“Ava,” I spoke as gently as I could. “You have to go back home, your parents need you now more than ever, you running away from them won’t help matters, it would only complicate issues.”
“No Robin, you also wanted to run away when you were in the State, you wanted to flee the State…”
“To my mother,” I cut her off, enough of her trying to compare her situation to mine. “I didn’t run away from home, I wanted so badly to flee to my mother and I am with my family, whereas I did not run away to a place where either of my parents knew nothing about, while I was with my dad, my mother know and now I am with my mother, my father know,” I told her sharply to take whatever thoughts she was thinking out of her head.
Ava was silent for a while as she looked at me, I could see the surprise look on her face. “You are not getting angry when you talk about your father and usually you don’t call him dad but his name…”
I withdrew my hand from hers, she was right, while I was in the States I called my father by his name, but hearing my mother’s explanation about events had made me forgive him in my heart, he was still my dad after all.
“I have forgiven him, Ava, I have finally made peace with my soul, he is still my father.” Ava looked at me sceptically and I could tell what was going through her mind right now. “Ava, you should go home and listen to your parent's explanation about things, that way you would understand their decision, if it is for a just cost then they both need to be happy even if they aren’t together, all you know is they are still your parents and would love you the same.”
Although Ava’s parents argue, they never hate her, I have noticed they love her the same and she was only rebelling against them by running away.
“Why do you sound so different from the Robin I know?” Ava gazed at me strangely as she leaned back to the chair.
I took a deep breath. “I told you, I made peace with myself.” I looked down at my wristwatch. “Enough of being a rebel Ava, come, there is still time to book you a flight back to the States, let’s go when you are done eating.” I looked up at her.
“No, I don’t want to go home today.” She told me without hesitation.
“Ava, you should go back.”
“I will go tomorrow.” She looked at me.
“Then where would you sleep?”
“At your place.” My eyes dilated as she said that.
“You can’t.” I swallowed hard, what will my mother say when she sees Ava, what would Ivana say or how would she feel?
“Why can’t I?” Ava blinked her eyes as she looked at me suspiciously. “Is there someone you don’t want me to meet?” Ava pressed her lips together.
I rubbed my hand on my face as I got to my feet. “My mother would be so shocked to see you.” I looked at her face. “It would be too much of a surprise to her, I will go pay for our meal and also find a comfortable hotel for you to stay.” I did not glance at Ava, I only walked over to the counter and paid the bills while I walked out of the restaurant to take a deep breath while I waited for Ava to come out.
I heard the door open and turned around to see Ava coming out, her eyes still on me as she approached me. “Robin, while you were in the States, I let you stay at my place for the night and you also did the same, your father who you did not like was not against me sleeping at your place, so why are you so surprised that your mother would?”
“is not that my mother would be, it is just…”
“Is there someone you are hiding from me?” I pressed my lips together, Ava was an intelligent and sensitive girl, it is not a surprise that she could figure me out, at least I was closer to her in the States. “Robin, are you in love with someone?” She asked me as her brows furrowed.
“Ava…” Before I could tell her the truth she launched at me and kissed my lips taking me by surprise, this was the first time Ava had ever kissed me, in the States we only hugged each other goodbye and nothing else, my eyes dilated.
I was about to push her off when I heard Hinn Carlos' voice. “Robin, what the fuck!”
From the corner of my eyes still in the kiss, I saw Ivana standing close to Hinn and she was staring at us with wide eyes as a single tear rolled down her cheek tearing my heart into two as I recalled the word I told her in the rooftop that I wasn’t going to ever make her shade a single tears.
Ava pulled away when she also saw Hinn and she turned to him since she knew him. “Hinn Carlos, you are also here.” Her voice sounded delighted all of a sudden but I was only staring at Ivana speechless, I was not expecting her to show up here, she was supposed to be at home and what the fuck was she doing here with Hinn Carlos.
“Ivana,” I called out as I made a move to step close to her, she stepped back shaking her head while Ava held my hand to stop me from going to her and I looked at Ava.
“What are you doing Robin?” Ava asked me as she turned to look at Ivana. “Who is she?” Ava asked but the moment I turned to look at Ivana she turned her back at me.
“Hinn, I am sorry, I can’t buy you dinner tonight,” Ivana told Hinn with a choked voice.
“Ivana, it’s not what you think...” I called out but I was too late since she ran off. “Ivana.” Robin went after Ivana and I made a move to go after her but Ava tightened her grip on me.
“Robin…”
“She is the girl I love!” I shouted as I turned to Ava as she looked at me with a wide gaze. “Why did you do that?” Tears had also clustered in my eyes which also made Ava shocked since she had never seen me cry, but I had hurt Ivana and it was all insane.
“You love someone?” Ava choked the words about since she seems dumbfounded to hear me say this.
“Yes, I love Ivana, so just go back home to your parents and don’t ruin the love life I have finally found.” I know the words hurt her since she left my hand, but I had hurt someone more than I had hurt her and that person must have felt betrayed.
“Ivana, left in a taxi, I couldn’t catch up with her.” Hinn came back as I turned to him. “What the fuck do you think you are doing with Ava when Ivana had to pass through those humiliations in school today?” Hinn knitted his brows as he looked at me, I don’t know the humiliation he was talking about but right now I know Ivana was hurt and I need to get to her.
“Hinn, see to it that Ava books a flight back home tonight, I am leaving.” I ran off without glancing at Ava who called out my name multiple times.
I got into my car and took off heading back home to find Ivana.