Chapter 0174 I canât deny it anymore. 1 F***ing want her. With every past action, though, I donât think sheâll want anything to do with me. No one has to tell me that the love I used to see shine in her eyes is no longer there. Right now, she only tolerates me for the sake of Noah.
âMr. Woodsâ Iâm snapped out of my thoughts when my name is called.
I look up to find the nurse from earlier staring at me.
âHow is she?â I am desperate for answers.
âSheâs okay and so is the baby... we just need to keep her for a few hours since she was dehydrated when she arrivedâ
I hear a gasp from behind me. Damn it! Kate didnât know about Avaâs pregnancy, but it was now confirmed. Ignoring her, I focus on the nurse.
âCan I see her?â
She nods her head and gestures for me to follow. We get to a room and she opens the door, letting me in. Once Iâm in, she leaves, closing it behind her.
Ava was attached to an IV stand. Her wrists were bandaged, her b*dy was covered from the waist down, and the cut on her l*p was stitched.
âHowâs Emma?â is the first thing she asks me.
Damn the woman for being a real F***ing angel.
âWe havenât heard anything from the doctors, but Iâm sure sheâs fine.â I take the seat next to her bed, fighting the urge to take her hand in mine.
âIâm so sor she begins, her eyes filling with tears. âI didnât mean for her to get hurt. I just wanted to escape. If I knew that sheâd get shot, I would have asked her to stay backâ
The urge I was fighting against wins, and I take her small hands in mine.
âWhy would you want to escape?â I ask.
The question has been bugging me since I found her. Didnât she trust that I would come for her? That I would never let anyone hurt her?
She looks at me like Iâm crazy. âWhy would I want to stay? The moment Ronny gave you the ultimatum, I knew I didnât stand a chance. Your first choice will always be Emma and I know I didnât say anything at first. IfI thought seeing her hurt broke me, then I was a damn fool because her words F***ing shattered me to pieces, but how can I blame her for believing that?
I pounded in the fact that Emma was my world. That she was everything to me. Didnât I jump to save her during that shootout a few months ago? I nailed it to her that Emma meant everything to me while she meant nothing. It was probably tattooed on her F***ing mind, heart, and soul. How then can I be hurt and mad that she believed I would pick Emma over her?
The ache inside me was hard to contain, and I found myself gripping her hand tight.
âRowan?â she calls in concern, trying to get her hand out of mine.
I loosen my grip, but I donât let her hand go. Right now, she was my anchor as I fought against falling into I the hole that I had dug with my bare hands.
âI was coming for you, Ava. You were my choice from the moment Ronny gave that ultimatum.â I release the breath that was stuck in my lungs. âI know it makes me look like a bastard, but I would have gladly let Emma die if it meant saving youâ
She stares at me in shock, but I meant every word. There wasnât a choice to be made because I knew in my heart that sheâs been my number one choice for some time now. She owned me even though she didnât know it yet.