21. Ava

21

AVA

I t was reckless to be out on the ice when I knew the guys all had classes, but I just needed a moment to think, and the only place I found clarity was in the rink. Every time my blades made contact with the ice, I felt languid, like all my problems had disappeared. In that hour of practice, it was just me and pure silence.

Micah's dad was still in his office, which made me feel better. It wasn't like I was alone in the building. I used to do that all the time. It didn't matter how early it was or how late it went when I wanted to silence my thoughts. I was ready to hit the rink, but after that accident, I became cautious. Actually, that wasn't the word for what I became. It was more of a recluse. It was something akin to a guilty person on trial waiting to get convicted.

At some point after the incident, I started to live my life like I was on borrowed time, but instead of living, I kept on burying myself with lies.

One foot in front of the other, I moved forward, stretching my legs and ending in a Biellmann spin.

Livy and the rest of my sorority sisters had been appeased for now. Micah was charming and trustworthy, and they fell prey to his lies. Lies that I was grateful for because the next time I saw Miller, I would end up choking him. Now Livy had an exposé in the paper showing off our house, which should keep her entertained until the Halloween party.

My goal was simple: I needed to stay away from Grayson. It sounded easy enough to say, but damn if it was getting harder to do each day, and it wasn't just because we were navigating the same dark waters—I didn't want to.

I almost groaned thinking about that damned party. Upping my speed, I decided to cross that bridge when we got there. When I landed my double jump, I heard a door slam shut. Slowly, I began to pivot my body to see who was there. I knew it wasn't Coach Pierce because his office was on the other side of where the noise came from.

"Hello?" My question hung in the air.

Despite my warm clothing, I felt a chill spread through my body.

You're being paranoid.

Calling it quits for today, I quickly took off my skates and made my way to my car. I was relieved to find that the sun had yet to set; something about being out in the daylight made me feel safer. It was delusional of me to think that monsters only came out at night.

As soon as I sat in my car, my phone pinged, and everything inside of me froze. Was this how people died of heart attacks? Their heart stopped beating, and they just forgot how to start it again.

It's funny how our bodies got used to extreme conditioning. When I began skating, I used to get all bruised, something out of a horror movie. With time, my body became resilient to the demands of my skating. These text messages had rewired my nervous system, and I wondered, if I ever got through this, would I be the same? Or was Ava Hayes, sorority girl and D1 figure skater, a thing of the past? And now would I forever be reduced to having a mental breakdown because of a message?

Daddy:

We have pizza at the garage. Make sure to get some before going into the house

When I saw my dad's message, I couldn't help but smile. I was so relieved that I almost cried. Doing as he said, I drove the car and headed toward his auto shop.

For a girl whose dad was a mechanic, I had to admit I did not speak Car and Driver. My car got its oil changed on time, when my tires started to get run down, they got changed. And every Monday when I woke up, my tank was full again. I tried not to hold my dad's schedule against him. When he was backed up with work, he didn't come home on time.

I found my dad in the back, chowing down on a slice of pizza.

"Hi, sweetheart," he greeted me once he stopped chewing.

"Another long day?" I asked as I reached for a slice.

"Yeah." He sighed. "Tommy's been having issues, so I'm a man down. Everyone is coming back into town, and work is picking up speed."

I nodded as if I understood what he was talking about, but then an idea struck me.

"Are you, by any chance, hiring? I have a friend."

Calling Cruz a friend was a bit of a stretch. Another thing told me he wouldn't be happy about my meddling.

"Who's your friend?" my dad immediately asked with a glint in his eye. We had never talked boys, and we were not about to start today.

"My friend," I emphasized the word. "You actually know him. He comes in a lot here. Martinez, Cruz…"

That easy-going smile fell off my dad's face.

Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.

"Ava," he warned.

"I know, Daddy," I said to butter him up. "He's trouble. We've all heard it before. Honestly, I think he has had a shit start in life, and isn't that what we are supposed to do as good Christians?"

My father chuckled.

"We aren't Christians."

I pointed a finger as I reached for another slice.

"Hey, you're the one that would leave me with Mrs. Fowley, and she was trying to convert me."

Both my dad and I shuddered at the mention of my old babysitter, who tried to baptize me without my dad's consent at her church, the New Horizons Fellowship of Enlightenment. If the rumors were true, they were just as cuckoo as the Scientology people.

"Don't stay up too late." I kissed my dad on the cheek and headed home.

I was up before my alarm went off, which seemed like a crime. Before going to sleep last night, I told Cruz to go to the auto shop in the morning so he could meet with my dad. As I had expected, he blew up my phone, but I ignored him.

