Fully, irrevocably, passionately hers.
Of course, things weren’t all that perfect. I still had to climb the wood fence as discreetly as possible. When I saw her about, I had to pretend she didn’t affect me greatly, which was quite tough while my father was around.
Apparently, Mrs. Watson religiously took a sleeping pill at ten in the evening, which gave Ava ultimate freedom to do as she pleased in the house. However, when Mr. Watson, her father, was around, I couldn’t visit her in her room because he was a light sleeper. Consequently, on the nights her father was home, I had to wait for her in the garden for hours on end so I could kiss her and be with her for an hour or two.
There were times in those crucial waiting moments in the garden where I pondered what I wanted to come out of my relationship with her. Ultimately, I would always end up reassuring myself that she’d fight for me somehow. I wasn’t blind; I knew she was falling for me, too, even though she didn’t want to say the words out loud. I understood her fears. We were still young, and getting beyond serious would derail a lot of things for us, but as much as I agreed and supported her claims, I couldn’t help how I felt for her. And telling her each day, each night, how much I loved and adored her became a normal ritual for me.
After we passed the one-month mark, I was almost certain we were going to be absolutely fine together. That was, up until her mother caught us kissing in the garden while I took a break from work. At first, I thought I’d apologize for my behavior, yet when I heard her shriek at Ava, hurling insults at her before she ordered her to go inside the house and to take her hands off my filth, I knew she wasn’t the kind to accept love and sincerity over money or prestige. She had eyed me with evident disdain in her face, as if I was nothing more than the dirt I tended to everyday.
My apology was long forgotten as I experienced immense loathing towards the woman who bore and nurtured the love of my life. I simply kept my mouth shut during her whole duration of toxic spiel as Ava watched in horror from inside the house.
After catching a glimpse of her tear-stained face, I carried myself away from there and left to go home early. Hearing hurtful words from someone I had barely met made me feel all sorts of things. I felt violent, unworthy, hateful, and most of all, doubtful that things would go anywhere with Ava after what had happened today.
Spending the rest of the day in my bedroom, I ignored her calls or messages, asking if I was okay and incessantly apologizing for her mother’s horrid behavior. It hurt me to ignore her attempts in trying to heal the damage her mum had caused, but I was too deep in my misery to do much else. I was so affected dinner or the mere idea of eating gave me stomach pains.
I felt like I needed to sleep this off and prayed I’d feel less than half-toxic tomorrow. Because, even though I didn’t believe Mrs. Watson’s words, it still stained me. It stained my values and beliefs and the very man I thought myself to be. I despised her for that.
My night had gone as planned, with no interruptions from the outside world as I relished having some alone time, licking my wounded pride and ego.
All was well until Ava decided to show up, knocking on my windowsill. “What are you doing here?” I hissed before I stared at my door, hoping my father didn’t hear her knocking on the glass. She didn’t seem like her usual bright-eyed self; nevertheless, she still looked exceptionally breathtaking.
Brows furrowing, she glanced at my hands that still held the window. “You’re not going to invite me in?” she asked skeptically, and when I didn’t answer, the frown deepened. “After what happened today, can you really blame me for needing to see you? You weren’t picking up my calls, and I became worried.”
“I’m fine.” I made a regretful sigh. “I just needed some alone time to cool off. I didn’t mean to ignore you if that was what you were worried about.”
I still hadn’t decided if letting her inside my bedroom would be wise since both of my parents were asleep across the hall. If they suspected I had someone here, they might barge in uninvited. The last thing I needed was for them to give me a lecture about being with Ava.
“Look,” I started saying as I raked a hand over my hair, frustrated at how unfair life was becoming, “tonight’s not a good time. We’ll talk tomorrow, yeah?” My attempt at giving her a reassuring smile didn’t do much to dispel her and her worries. I immediately wanted to erase the pain that was creasing her pretty face. “I’m sorry, but it’ll be okay. I promise.”
Leaning over the partially opened window, I reached for her lips, slightly kissing her. The soft brush of her lips made me shiver a little, causing me to be all the more aware I had fallen madly in love with her.
“Let me be with you tonight, even just for an hour or two,” she begged, cupping my cheek as she kissed me deeply. “We don’t even have to talk. I just want to be with you, Reiss. I need to be with you, or I won’t leave at all.” She wasn’t bluffing. Her unwavering face said it all. If I denied her entry, she’d most likely cause a raucous, which was what I didn’t want.
Feeling beaten, I extended my arms to widen the window opening, giving in to her plea. She didn’t even say a word or smile before she climbed over the sill, nor did she dare to look back at me as she purposely made her way towards my bed. She then slid into the sheets, curling up to one side, facing away from me.
Her usual sunny demeanor was what I was accustomed to; as a result, seeing her this way, saddened by her mother’s rotten tongue, made me feel a tad hopeless. What would a man say to make a daughter feel better about their mother’s severe attitude? I was unsure how to approach this. To be quite clear, I had zero encounters with women like Mrs. Watson. Sure, there were gossipmongers and the like, but nothing of her sort—the kind that felt privileged and like the rest of humanity was below her standards. If my mother turned out to be that way, it would certainly be disheartening to see.
Securing the window shutter, I took my time before I strolled back to bed with Ava appearing peaceful and asleep, although I knew for a fact she was awake. Slipping next to her in bed, I pulled her against my body before placing a kiss against her shoulder blade.
“You can talk if you like … whispering would be much appreciated.”
She seemed to be holding her breath, and it took her about a full minute before she shifted her position to face me with our noses almost touching. “I have no words to tell you how sorry I am. What my mum did was unfounded and untrue. Please don’t let her get to you. She’s just trying to manipulate the situation by shaming you so you’ll leave me be.”