Magnus managed to stay out of Ava’s way for the better part of the evening. When they got back, he went to work at the camp, helping with the evening chores. He stayed long after Gia left and waited until Billy could settle in for the evening. He was on for the overnight shift, and though Magnus had considered offering to fill in, he decided against it. He needed to talk to Ava, and if he put that off for too long, it would only put a wedge between them.
“Night, Billy. Holler if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
Magnus stepped outside into the humid summer night. The daytime temps were soaring into the hundreds, and the nights weren’t getting much cooler. It was so hot they were resorting to letting the dogs play in the training room to keep them from getting dehydrated. And they were utilizing the swimming pool more often. Granted, it wasn’t really a swimming pool since the deepest part was only two feet, but the dogs whose owners allowed them to play in it had a good time. Between splashing in the water and running through the water fountains, they found ways to entertain themselves.
But the pool was closed, and the dogs they had in residence were winding down for the evening. Sarge and Aurora were keeping Billy company, as they’d done for the past five months. Before Ava’sincident,for lack of a better word, both dogs had spent all their spare time with him. They’d stayed at the house when Magnus was in it and at the camp when he wasn’t. He’d had to stop doing that when he brought Ava back here because he hadn’t wanted them to be in her way. Now he missed their company, more so because he spent his nights alone.
Magnus stepped into the house to find most of the lights had been turned off. The sun was still out, but the shadows were growing as night fell. The kitchen was dark because Ava had drawn the shades. The only light was coming from the lamp in the living room.
He headed that way and found Ava sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the darkened television.
“Ava? Are you okay?”
She slowly peered over at him. She looked surprised to see him.
He moved toward her, taking a seat on the couch, ensuring he left plenty of space between them. “What’s wrong?”
Her pretty blue eyes leveled on his face for a moment. “Dr. Briggs told me we need to talk about what happened.”
Magnus knew she was referring tothe incident. That’s what he’d been referring to it as because he didn’t know how else to. The newspaper articles called it the attempted murder of Ava March. Every time Magnus even thought about the fact Harrison Rivers had attempted to kill her, a red haze clouded his vision. So he’d dubbed itthe incident, although it seemed lacking in so many ways. The reality of it was it was a moment in time that had forever altered Magnus. Not nearly as much as it had impacted Ava, but he could admit—at least to himself—that he was having a difficult time coming to terms with it. He hadn’t discussed it with anyone. Not even with Trey. Since neither of them had brought it up, Magnus figured Trey was burying it the same way.
“What would you like to talk about?”
Her forehead creased. “I didn’t say Iwantedto talk about it. She said we should.”
Magnus held her gaze, not sure what to say to that.
Ava sighed, leaning into the cushion and turning her attention back to the TV. “Are you scared of me, Magnus?”
“What?” Now he was confused.
“Are you scared to touch me? Tobewith me?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Fine, that was a deflection, but Magnus didn’t think they needed to have a discussion about this. Of course, he should’ve expected Ava to bring it up. She’d always been that way. No topic was off-limits with her. As a kid, she was always asking questions, wanting answers. Didn’t matter if the subject made others uncomfortable, she would still ask.
“Do you think I’m damaged?” she blurted, this time confronting him eye to eye.
Magnus opened his mouth to speak but snapped it closed.
Ava’s eyebrows angled downward slowly as her eyes danced over his face. “You do,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “That’s not true.” Not entirely, but he had no idea how to tell her that he would never forgive himself if he pushed for something she wasn’t ready to give. They’d spent enough time together these past five months, he knew she thought she owed him something for taking care of her. Not sex, but something. And the last damn thing he wanted was for Ava to think he wanted her because of that. He wanted her, yes, but that wasn’t new. He’d wanted her for years, and taking care of her had only made him fall in love with her more, but it certainly wasn’t the reason he was in love with her.
“He didn’t break me, Magnus,” she said, her tone stern. “Harrison. He hurt me, yes. But he didn’t break me. I’m not damaged goods.”
“I didn’t say that,” he countered, feeling her ire rise.
“You don’t have to. You tell me every time you refuse to touch me. You won’t hug me unless I instigate it.” Her eyes snapped down to the cushion between them. “You won’t even sit by me until I ask you to or I move toward you.”
Magnus didn’t know what to say to that because she was right. He kept his distance for her benefit, not his own.
“I know there’s a difference between you and Harrison. A significant one. I don’t cringe when you come into a room, and I don’t expect you’ll raise a hand to me if I piss you off. Iknowyou won’t. And it hurts my feelings that you could even think I would.”
“I don’t think that,” he snapped. “I’ve never thought that. But Ava, what he did to you…”
“You mean when he strangled me and left me for dead in a field?” she shouted.
