Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ava

I 'm laying in bed, super uncomfortable, thinking about life. It doesn't matter what position I lay in—I can't sleep. The clock reads midnight. Although I'm exhausted, it doesn't seem to matter. I find myself wanting a thick chocolate milkshake and fries from the diner. I lay there, contemplating what to do. I can't really get dressed and get it myself without someone freaking out. Oliver would probably kill me, and I don't want to bother Marco if he's not on duty tonight. I wage an internal debate, but the more I think about options, the stronger the craving gets. It's annoying me.

"Listen here, little cabbage of mine. It's late, and you don't need the sugar," I say to my belly as I rub it. But it only encourages him, and he starts moving. "Fine. I guess we'll have to call your uncle after all. He said I could call him for anything. This will be fun." The thought makes me smile.

I get up and walk over to my cell. I feel bad when I look at the time again. He's probably sleeping, but he said I could call him anytime if I needed something. No time like the present to test it. I dial. He answers on the fourth ring. There's music in the background.

"Hey, you okay?" There's panic in his voice.

"Hi, Oliver. Take a breath." I can't help laughing. "I need a small favor. Of course, you can say no."

"Anything." His voice is calmer.

"Where are you? It's loud."

"Sorry. Eros."

"Oh, if you're busy, don't worry."

"I'm not. What do you need?"

"Here's the thing. Your nephew is giving me cravings. I didn't think I could get it myself at this time of night without you getting mad."

He chuckles. "What does he want?" I hear the humor in his voice.

"A thick chocolate milkshake and fries from the diner."

"Of course he does. I'm glad you didn't go outside. Thank you for calling me. I'll call you when I'm close," he says, laughing again.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. See you soon."

"Okay." I end the call, excited about the food to come. These days, that's about the only thing that makes me happy.

Time has passed so quickly. I'm thirty-two weeks today, and it feels like I took that first pregnancy test just yesterday. I'm excited but nervous. I don't have anyone to teach me how to be a good mother, but I will try my best. I know I can do this. I look at the weather to figure out what to wear. I'm meeting Max for lunch. He bugged me for a week before I agreed. We've been hanging out more. I enjoy hanging out with him. Between him and Lisa, my life feels normal.

"Ava, Max is here," Lisa yells.

"I'll be right out." I look in the mirror and can't help but smile. My belly is definitely huge.

"You look stunning," Max says as I enter the living room.

"Thanks. I don't have many clothing options these days." I look down at my dress. My belly is the main attraction. "Ready?" I ask him.

"Your chariot awaits," he says, leading us out of the apartment.

Walking downstairs, I realize it's getting harder to take the stairs as my belly grows. I can't really see the steps and wish there was an elevator in this building. Even though I'm wearing flats, I take my time going down. Max is by my side, and I assume he notices my difficulty. He's such a good friend. How did I get so lucky?

"You're going to love this place," Max says as I put on my seatbelt.

"I'm sure it will be perfect."

We drive, talking about his latest project, which apparently involves me. He wants to take pictures of me for a maternity clothing line campaign he's working on. We go back and forth, me telling him I'm not a model or interested.

"No," I tell him again.

"Come on. It will give you nice memories of you and the hippo."

"I don't want anyone to know I'm pregnant," I finally confess.

"What do you mean?" he asks as he parks.

"You know I don't want Viktor to find out, and it's too risky." I open the door and get out of the car.

"Ava—"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," I say, interrupting whatever he is going to say. We cross the street and enter the restaurant.

"Good afternoon. Do you have a reservation?" the hostess asks.

"Yes, under Max Collins."

"Follow me, Mr. Collins."

Lunch is a little tense. I can feel that Max wants to talk about Viktor, but he's trying hard to keep the conversation light. It's not working.

"Max, me not wanting to do the campaign is about me keeping my secret," I say, trying to end the tension.

"You don't need to say anything else. I respect your decision," Max says sincerely.

"He's married now. It's for the best that he doesn't find out," I tell him for the first time. Even though I told him Viktor's name, we have never discussed why Viktor and I aren't together. A tear escapes my eye.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or make you cry." He takes my hand and squeezes it.

"I know." I look at him and can't fail to see how good a friend he is.

"I'm here for you. Anything you need." He smiles, and I can't help but smile back. "Let's talk about something happy."

"I would like that very much."

We spend two hours talking and enjoying our lunch. Spending time with Max is fun. When we're hanging out, it's drama free. I don't think of Viktor. Being with Max reminds me that there's normal out there. With Max, I can just be me.

After lunch, he takes me to his studio. Somehow, by the end of lunch, he convinced me to let him take pictures, but they're for me, not the campaign. I'm not going to lie, it makes me feel beautiful. In one of my favorite pictures, I'm wearing a fitted red dress that showcases my beautiful belly. I would have never imagined I would feel so beautiful pregnant. But there's a moment—just a split second—when I think of Viktor. Would he find me beautiful? We could have taken a family portrait before the birth of our son. It doesn't matter how much I fight or want to deny it. He's the father of my son. Even if he never finds out.

Once my patience with picture-taking is worn-out, I grab my things so we can leave. The drive to my apartment is quiet. He might think it's because I'm tired, but it's more about me thinking of Viktor and our son.

"We're here," Max says, interrupting my thoughts.

"Thanks for lunch again and for taking the pictures of me. I can't believe you convinced me," I say, smiling.

"Anytime. Let me park. I'll walk you up."

"I'm fine." I see the SUV and Marco leaning against it. I know I'm safe.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am." I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and get out. He doesn't know about Marco or the people assigned to protect me.

I look across the street and shake my head at Marco, who is looking my way with a smirk. I take out my keys and open the building's front door as Max drives away. I smile and push the door open. Inside it's unusually quiet, and I can hear every step I take. I go to the mailbox to check for mail. Nothing. I walk to the stairs. A few steps up, I see a man running down at full speed, aiming straight for me. If I stay where I am, we'll collide. I take a step to the side and stop to let him pass. He corrects his course to beeline me again, and before I can react, he pushes me back. Even though I'm only a few steps from the ground floor, I lose my balance and fall on my back.

"You should be more careful," the man shouts. He kicks me as I curl into a fetal position to protect my son. "You could get hurt falling downstairs in your condition." He laughs as he leaves.

I try to stand, but I can't. The man took my purse so I can't call anyone, so I do the next best thing.

"Help, someone! Please help!" I screech, hoping someone will hear me.