“Uh-huh.”
My gaze drifted back to Ava. She gave me a faint smile and readjusted herself on the stool. The ease from earlier was gone.
Jaden went right back to his storytelling, completely oblivious to the uncurrent of tension building between Ava and me.
“So, anyway, before every game, Mom texts me good luck, and it always ends with ‘my little rocket.’ One of my teammates saw it, and it’s a whole thing now. The entire team and even the coach call me ‘Little Rocket.’ I’m a grown-ass man. It’s embarrassing.”
Ava smiled, but I could tell it was forced.
I scowled. Was I really that much of a killjoy that even her smile went away?
“Maybe I should spare you the embarrassment and not put your nickname in print," she said.
Jaden laughed. “Nah. It’s fine. It will make Mom smile.”
“You are too sweet,” Ava cooed, which made Jaden grimace.
I finally moved into the kitchen and made my way to the cupboard to grab a mug. As I poured myself some coffee, I listened to them chat. Now and then, Ava jotted down things on her notepad. The longer I watched and listened, the more my discontent grew, and I felt bad about it.
Me,a grown-ass man, as Jaden just mentioned, was jealous of a twenty-year-old because he was chatting so easily with my ex-girlfriend. I was so disappointed in myself. It was just that mine and Ava’s relationship had once been that easy, and now that she was back in my life, I missed it.
When the two were finished, Jaden decided to acknowledge my existence once more. “Hey, sorry, Linc. Once Ava gets you started, it’s hard to stop talking. She’s easy to talk to, you know?”
Yeah, I knew that.
“I like her. I’m glad that Walt dude couldn’t make it.”
He winked at Ava, and she smiled.
It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. “Careful of the honey trap. They can be charming to get you talking.”
“They?”Ava glared daggers at me.
I took a sip of coffee. “Reporters.”
Jaden’s eyes darted between us. He rubbed his nape. “I don’t think Ava is like that, though.”
“Thank you, Jaden. I’m not.”
“Time will tell,” I threw back.
Ava scoffed, her head whipping back to me. If looks could kill, I’d be dead. “You know what, Lincoln, this,” she waved a hand around the kitchen, “has nothing to do with you. You know, you could leave and come back. This ismytime, after all.”
“And leave poor Jaden at your mercy?” I muttered.
Jaden’s discomfort seemed to be growing by the second. He cleared his throat lightly. “I’m getting the vibe that you two don’t like each other. My aunt and uncle talked to each other like this before their divorce.” He chuckled nervously. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you two know each other. You are like an old married couple who went through a bitter divorce.”
The kitchen descended into silence—uncomfortable silence—as Ava and I gawked at him. We hadn’t mentioned to Jaden or anyone that we knew each other.
“It’s not that?—”
“I’ve never met this man in my life,” Ava blurted out, cutting me off.
Now, I gawked ather, slack-jawed.
The sound of a phone ringing in the distance broke the silence.
Jaden watched Ava and me with an air of curiosity… or maybe it was skepticism. “Okaaaaythen…” He hiked a thumb over his shoulder. “That’s probably my parents checking in. I’m going to get it.” He smirked. “Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”
