not always the way they appear, Charlotte.”
“Oh spare me the lines, Ava. You may be willing to forgive and forget so easily but I’m not. That bastard deceived you regardless of the reasons why. He doesn’t deserve you or a second chance.”
Tipping my head backwards, I closed my eyes and blew out a frustrated breath. I could feel this conversation was going nowhere. After being so quick to verbally chastise Charlotte in defence of Jonah, I realised where my loyalty was beginning to lie. My love for my best friend paled in comparison to my love for a man who probably had no right to deserve it but there was no denying he held it. “It’s not as simple as that.”
“It never is, A,” she snorted. Crossing her arms she rested her elbows on the table between us. "What about Cameron?”
“What about Cameron,” I questioned.
“My brother happens to be on the other side of the world sorting out the shit you were too chicken to deal with because you asked him to. He’s put his own life on hold to help you while you’ve been shacked up in St. Tropez with him,” she pointed over my shoulder in Jonah’s direction, “you’ve really got some fucking nerve using Cameron in that way. You’re my best friend Ava and I love you, but my family will always come higher on my list of priorities than you do, my loving, protective, caring younger brother more than anyone else.”
I sat silently in shock. Had I used Cameron because subconsciously I knew he would never refuse my request? I practically begged him to fly to Chicago on my behalf without a second thought for the impact that would have on his own life and business dealings. Guilt settled in the pit of stomach.
Leaning forward, determination was etched across Charlotte’s attractive face. “If you want to make a fool of yourself by all means go ahead, Ava. But leave my brother the hell out of it. Hurt him and our relationship is over do you hear me? Pushing out of her chair she stood abruptly then added, “I’m not prepared to sit around and watch him fuck with your head again while you fuck with Cameron’s. I’ll be staying with Jean-Pierre at my parents home when we get back to London.”
“There’s really is no need to do that,” tears pooled in my eyes. “What the hell is happening with us Charlotte?”
Charlotte’s voice cracked slightly though her face remained firm, “One day you’ll truly open those gorgeous green eyes of yours and see what I’ve had to sit back and watch for months now Ava. When you do, give me a call and apologise.”
Tears soaked my cheeks as the woman who had nurtured me through endless crisis and whose loyalty and love never waivered strode purposefully away from me leaving me stunned and bereft but more importantly feeling more alone than ever.
Chapter Eight
Desperation, anger and instilled shock set in my bones and showed no signs of disappearing anytime soon. Check in, our gate call and even boarding the flight passed without my awareness as the numbness I hoped to have seen the last of, reared its head with a vengeance.
The pained expression and the hardness in Charlotte’s usually warm brown eyes, and her harsh and confusing words echoed around my skull until it ached. Verbal exchanges were far from rare between the pair of us. Our polar opposite personalities, traits and flaws often clashed but never on this scale. I could feel the loss of my best friend more with every second that passed and knew instinctively there was a gulf between us that hadn’t been there when we left for Paris.
I cursed myself for ever bring her here, for leaving Paris to retreat alone to St Tropez which in turn gifted Jonah the perfect opportunity to seek me out. But way down deep, I also knew that whatever had Charlotte so angry went beyond my reconciliation with Jonah. If truth were known something had been eating away at her since she returned from the Caribbean vacation she took with her parents a few months previous.
“Oh spare me the lines, Ava. You may be willing to forgive and forget so easily but I’m not. That bastard deceived you regardless of the reasons why. He doesn’t deserve you or a second chance.”
Tipping my head backwards, I closed my eyes and blew out a frustrated breath. I could feel this conversation was going nowhere. After being so quick to verbally chastise Charlotte in defence of Jonah, I realised where my loyalty was beginning to lie. My love for my best friend paled in comparison to my love for a man who probably had no right to deserve it but there was no denying he held it. “It’s not as simple as that.”
“It never is, A,” she snorted. Crossing her arms she rested her elbows on the table between us. "What about Cameron?”
“What about Cameron,” I questioned.
“My brother happens to be on the other side of the world sorting out the shit you were too chicken to deal with because you asked him to. He’s put his own life on hold to help you while you’ve been shacked up in St. Tropez with him,” she pointed over my shoulder in Jonah’s direction, “you’ve really got some fucking nerve using Cameron in that way. You’re my best friend Ava and I love you, but my family will always come higher on my list of priorities than you do, my loving, protective, caring younger brother more than anyone else.”
I sat silently in shock. Had I used Cameron because subconsciously I knew he would never refuse my request? I practically begged him to fly to Chicago on my behalf without a second thought for the impact that would have on his own life and business dealings. Guilt settled in the pit of stomach.
Leaning forward, determination was etched across Charlotte’s attractive face. “If you want to make a fool of yourself by all means go ahead, Ava. But leave my brother the hell out of it. Hurt him and our relationship is over do you hear me? Pushing out of her chair she stood abruptly then added, “I’m not prepared to sit around and watch him fuck with your head again while you fuck with Cameron’s. I’ll be staying with Jean-Pierre at my parents home when we get back to London.”
“There’s really is no need to do that,” tears pooled in my eyes. “What the hell is happening with us Charlotte?”
Charlotte’s voice cracked slightly though her face remained firm, “One day you’ll truly open those gorgeous green eyes of yours and see what I’ve had to sit back and watch for months now Ava. When you do, give me a call and apologise.”
Tears soaked my cheeks as the woman who had nurtured me through endless crisis and whose loyalty and love never waivered strode purposefully away from me leaving me stunned and bereft but more importantly feeling more alone than ever.
Chapter Eight
Desperation, anger and instilled shock set in my bones and showed no signs of disappearing anytime soon. Check in, our gate call and even boarding the flight passed without my awareness as the numbness I hoped to have seen the last of, reared its head with a vengeance.
The pained expression and the hardness in Charlotte’s usually warm brown eyes, and her harsh and confusing words echoed around my skull until it ached. Verbal exchanges were far from rare between the pair of us. Our polar opposite personalities, traits and flaws often clashed but never on this scale. I could feel the loss of my best friend more with every second that passed and knew instinctively there was a gulf between us that hadn’t been there when we left for Paris.
I cursed myself for ever bring her here, for leaving Paris to retreat alone to St Tropez which in turn gifted Jonah the perfect opportunity to seek me out. But way down deep, I also knew that whatever had Charlotte so angry went beyond my reconciliation with Jonah. If truth were known something had been eating away at her since she returned from the Caribbean vacation she took with her parents a few months previous.
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