Exhausted&Lost

Chapter Seventeen

Through the haze of panic, Ava could see Dave's knuckles turn white as he gripped at the side of the bathtub to steady himself at the mention of her ex-husband's name.

He pulled her into his chest and immediately began to stroke her hair to soothe the fresh torrent of tears that had burst forth.

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," he whispered into her ear, and she knew that if she weren't absolutely freaking out, that she would probably smile at how sweet he was.

"He threatened me with lawyers, he wants El," she managed to choke out, and instantly his grip tightened on her.

She felt his heart hammering in his chest and his arms constrict around her as he digested the words she had just spoken.

"That fuckin'... he doesn't call for a fucking YEAR AND HE..." he realizes when Ava flinches in his arms that his voice was involuntarily raising to a shout and he stopped before he made her cry again.

"He wants him this summer. In Ireland... without me. And if I say no, he is going for custody," she sniffed, slumping against him, spent from crying.

"Well, I can afford better lawyers than that jackass ever could. I'll fucking end him." Dave spat angrily.

Ava looked up at him, her eyes still sparkling with unshed tears.

"You've never even met El... and you would do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you," he said simply, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Her mouth dropped open, and she could only stare at the incredible man in front of her.

"Ava... I... I..." he stuttered.

"Maybe I should just let him go," she sighed, interrupting the words he was about to let slip for the second time in 24 hours.

"Huh?"

"Elliott, maybe I should let him go."

"Ava, baby. No judge would ever grant custody to a shit stain who hasn't even seen his kid for a year. You would win hands down," Dave spoke quietly, his voice gentle, but she could still hear an edge to it that told her he was furious with Stephen, and the way he was shaking his leg uncontrollably told her it was taking a lot to hold it back.

"I know, but he doesn't deserve to be dragged through a court case. He's only a baby. He doesn't deserve any of this."

They sat in silence for a bit, while they both calmed down and considered the implications of dragging a 2-year-old boy through a custody case in a country that was no longer home to him.

"What if I take you both?" Dave asked.

"Take us where?" Ava asked, puzzled.

"To Ireland, I'll fly you both out. Elliott can see his dad, we can stay close by. You can show me around, give me the Ava Ryan life tour."

For the second time in only minutes, Ava could only stare in amazement at Dave. She laughed in disbelief and shook her head.

"You couldn't... I wouldn't let you do that," she protested.

"What if I wanted to?" he argued.

"Why on earth would you want to, what about your girls?" she sighed, her head falling into her hands again. She looked completely defeated.

"If it ends up being longer than a couple of weeks, I can fly back for a few days to see them. I can probably coincide it with some work stuff too. And I'm doing it because I don't want you to leave for what could potentially be a whole summer because I love Ireland and because... well because I love you, too."