I scoffed. “Like you had any other option.”
She pouted and muttered, “I didn’t.”
I grinned.
We stood there for a moment, gazing at each other. Before things got awkward—it always did—I opened the door and gestured for her to get in. Once she was seated, I closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. We pulled out of the lot in silence. I didn’t want to stew in it for too long, so I fiddled with the radio to find anything to fill the silence. Something jazzy floated through the speakers, and I left it there. It was better than the static between us.
Ava stared out the window as if the streetlights and sidewalks were the most fascinating things she’d ever seen. After a while, she said, “Thanks again for coming to bail me out.”
My fingers tightened slightly on the wheel. “You’re welcome.”
“I’ll pay you back, of course.”
“There’s nothing to pay back.” I glanced over at her. “Like I said, the officer agreed it was a misunderstanding. No charges, no record, no need for bail.”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Right. Well… thanks. I’m sorry for disrupting your night.”
“You didn’t,” I said.
She turned to me with a disbelieving look but didn’t comment. If only she knew that when she called from thestation, I had been doing nothing but sitting in my apartment alone, staring at my phone. I’d been debating whether to call her because the way dinner ended the other night still haunted me.
“Want to tell me what tonight was all about?” I couldn’t help glancing at her chest. Hot damn. She still had the most amazing pair. “You went… clubbing?”
She let out a snort. “Not really.”
“What really happened? The only part of the story I got was something about you trespassing.”
She rolled her eyes. “The whole thing is ridiculous. Is sneaking into a club really trespassing? Granted, it was an invitation-only event… buttrespassing?”
“I hate to break it to you, but it is. A misdemeanour at best.”
She groaned and rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, I know. I was just trying to sound less like a criminal.”
The note of humor in her voice made me chuckle. “I mean, you spent two whole hours in jail. You’re a hardcore criminal now, Montgomery. I expected you to walk through the door sporting a few new tattoos.”
She chuckled. “Shut up.”
The car was filled with our amusement, which eliminated the tension that was usually simmering below the surface.
She turned to me with a smirk. “The other ladies in the cell thought I was a hooker.”
After a beat, I roared.“What?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “The outfit and makeup are kind of incriminating, so I wasn't mad. They were really nice women. Kept me entertained. I never thought I’d laugh that much in a jail cell. At least I have a funny story to share with Melody when I get home.”
The mention of her going home put a damper on my amusement because I couldn’t let her leave LA without making things right between us. But right now, I didn’t want to ruin themoment of easy peace we’d found. We were in my car chatting and laughing… like we used to. No, I couldn’t dredge up the heavy stuff now.
“So why did you sneak into an event?” I asked instead.
Her hesitation piqued my curiosity.
“I was following a hunch,” she said at last.
I kept my eyes on the road. “Okay…”
“It started at Jaden's party. Rumors about drug use. Before you blow up on me… Lord knows you’ve threatened me enough.”
“I neverthreatenedyou.”
