“Ava, wake up; dinner is ready.” His voice pulls me from my dreams.


    It wasn’t a really good dream, but neither was it bad. It was one of those dreams that left you with


    confusion and vague images of what you dreamed of.


    “Iris?”


    “Don’t worry. She woke up; I gave her a bottle, and she went back to sleep,” he answers, his eyes


    searching mine.


    I nod my head, then push the sheets aside and get up. Stretching, I feel my bones loosening and


    realigning themselves in the most delicious of ways.


    “Why are you sleeping here instead of in our bed?” Rowan asks, staring deeply into my eyes.


    Everything that I’d been running from crashes into me. Reminding me of the reason why I


    was here in this bed and not the master bedroom.


    I feel irritation and anger surge inside me. My calmness disappears, and in its ce is a bitter


    aftertaste. Why would he lie to me? Why was he keeping things from me? Is this really how he wanted


    us to start our new rtionship? By building it on a foundation of lies and secrets.


    “Don’t start with me, Rowan. I’m not in the f ucking mood,” I snap before brushing past him.


    I am a fully grown woman, but there was this part that just wanted to p him silly. After everything he’s


    taken me through, he still has the audacity to keep things from me. What the hell is wrong with him?


    Isn’t the fact that he’s taken me through hell and back enough? I don’t wait for him to follow; instead, I


    head to the dining table, where I find Noah and Gabe already seated. I take my seat and begin loading


    food onto my own te. A few minutester, Rowan joins us. “So,Ava, how have you been?” Gabe


    asks, breaking the tense atmosphere. I don’t know how to answer his question. First of all, because


    right now I was pis sed as hell, and second of all, I found this small talk strange. Like I said, Gabe and I


    have never been friends. We barely even talked to each other, so to have him ask me how I am is a bit


    weird. “It’s been good so far… The only downside is staying at home. I’m not used to that,” I answer


    honestly.


    I put a piece of steak in my mouth and almost moan in pleasure. It felt like it just melted in my mouth


    like butter. Teresa’is a really great cook.


    I sigh, feeling a bit jealous of her. I am a great cook too, or at least I was. The other day, I wanted to try


    a new recipe and cook for my family. Let’s just say that the food wasn’t edible by You see, because of


    my special case (my inability to read numbers correctly), I’d added two and a half table spoons of sugar


    instead of just a half. I’d cried for a good half an hour after that before I managed to pull myself


    together. Teresa had cooked something else, and we didn’t mention that incident again. “Will you go


    back to teaching?” Gabe shoots another question, distracting me from the turmoil that is raging inside


    me. “That’s the n, but obviously, because of certain circumstances, it won’t be happening anytime


    soon,” I replied after swallowing the food I was chewing.


    Rowan remains quiet. His eyes mainly remain focused on mine. I see the turmoil inside him.


    The war that was raging inside. I internally scoff; he is probably torn about whatever it is he is hiding


    from me.


    “Mom, Gunner never came over,” Noah chimes in. “You’d said that he wouldest weekend, but


    you never spoke to Calvin.”


    My eyes sh to Rowan’s. His are now unreadable, which makes me curious. We’ve never talked


    about Calvin, so I don’t really know if they had set their beef with each other aside for the sake of their


    sons.


    “I’m sorry, darling, I forgot to mention it to your dad.” I pause. “How about this? Since your birthday is


    next week, he cane to celebrate your day and then sleep over.”


    Noah pumps his hands into the air in happiness, making everyone smile.


    “Definitely yes, that will be so cool.”


    “You can also invite your ssmates. I think we’ll hold it in the backyard, since we have enough space,”


    I suggest, and Noah’s grin bes wider.


    Seeing him happy makes me forget everything that is wrong in my life right now. I live for him and Iris,


    and it doesn’t matter what happens between me and Rowan. Those twoe first, and if they’re


    happy, then I’m happy too.


    “My friends will be so happy… I’ll invite everyone,” he pauses as a frown takes over his face.” Well,


    everyone except for Sierra. I don’t want her toe to my party. She’ll just ruin things.”