After Devlin's threat, I find it hard to sleep. I stay awake in bed thinking about what just happened. I hear the front door open and I jump. I've been awake for two hours. I think to myself.
I walk out of my room.
"You're still up?" Dayna asks me.
"I couldn't sleep," I say. I set down on the couch and she sits down next to me. I tell her everything that just happened.
"That Bitch!" She yells out, jumping from her seat. "And you didn't say anything?"
"What could I say, Dayna? Was I supposed to beat her up while being pregnant and in front of a cop? He did everything she told him to. He wouldn't think twice about locking me up."
Anger consumes her.
"That Rich Pump is lucky I wasn't here, 'cause if I was I'd beat her till Sunday!"
I laugh. "And what about the cop?"
"I'd beat him too!" She says. We both burst out laughing.
"So what are you going to do?" She asks me.
"I'm going to stay away from Noah, what else?"
"No, but Ava, you can't keep letting her scare you and run you over like this."
"I know but it's not just about that," I say. "It's being around Noah and not being able to be with him." I sink into my seat. "It's torture. He says all these nice things and touches me and kisses me."
"That kiss was an accident. You do know that right?" She says.
"But was it?" I say now sitting up forward on the couch. "Maybe he wanted to kiss me. Maybe he needed an excuse to kiss me and when I lifted up my head, there was his opportunity."
"Really? In front of everyone, Devlin and his mother?" She crushes my hopes.
"Well, maybe it looks more like an accident like that. Because why would he kiss me in front of everyone, including his fiancé and his mother?" I smile at her.
"You're crazy you know that?"
"Yeah, I know," I put a sad face on.
"You're right actually, maybe you should stay away from Noah. All he's done is hurt you and put you in awkward situations." She says. "Everyone at the party thinks you're some kind of gold-digging whore. And Devlin is very dangerous. You don't want to have that kind of enemy. With all her money and power. She can do a lot of things."
I sit quietly for a while.
"That's not what I wanted to hear, but...you're right." I look at my stomach. "Maybe I should just give Noah full custody to Melody."
Dayna's eyes widen in excitement. "YOU NAMED HER?"
"Yes, why are you yelling?"
"Aw, Melody, because you like music right?" She puts on a baby voice. "So cute."
I laugh.
She turns serious. "There's no way in hell you are giving up your baby. Especially not after you named her. And do you really want her to be calling Devlin mommy? She's going to be like the evil stepmother in Cinderella and turn her into a slave. Is that what you want Ava?" She's up close in my face now.
"Can you please back up? You're breath reeks of tequila."
She laughs. "Perks of working at a bar."
We talk until the morning and by eight, we decide we probably should go to sleep. I go to my room and it's chilly. I grab Noah's sweater. I smell it. I put it on. It brings back so many old memories. Who would have thought that a one-night stand, waking up and breaking my foot in his hotel room would lead to this? It was such a sweet start. It's sad it has to end so sourly.
I haven't been speaking to Noah in the last several weeks. He's been non-stop texting and calling me. Dayna has been making sure I don't respond to him. She deletes texts and voice messages for me. She answers the door and tells him I'm not home. She's like my own personal bodyguard.
It's very hard ignoring him though when Dayna's not around. I always get tempted so she came up with a solution. At first, it was to block him and get rid of his contact information, but what if there was some kind of emergency? What if I went into labour?
So, her next solution was whenever I felt the urge to message him back I would pinch myself. Apparently, self-inflicting pain was my way of punishing myself for thinking about him or answering him. I've been getting messages from him all morning. Dayna went out on a date, which leaves me alone with these messages.
I'm sitting on my couch watching tv when I get a call. It's Noah. Pinch. Ow.
I send it straight to voicemail. I get a message notifying me that I got a voicemail. Pinch. Pinch. I throw my phone on the opposite side of the couch. It goes off notifying me of incoming messages. One message. Maybe I should just read one. Pinch. I turn the volume up on the tv. Another message. Pinch. It could be Dayna, I say to myself knowing that's probably not true. Pinch.
I grab my phone and look at the messages. There are so many.
9:05am: Ava, I'm not sure what I did wrong. The least you can do is tell me...please? -Noah
9:07am: I'm sorry for whatever it is. I didn't know not talking to you would feel like this :( -Noah
10:05am: I called you and it went straight to voicemail. At least listen to it? -Noah
10:10am: Right now I'm at work, so if you do decide to listen to it and call me back, call my office. Brenda will put you straight through. -Noah
12:00pm: Today I had a meeting, and I couldn't even concentrate. All I could think about was how you weren't speaking to me. -Noah
12:46pm: I have to wonder if you're even receiving these messages. I'm I just talking to myself?- Noah
1:27pm: Dammit Ava, answer me please. I need to know if you're okay. I need to know if the baby is okay. -Noah
2:09pm: This isn't funny anymore. It's been almost 2 months since we last had a conversation. You can't shut me out. In a month, the baby will come. We need to speak before then. Call me back. -Noah
2:48pm: I've been thinking of all the things I could've said or done that would make you this upset. I'm thinking it may have something to do with what Devlin said. About me not being able to see you. Are you practicing right now? Is that what's going on? -Noah
Oh my God, I didn't know not speaking to him would bother him this much. I'm kind of enjoying this. Now I find myself wondering about the messages he sent that Dayna erased. Maybe he was going to leave Devlin? I shouldn't get ahead of myself. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch.
I continue reading.
3:02pm: I don't like this at all. Ava, I miss you. You're not just the mother of my child. You're my best friend. I can talk to you about more things than I could with my family and other friends. Even Devlin for that matter.
Did he just call me a friend? I want to throw the phone across the room. But get an urge to keep reading. Pinch. Pinch.
Okay...maybe more than a friend. Please at least text me back. -Noah
I want to reply to him so badly. Pinch. Pinch. Pinch. Ow. I stop pinching myself. It's not helping. I listen to the voicemail he sent me.
"Hey Ava, it's Noah... Again. Look, uh I probably said all of this in text messages and in my other voicemails, but I miss you. Tell me how you are. Tell me if the baby is okay. Even if you call and don't say anything. I don't care just call me please."
I bite my lips. It's so hard to not answer him. I read the last message.
3:11pm: I decided that I don't care what Devlin says. I'm going to spend time with you even after the baby is born. -Noah
3:20pm: I've never missed anybody like this before. I think about you all the time. It's crazy. Ava please answer. I'm going insane. -Noah.
I can't help but smile. I'm so glad I read them. This plan, ignoring him was such a great idea. I owe Dayna.
3:33pm: I know you don't want to talk to me... But I bought you some cheesecake... Text me and I'll drop if off In a few minutes ;) -Noah
Ugh, he got me.
3:40pm: With strawberries on the side? -Ava
3:40pm: Of Course! Consider it my peace offering? Do you forgive me? -Noah
3:42pm: Fine. You're forgiven. -Ava.
3:43pm: you've just made me a happy man. :)) Be there in 15 minutes. -Noah