Her life line


    Rowan


    Fuck run my hand through my hair as I watch her sleep. Tears tracks were still visible on her


    cheeks and it breaks me seeing her so broken.


    Ava has always been fucking good at hiding her feelings. Today she didn’t and it was fucking raw


    It was drowning her and without even her realizing it, she was drowning me along with her.


    I take a seat near her sleeping form. I push my fingers through her hair as I massage her scalp


    gently. How the fuck have I never realized how soft and thick her hair is? It was bliss just


    touching it.


    She sighs in her sleep in contentment. Her face rxed. All the pain from earlier melted away. In


    her sleep, she’s at a peace. She doesn’t have shadows osting her.


    I know it’s fucking creepy, but watching her sleep has be my favorite thing. I did the same


    thing yesterday and here I am doing it today. She’s so beautiful it hurts. Even with dark under


    eyes, she’s still stunning. I don’t know the fuck I ever thought she couldn’tpare to Emma.


    I softly kiss her cheeks before standing up. I am reluctant to leave. I fight the part of me that


    wants to pull the covers and slide in next to her. I don’t know where this need ising from. It


    was never there when we were married. Back then, I didn’t want her next to me. I always avoided


    cuddling. Right now though, it’s all I can fucking think of.


    I force myself to leave her room and walk out of her house. Taking a breath, I contemte going


    back, but I don’t. I know she won’t appreciate me being in bed with her. She might have epted


    myfort, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgiven me for my part in hurting her.


    I haven’t even asked for her forgiveness for heaven’s sake. I should and I will. I just need her to be


    more stable when I do. 2


    I take out my phone and call my twin. He picks up on the first ring.


    “Meet me at the club” I tell him before hanging up.


    I don’t have to wait for his reply. I just know that he will be there.


    I give Ava’s house onest look before I jump into my car and drive away. About half an hourter,


    I’m at one of my clubs. I enter through the VIP entrance that’s only meant for me, Gabe and any of


    “Sir” the bouncer greets I nod at him then enter the club.


    The damn music was loud and it was giving me a headache. Moving fast as the bouncer parts the


    way for ane, we get to my private booth where things are much quieter.


    He proceeds to stand guard at the entrance. It’s not once or twice that women tried gate crashing


    just to get free drinks.


    My personal bartender walks in with my drink and hands it to me. I don’t have to tell him what I


    take, he already knows. Just like he knows what Gabe and Travis take.


    “What’s got you in such foul mood?” Gabe asks walking in.


    He’s younger than me by three minutes. While he’s the outgoing and social one. I’m the brooding


    antisocial twin.


    “Nothing” I mumble leaning back in my chair.


    I still can’t get the fucking image of Ava on the cliff. The way she was so close to the edge. It all


    but killed me when she took a hesitant step forward. The fear that had encased me was like


    nothing like I’ve ever felt. It was tangible and it suffocated me


    My heart honestly stopped and I saw my fucking life sh before my eyes. She was so broken and


    I wanted nothing more than to piece her back together.


    I don’t know what I would have done if I had beente. I don’t know why, but I know that if she had


    died then my heart would have died with her. 1


    “You forget I know you better than you know yourself brother” he takes a seat opposite me.


    “Ava” her name slips out of my mouth in an anguished tone.


    “You care about her”


    “Of course I fucking care about her. She’s the mother of my son” I snap at him, frustrated.


    The whole thing was frustrating me. She was spiraling out of control and I just didn’t know how to


    help her. I didn’t know how to be what she needs. I’ve spent so much time pushing her away, that


    I don’t know what makes her tick.


    “It’s more than that big brother, you just refuse to open your fucking eyes and see it” he drawls.


    He’s been on and on about that one issue. That my concern for Ava stem from feelings that ran


    much deeper We keep arguing about that. I think I would fucking know if I was in love with her. I


    care about her, and I have feelings I can’t describe, but love? I don’t think so.


    “How’s the doing?” he asks when I don’t say anything else.


    “She’s pregnant


    He stares and me with wide eyes and an open jaw. “With Ethan’s baby?”


    “Who else would she pregnant for?” I ask him in irritation.


    When I found out yesterday, something just shifted inside me. Knowing she was expectant with that


    bastard’s baby just made everything more real. I had been blocking the knowledge that she had slept


    with Ethan out.


    When I found out, there was this primal part of me that wanted to kill Ethan for touching what’s mine.


    After that I blocked it out. Tried pretending that it didn’t happen because that’s the only


    way I could calm myself down. Her pregnancy now was proof that she did sleep with another man


    and for some reason it fucking hurts and drives me insane knowing that. 7


    It’spletely unreasonable. I wanted her to move on. I wanted her to leave me alone. I was nning


    to woe Emma and marry herter on. Yet now that I know that Ava had moved on. Moved


    on to the point she feltfortable enough to let another man touch. I feel like a fucking piece of


    me died. I can’t exin it and I don’t know why, but I feel lost. 3


    “So what is she going to do?” he pulls me back to the present with his question.


    “I don’t know” I whisper, staring at the amber liquid in my ss.


    I debate telling him what happened at the cliff, but I stop myself. She has been through too much


    already, I wasn’t going to tell my brother what she tried doing in her darkest moment. She


    deserved to be protected and that was what I was going to do.


    “Sir, this came in for you” Mike, my bartender hands me a small envelope.


    He leaves immediately after.


    “What is it?” Gabe asks curiously, moving to the edge of his seat.


    “I don’t know” I tell him as I open it.


    A piece of paper falls out. I unfold it and read it.


    (I’m not one to go after kids, so you can rest assured that I won’t go after your son I can’t say the same


    for the rest of your loved ones though I’ming for you Rowan and everyone you hold dear]


    It was signed in the Reapers insignia.


    I should fear, but I don’t. All that registers is that they won’t go after Noah. That’s all that matters


    to me right now.


    I never want to feel the fear I felt when I saw her on that cliff. It was time for Noah toe home.


    He has always been Ava life line, and now more than ever she needs him.