Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

JETT

I can tell something is up the second I walk into Colby's and see Ava setting the table for dinner.

I mean, I suspected she would be here for dinner tonight. Gabriella seems intent on something between us even if Colby thinks it might cause drama, and clearly the way I acted around Ava last Sunday made Gabriella sure there's still feelings there. Enough that she'd talked to Jenna about it because they're texting friends now, apparently.

I can't really deny that I do have feelings for Ava. To be honest, I'm just doing everything I can to ignore them.

But she avoids me as she moves around the table, setting out plates and napkins on one end of Colby's twelve-seat dining room table. The furniture in Colby's house has been shifting little by little since he and Gabriella got engaged, and this is one of the new additions.

"How are you feeling?" I ask Ava, pulling out a chair at the table and sliding into it.

She glances up and gives me a nervous smile. "Good as new."

"Except the fact that you can't have guacamole anymore." I hang my head at the tragedy, and when I peek up at her, her smile relaxes for a second. Just because I have to keep my guard up romantically around her doesn't mean we can't be friends. Having to be around her more because of the wedding would be a lot easier if we were.

"I try not to think about it too much." She fidgets with one of the plates, adjusting it and then fussing with the napkin she sets on top of it. That must be a habit she's picked up since she started planning events, wanting things to look perfect.

She did always make time for special stuff when we were together. She conjured a spectacular anniversary dinner once on a ridiculously small budget when our money was so tight I couldn't fathom how she'd gotten such great steaks. She never did tell me how she managed that, but her face glowed with pride the entire time we ate.

I shake the memory away. Stuff like that makes me question how she could sacrifice and fight for that little dinner but not make it through a couple more tight years so we could be together.

"Uh, what stage of grief would you say you're in?" I ask, knowing I sound awkward coming out of my thoughts like that but trying to go for lighthearted anyway.

"Probably bargaining," she says. "I spent longer than I should have looking up alternative dips I could stomach." She shrugs and crinkles her nose.

"Unsuccessful, I take it?"

"Totally."

I put my elbows on the table and lean toward her. "Maybe if you eat the guacamole with salt-and-vinegar chips, they can overpower your allergic reaction to the avocados."

Her shoulders shake with laughter. "That makes zero sense, J." She bites her lip like the nickname slipped out and moves sideways, adjusting another plate that doesn't need adjusting given that this is just dinner with friends.

I slide right over the slip. I can't blame her. This conversation does feel comfortable and easy. I lost count of the number of times I called her babe while I was worried about her. "How will you know unless you try?"

She looks back up at me, shaking her head and widening her eyes mockingly. "Are you trying to kill me?"

I chuckle. "By the way, I'm sorry about that picture blowing up. Social media is a beast." I scowl.

She tenses, unsurprisingly. "Yeah, people can be really nasty online."

It's my turn to stiffen. "Didn't realize being connected to me was such a horrible thing." I try to make a joke out of it, but my voice has gone as tight as my shoulders.

She tilts her head, her brow furrowing. "When people think the only reason I got the job planning Gabriella's wedding is because I'm sleeping with you, it's not great."

My mouth drops open. "What?"

Her expression relaxes, and she even starts to laugh. "It doesn't surprise me that you didn't see the comments."

I don't know if it's leftover protectiveness from the night of her allergic reaction or what, but my hackles rise. Whatever my issues with Ava being here and our past, she's a talented woman, and to have her abilities diminished to resulting from a connection to me? It makes me want to go respond to every single one of the people who claimed it. Maybe I do need a social media manager, because that's something I wouldn't mind tasking someone with.

"You have several big events in your portfolio," I say, trying to keep the growl out of my voice. "Why would anyone think that?"

Her eyes are soft, the way she looked at me after I brought her home from the hospital, and I'm melting again, wanting to move toward her, have her in my arms again the way she was last Sunday night. "Most trolls don't go check out someone's portfolio before spreading rumors online, and the people who do know my portfolio only know about The Hope Sanctuary Alliance." She looks down at the mention of people who might know of her previous events.

"The Hope Sanctuary Alliance?" Tension has risen back in the air, but thankfully it doesn't seem directed at me.

"A charity that folded. I was involved in a fundraiser for them that went sideways." She makes a face and shrugs, but her mouth is drawn into a hurt frown for several seconds before she pulls her lips up into what she probably thinks is a careless smile.

I hate how fake that smile is and how it can look so unhappy. "What happened?—?"

"Who's ready for tacos?" Gabriella interrupts, coming into the room with a couple of serving platters filled with meat, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and other toppings, with guacamole conspicuously absent.

I hold Ava's gaze a moment longer, but her explanation about the fundraiser will have to wait for another time. The vulnerability in her expression dissipates into the air, and we both turn to Gabriella, whose gaze bounces between us, but she doesn't say anything.

"You take taco Tuesday seriously." I raise an eyebrow at Gabriella.

