That was almost worse, because there were things Ava’s parents didn’t need to know about us— things I was certain they didn’t want to know. After all, these were Ava’s parents. This wasn’t a balanced situation, because when the worst came up, they’d take her side.
Neither Ava nor I said anything, and we hesitated a moment too long. Liam gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “For fuck’s sake. I’m making an executive decision, because ancestors know nobody here can make up their fucking mind. Sophia and I are mentoring the pair of you. Your counseling starts now— separately, to start, because you two can’t be in the same room without melting down into dramatics. Charlie, you’re with me.”
Liam grabbed me by the arm, digging his fingers in until it hurt, and dragged me out of the training center.
I shoved him off in the hall. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Saving your marriage, because you sure as hell aren’t going to step up and do it,” Liam snarled. “Believe me, there’s no one who wants Ava to leave your ass more than I do, but she told me she wants to keep trying, and for as much as I can’t believe I’m saying this, I don’t want to give up on you, either.”
“I don’t know why,” I spat back. “Being Ava’s husband is the best thing in the world, but she was clear she doesn’t want that anymore. She’s the one who served me those papers, so I was just giving her what she wanted. If that’s the last way I can make her happy, then it’s worth a shot!”
“You two splitting up isn’t going to make her happy. It’s going to make her miserable, as well as the rest of us, because she’s not going to pull herself out of this pit of despair until this is resolved. She’ll drag the rest of us down with her.”
I shook my head. “Maybe we can learn to work together, but it feels like our marriage is already done. We can get divorced and still co-parent. We can be civil with each other.”
Liam snorted. “Yeah. Because you and Ava have always been civil, rational, level-headed people, who don’t make your problems everyone else’s issue. Oh, wait. That’s why I’m here.”
“I don’t know why you’re helping me. I’ve done just fine on my own all my life. I don’t have a problem taking care of myself, and I can take care of my son now that he’s here,” I demanded.
“Charlie, you aren’t listening to her, and that’s the problem. You’re taking the easy way out and only hearing what you want to hear.”
Tears stung my eyes, because how could he say that? “I’m not taking the easy way out! This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done! I’m doing what she asked, which is all I’ve ever wanted to do! She’s the one who wanted the divorce, and dragging this out only hurts both of us!”
“You don’t want to hurt her anymore, but you giving up and not trying is what’s hurting her the most, because it shows her you don’t give a shit,” Liam said bluntly. “Ava flat-out told me she doesn’t want a divorce. She doesn't want to leave you, she just doesn’t see another way out.”
His words turned me to a statue, one that gaped like a stupid fish. I thought I might be stuck that way forever, because the revelation seemed to cause time itself to stand still. Ava-Marie had flat out told me she wanted me to fight for her, but fighting for her and trying to convince her to stay with me was entirely different from the fact that she’d already made her choice.
Ava didn’t want a divorce.
By fuck, no wonder we couldn’t work together and find a way forward. I’d always given Ava everything she wanted, and I was delighted to do so. If she didn’t want to sign those papers, then no force on earth or the heavens could make us go through with it.
But at the same time, it didn’t seem real to hope for such a thing. “I’m not sure I can believe that unless I hear it from her mouth, and she’ll never say that to me.”
“Well, too bad, because you’ll have to hear it second hand from me,” Liam stated. He went on, his voice becoming encouraging. “It’s up to you to give her another way out of this. The only way to do that is by getting uncomfortable. The one option left is to change your behavior, because I’d want to leave you too if you kept this up.”
“How do I convince her to stay?” I asked.
Liam laughed. “Oh, your job right now isn’t to convince her. You’re going to have to convince me. Otherwise, I’m rescinding my blessing and telling her to leave you behind while I throw you in the ocean and watch you sink to the bottom.”
I didn’t think it would work. Ava was so indecisive she’d jump in after me and yell at her dad for letting me drown, just to change her mind a few seconds later and laugh as the waves dragged me under.
I bristled. “What do you want me to do?”
Liam paused before he said, “I think I know just the thing. Follow me.”
Ava’s father led me out of the palace and into a wide courtyard. The air was far too cold for a March day in the Mediterranean, and although I wore a sweater to keep myself warm, I shivered. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky and landed on the end of my nose.
Liam let out a shrill whistle, and a massive beast flew down from the skies at his command. The creature rivaled Oberi’s wyvern form, and the air billowed off its leathery wings in the same manner. The beast landed in the courtyard, its long, sharp claws scraping over the paving stones. The creature let out a roar, and its hot, fiery breath brushed across my skin.
It’s a dragon, I realized.
Liam approached the creature calmly. “This is Julian, my companion. He’ll take us where we need to go.”
I climbed onto Julian’s back, settling into a spot behind Liam. Julian took off. I lurched forward, grabbing Liam around the waist to steady myself.
Hell, this couldn’t be more awkward. I was riding bitch with my father-in-law. The things I would still do for this woman.
“Can you stop squeezing my insides?” Liam grunted. “I’m in enough pain every day without you trying to crush my ribs, thanks!”