That restless feeling settled over me as soon as I was properly awake. At first, I thought it was stress, but honestly, it was sexual frustration. When was the last time I got laid? The fact that I couldn't remember said it all.

I was picky about who I let take me to bed. Guys had big mouths, and in my profession, I couldn't allow scandals to follow me.

"Fuck it," I mumbled, knowing I was going to be late today.

Just as I was getting excited to have some me time, someone started calling me. I huffed in annoyance, but then saw it was Micah. I bit my lip, debating what to do. Then I figured I could call him later once I was done.

I took off my shorts and my panties, then reached into my nightstand and pulled out that velvety LELO bag. My stomach coiled in anticipation as my toy began to vibrate. I was so going to be late today. If there was one thing I loved, it was being teased. I was a firm believer in delayed gratification. The toy kept teasing my clit slowly. I was starting to unravel when my phone rang again. Instead of picking up, I ignored it and began to add more pressure on my clit. The vibrations felt ah-may-zing.

Why had I been in a dry spell again?

When my phone rang a third time, I inserted the wand inside of me, arching my back as I reached to see who was calling me. When I saw Micah's name flashing, two things happened. My pussy clamped against the toy as I answered the call without thinking properly about why I shouldn't.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Are you okay?" Micah questioned me, sounding concerned.

Something about hearing his voice made me feel hotter. Subconsciously, I shifted my legs, and the toy pushed deeper inside of me, grazing my G-spot.

"Fuck," I hissed.

"Ava!" This time, he yelled, and I pulled the phone away so I could cover my mouth as I felt another tremble working its way through my lower belly.

"I'm…okay," I choked out. "Just w-working o-out."

I put my phone on speaker and put it on my chest. I spread my legs wider and began to thrust the toy inside of me. I could feel how wet I was.

"You fucking scared us."

This time, it wasn't Micah speaking, it was Grayson. The position of the toy, the accumulation of all the vibrations, and his voice were a lethal combination. I should really hang up, especially since I was close to coming.

"Sorry," I breathed into the phone. "Just need to get into condition."

"Pick up your phone next time," Grayson scolded me, and in my aroused state, I found it hot as fuck that he was trying to tell me what to do.

Since I was already deep in this, I upped the vibration level, knowing I was close to coming. My legs began to shake, and my pussy began to contract against the toy. It was a sad comparison to what I could have. Then my mind went to Grayson and how he would feel fucking me. All his raw power as he thrust deep inside of me.

" Fuck ," I hissed. "This workout is killing me. Call you later."

"Ava?" Micah yelled, sounding concerned.

I hung up the phone and threw it across the bed.

The image of Grayson disappeared and then morphed into a fantasy of Micah between my legs.

I was so fucking close now.

Just as my pussy began to tighten around the toy and my orgasm began to wash over me, my door burst open.

"Princess, your boyfriends are worried ab?—"

"Get out!" It was a mix between a plea and a moan.

I wasn't sure why I wanted to cry. If it was from mortification or the immense relief my orgasm brought me. It definitely wasn't because in that last moment, I pictured Cruz flipping me onto my belly and fucking me so hard until I screamed out my release.

Being a potential murderer was fucking with my head.

Could I have the earth swallow me whole now? Was that too much to ask? I didn't bother looking for Cruz as I ran into the bathroom next to my room and quickly showered.

When I came down, the asshole was sitting on my couch. As soon as he saw me, he started to grin.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?"

He raised his hands up in mock surrender.

"I went to see your dad early this morning." He stopped to wink at me. "Don't worry, princess, I got the job. Then your two boyfriends started to blow up my phone, thinking something was wrong with you."

My cheeks flamed.

He jumped up, and I took a step back. We kept doing that until my back hit the wall and he was right before me.

"Fuck, Ava." His voice had gone husky.

"Cruz," I warned.

He sensed my hesitation because the intensity that poured out of him diminished. It was fascinating how he switched his emotions.

"There's nothing wrong with needing a little TLC," he teased as he stepped back. "I might have rubbed one out in your downstairs bathroom while you showered."

"Cruz!" I yelled as I pushed him away from me.

"Fuck, baby, your pussy on display like that…I'm getting hard all over again."

I ignored him and instead grabbed my backpack and keys.

"If you ever need a hand, a tongue, or a cock, you?—"

As Cruz kept talking, I realized that he came into my house when I knew damn well my dad always locked it after he went to work. What was left of my orgasm glow was about to dissipate with the fear that washed over me.

"How did you get in?" I demanded.

He wasn't as worried about my security measures. He shrugged off my question.

"I picked the lock."

Was there no chance of the earth swallowing me? I was so fucked.