"Colby does," she corrects with a laugh.

Colby comes in behind her with another serving platter, this one piled high with tortillas. "This woman's corn tortillas are to die for. I take any excuse for tacos seriously."

We all settle in for dinner. The conversation flows easily, but there's a nervousness to both Colby and Gabriella that echoes Ava's when I first came in. Because this is clearly a double-date-type situation and they feel guilty? I can't guess.

"So," Colby says after he's finished at least half a dozen tacos. "How was your date with Hayden?"

Before I can stop myself, my gaze darts across the table to where Ava sits. He's going to talk to me about Hayden with Ava sitting right there? Maybe he and Gabriella aren't as intent on setting me back up with Ava as I thought.

But she looks just as uncomfortable as I feel, so what's Colby doing?

Casting another glance in Ava's direction, I turn to Colby. "Good. We have a lot more in common than I thought."

Colby nods slowly, then looks over at Gabriella like he doesn't know what to say next. She takes a deep breath, and I remember with a start the history she has with Hayden. Hayden and I went out Thursday, and by Friday afternoons, I'm usually deep in game mode. Once I'd dropped her off, I compartmentalized the date and everything about it to think about later. While I did spend a few hours with her at the University of Houston game on Saturday morning, I was still 99 percent in the football zone.

"Is this about that thing that happened between you two in college?" I ask. But why in the world does telling me about the incident require a full dinner and Ava involved in the strategy? I feel like I'm missing something.

"You know?" Gabriella's eyebrows jump in surprise.

"Hayden told me about it. She didn't want things to get awkward or for there to be surprises. She felt bad about what happened." I look from Gabriella to Colby to Ava, unsure.

"Oh…" Gabriella says, but the skin around her deep-brown eyes is pinched, and I catch disbelief in her tone. She shares a look with Ava, so I can assume Ava knows about what happened too. Maybe she's just here for moral support for Gabriella, the best friend to back up Gabriella's story on the horrible things Hayden said. Colby must not have known about it since he never mentioned anything to me when I told him about meeting Hayden.

I don't want to dismiss Gabriella if she's still hurt over it, but Hayden seemed so apologetic. I hurry to defend her so that maybe I can nip some of this in the bud. "She felt horrible about it. She told me she shouldn't have handled things the way she did. Is bringing her to your wedding going to be a problem?"

Gabriella taps her fingers softly on the table, studying me. "Maybe," she finally says. "It's not just what happened before. We've noticed she supports some issues that are opposite of mine."

The professional way she worded that and her use of "we" makes me prickle. The "we" is more likely to mean her and Ava, not her and Colby. If they're talking about Hayden's political stances, the problem is with PR at the wedding, not the fact that things could get potentially awkward between Gabriella and my date. My defenses rise, and my tension must be obvious, because I catch Gabriella and Ava sharing another look, confirming my suspicions. Ava's eyebrows go up in an I told you expression. It irritates me even more to know that she can still predict my behavior.

I turn to Ava, who has the real issue with this, whether it's really because she's worried about how it will look having Hayden with me at the wedding or something else. Something personal. Is she jealous? Do I want her to be?

"People can have their own opinions without messing up the PR. Isn't there something about how no publicity is bad publicity?" I should know.

Claire never gets rankled when the press slams me for bad games or bad decisions on the field. "Your name is out there," she always says. Even when she called me about the mess with the picture of me and Ava going viral, her concern wasn't that the picture had been posted. It was because I'd neglected to get my side out there for her to work with.

Ava narrows her eyes. "I'm not saying this lightly." Her voice is calm and collected. I guess if she does weddings, she has practice keeping her cool in heated situations. "I put a lot of thought and research into everything about Gabriella's wedding, including the guests. Hayden has a history of using her platform to attack people she disagrees with. She did it to Gabriella four years ago. I'm just trying to make sure everything goes well." She holds my gaze, her eyes trying to tell me something. Maybe, Trust me ? There's a certain amount of begging in the widening of her eyes. But she's wrapped the issue up in so much that I'm not sure what to trust.

"She told me she was sorry." My voice is softer than the firm voice I meant to counter her assertions with. I turn back to Gabriella. "This is your wedding. If you're uncomfortable with Hayden being there because of what she said in the past, I understand." I won't purposefully create more drama. It's the last thing I need when I'm trying not to lose focus on my game amid all the distractions and still be there for Colby the way a friend should be.

"Do you like her?" Gabriella asks. Her voice sounds skeptical, and if Hayden hurt her in the past, I can't blame her.

Unconsciously, I look over at Ava, who's sitting back in her chair, one elbow on the arm rest and leaning her chin in her hand, for all intents and purposes looking calm. But as someone who knows every line of her face, it's easy to catch the tension along her jaw and the slight press of her lips together. She stares at the wall behind Gabriella, avoiding looking at me.

