Love In Between

CHAPTER 19

The morning breeze blew mildly through the open window onto Ava’s face, she pulled at her hair gently as it covered her face, she opened her eyes slowly and made to get up from the couch she had slept off on the previous day.

“Arrgh!” She cried in pain as she rubbed her head, it was banging like it would explode and the pieces would be sputtering all over the place. She had cried herself to sleep the previous night like she had been doing all other nights since the incident happened and Bruce fizzled into thin air.

She dragged herself to the shower and took a quick cold bath and got a change of clothes before heading towards the kitchen to make something to eat. Her eyes still felt heavy but she had to be strong for her unborn child who was growing so fast inside her.

She couldn’t help but think about Bruce— the man she ever loved, the disappointment that came with loving him, and that made her head ache even more,

she made herself some sandwiches and a glass of banana smoothie which tasted bland—- she knew the meal isn’t the problem she is, she couldn’t do anything including eating, she felt a little relief after eating and taking some medications,

She washed her plates at the sink quickly, her stomach had grown over time and her baby was getting eager to hold her hands or so the kicking implies, she giggled to herself and she patted her hands dry, and made her way to the living room.

Ava picked up one of Colleen Hoovers books and settled for the couch to read it, she flipped through the pages of the book and was feeling a bit drowsy now she was approaching her due date, it is becoming more difficult to move around, and have do things on her own, and it’s making her go wild…

She reminisced how it would have been like if Bruce is present through the journey of having their daughter but it only made her mind burn and drench in anguish as she gasped heavily, tears flowing freely through her face, she felt the universe wasn’t on her side everything was happening at the same time and she couldn’t do anything to salvage the situation she was helpless.

She rubbed her bump that was fast growing, caressing it with love, she had something to hold on to, someone to love on, and more than anything she was sure this love she would share with her child would be more than enough consolation.

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“Roxie, you have to find a way to fix this mess!” Mason’s voice thundered across his office,

“The news is everywhere already, there’s little or nothing we can do to help the situation, Quinn is—” Roxie

“Stop this instant!” Mason stomped his fist angrily on the table,

“But it’s the truth Mr. Mason, you know it, I know it everyone at Quinn’s knows it we’re just waiting for the day the bomb finally goes off and we’re all doomed,” Roxie said firmly, Mason made to interject her but she cut him off.

“I’m afraid Mr. Mason the day of doom is just around the corner, sooner than we expect Quinn will crumble, and if we don’t act fast… Hmmm,” she scoffed looking at Mason with a tinge of irritation, Roxie had mixed feelings about Quinn’s current decline into recession.

She was happy because Mason wouldn’t get a hang of the company and take over, sad because Ava is too sad and carried away by her predicament that she couldn’t care less about the company anymore and it made her angry than it made her sad.

“Are you even listening to what I’m saying?” Mason’s bass voice questioned her, jolting her back to reality.

“Huh?… Ummm… You were saying?” She questioned, holding herself back from laughing at Mason’s expression at her reply.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Arrgghhh!!!” He exclaimed, flinging the glass centerpiece pieces scattered all over the floor, Roxie rolled her eyes in sheer disgust… “So irresponsible,” she muttered under her breath.

“What did you say?” Mason shot her a look in which anger and bitterness were nicely fused, Roxie couldn’t care less she was over it with Mason’s character, he was acting out of place and it was causing them Quinn’s.

“Let’s call a meeting with all the board of directors, every one of them present at the table,” he said, his eyes fixed on the pieces of centerpiece scattered all over the floor.

“And why are you still here?” He asked, raising his brows.

“You’re yet to tell me what to do,” she replied coldly,

Mason turned to face her, smirking “Go now, hurry along the meeting would take place tomorrow,”

“Tomorrow! Isn’t that too sudden?” Roxie asked shocked but even angrier, she couldn’t stand Mason’s excesses any more she wished a miracle that would take Mason out and revive Quinn would happen but that was like wishing for rain in a drought.

Mason shot her a look that sent her on her toes out of his office.

“Who does he think he is anyways?” Roxie murmured to herself as she made her way to her office, she wondered how Ava fared with her bump and hoped she was stronger than she was previously.

Roxie was able to reach out to almost all the board of directors and a meeting was scheduled, during the meeting, Mason accused Ava of having an affair with some of the employees at Quinn’s,

“But you’re not even sure, do you even have facts to prove your claims are true?” Roxie fired at Mason, who seemed to have everything planned out.

“Hmmm, how then can she explain the child,”

Roxie wasn’t sure if the statement was a question or not, she was too stunned by his actions to speak so throughout the meeting she kept to herself, she couldn’t wait to see Ava and tell her what Mason has been up to behind her back.

“And why is she not here?” One of the board of directors asked, scrutinizing the faces across the room.

“That’s because someone failed to include her in the meeting,” Roxie replied, surprised at her confidence, she looked at Mason who was obviously fuming in anger.

“Well, on that note we’d have another meeting,” he said, Roxie nodded in approval as everyone present started leaving the board room, leaving Roxie and Mason alone.

“And what was that you just did?” He asked, keeping his tone down.

“The right thing?” She responded firmly as she made her way out of the board room, she couldn’t wait to leave the office and head over to Ava’s house to tell her all about the meeting.

Roxie’s car pulled over at Ava’s garage that evening, Ava was watering the small patch of rose in the garden,

“Seems like someone’s tryna harness her gardening skills,” Roxie said as she walked towards Ava.

“There’s pretty much nothing to do,” Ava replied absentmindedly as she pulled out a weed from the patch,

“How’re you doing?” Roxie questioned her eyes fixed on her bump

“We’re — fine I suppose,” Ava replied, forcing a smile

“Ava, the company’s board of directors called for a meeting, actually Mason did,” Roxie began,

“I don’t want to hear it,” Ava replied curtly,

“You have to be at the company tomorrow, the board of directors wants to see you,” Roxie said, unsure how that would sound to Ava.

“Pffft,” she sneered,

“The board of directors wants to see me how cute,”

“Please, Ava… Please,” Roxie pleaded

“No!” Ava responded firmly,

“But Ava —,”

“Roxie I said, No I’m not going anywhere,” Ava replied, what’s the point anyways, if Mason wants the company he could have it, there’s only so much she could do.