed her leaving a trail of goose bumps up her arm. He stopped once he was in through the door and reached out his free hand to push it closed. She shivered when she realized his big brown eyes were staring in to his with an intensity rivaling Friday night.

"Hey you," he mimicked her, as he backed her up against the wall. Her breathing hitched as his arm curled around her lower back, arching it towards him.

"Did you miss me?" He asked, just as he had done in The Hideout, though this time his voice had an edge to it that she had only heard before as he was crying out her name in bed.