I tear my gaze away from Ava but don't answer. How can Colby expect me to avoid making things messy with Ava but then agree to this weird intervention? It doesn't seem fair.

Gabriella looks over at Colby. I'm not sure what their silent communication means since her expression doesn't change and Colby just shrugs. She turns back to me. "We're doing a dinner thing with the wedding party in a couple of weeks. Bring her to that, and she and I can chat. I'd love to apologize for the way I handled what happened as well."

"You're sure?" At the end of the day, this is Colby and Gabriella's wedding. Claire won't like it, but I can bring Jenna's little sister, Carlie, just as easily as I can bring Hayden. Hayden and I can continue to see each other, and I can get to know her for myself. It's the first time in a while that I've connected with someone on a date the way I did with Hayden. It's just a bonus that talk of our relationship online has been boosting my image.

Gabriella softens. "I can let the past go, Jett. Her stances worry me, yeah, but I'm friends with a lot of people I disagree with."

Colby stands, leaning over Gabriella and kissing her head. His stance next to her is protective. I'm tempted to tell them I'll bring Carlie just to be safe. It's what Colby would want me to do. But Gabriella mending fences with Hayden might be good for her future too. I'll let her make the call and not make decisions for her.

"All right. Who wants pie?" Colby asks. Relief that the conversation is settled is written all over his face as he leans toward the kitchen.

"Yes, please." I move to grab my plate, but Gabriella stops me and takes it, waving me back into my seat.

"Sorry," Ava says, and I look over to see her standing behind her chair. "I hate to miss out, but I need to go. I have some calls to make to arrange the floral mockups for you guys to review, plus some other work." She moves away to pick up her bag from a small decorative table against the wall. "Thanks for dinner, guys." She pulls the bag over her shoulder. "Sorry, Jett." She doesn't give me a chance to respond before she hurries out of the room.

Gabriella watches her, grimacing. When Ava's gone, Gabriella turns to me. Her expression is wary. "Ava's just doing what I asked and doing the best job she can." She looks at Colby. "I'll get the pie." She leaves the room, and even though she didn't lecture me, the rebuke is clear. I hurt Ava's feelings with the way I reacted. But what about me? They lured me to this dinner to gang up on me.

"What was this about?" I turn to Colby. "Why couldn't you just talk to me about it?"

Colby tenses. "Gabriella didn't want you to feel like her concerns were gossip or a secondhand story from me. She wanted to bring them to you herself, and Ava's the one who did the research."

"On everyone or just my date?" I hope he catches my drift that there's gotta be more to that than conscientious wedding planning.

"Everyone," he snaps. "Like she said earlier."

His tone makes me defensive. "Is that a normal wedding-planner thing or part of the special package for Gabriella?" I ask sarcastically.

Colby lets out a huff. "Do you even know why Ava's so careful about this stuff?"

I don't answer. I didn't consider that her pouncing on my date was her being careful. Maybe this is part of the charity stuff she mentioned earlier.

"A client stabbed her in the back," Colby continues, "ruining a big event and causing a charity to go under. Ava blames herself." He moves around the table, gathering up plates. Now that I think about it, it's strange that Ava left without clearing her own plate. She must have been pretty flustered with this whole thing.

"I didn't know," I mumble.

He nods at me, but his stance is cautious and stiff. "You know, maybe it would be better if you just avoid Ava until after the wedding?—"

I let out a breath, gesturing toward the door that Ava just left through. He helped arrange this dinner. At the very least, he went along with it.

He holds up his hands. "Yeah, I know. I thought that after the whole guacamole thing, maybe you guys could be friends without too much of a mess, but I don't think you can. One minute you're looking at her like you're still in love with her, and the next you're assuming the worst about her doing her job with the wedding."

I scowl. "That's not—I'm not assuming the worst about her. "

He straightens, folding his arms across his chest. "You have been from the night she came back into town, Combs."

I flush. My tone was accusatory that night, though I can't really say what I assumed about her being at Jenna's GetAwayHome—tracking me down? For what? To beg my forgiveness? It sounds stupid when I lay it all out in my mind. Especially my reaction.

"She's planning your wedding," I point out. "How am I supposed to avoid her?"

Colby looks at the table, his forehead wrinkling. "I don't know. But if you can't find a way to be involved in this without the drama, I'd understand if you want to step away."

I sit back, stunned. Colby's one of my best friends. He'd uninvite me to his wedding ?

"I'm sorry," I finally say.

Colby smiles, but it's as strained as my apology. "Thanks." He takes the plates into the kitchen, and I hear the murmur of him and Gabriella talking in low tones. By the time they come back with three plates of banana cream pie, both are far more relaxed, and Colby's smile is more genuine. I force myself to join in the lighter mood, but everything about this dinner has been a lot to take in. I finish my pie quickly and do exactly what Ava did: flee.