Ava
It’s been a week since I moved into Tank’s room. It’s been absolutely perfect, but I know I can’t just keep going the way I’m going. I am loving all the time I’ve spent with him, but he’s now spending more time over at the ranch doing whatever they do over there, and let’s face it, there’s only so much cleaning and cooking I can do. I have to get a job, but I also know that in order to freely move on and not worry about looking over my shoulder, I need to take care of this thing with my ex.
When Tank comes home for lunch, I have it ready, and as soon as he sits down, I start. “I have something I need to talk to you about.”
He takes a bite of his sandwich. I could tell he had something on his mind as soon as he walked in the door, but I can’t put this off any longer. He looks at me hesitantly. “What is it?”
I push my uneaten sandwich away from me and hold my hands up. “Okay, hear me out.”
He swallows the food in his mouth and pushes his plate away. He wipes his mouth with the napkin and looks at me. “How come I don’t think I’m going to like this?”
I give him a weak smile. “Just listen.” I take a deep breath and, on my exhale, I blurt it out. “I’m going to go back to Nashville.”
His eyes get big, and he pushes back from the table. “Why? What did I do?”
I reach for him and cover his hand with mine. “I can’t keep running, Tank.”
He shakes his head. “So what, you’re going to go back to Beau?”
I look at him startled. “You think I would go back to him?”
He jumps up and starts pacing the floor. “I don’t know what I think, Ava. I thought what we have is going good, and now you’re talking about leaving me.”
I step in front of him and force him to look at me. “I’m not leaving you. I’m going to Nashville to get my things... and I need to face Beau. The things he did to me, I’ll never forgive myself if I just let it go.”
He takes a deep breath just as a car horn beeps outside. “Who’s that?” I ask him.
He points toward the door. “It’s a surprise for you.”
The way he says it, I know I’ve upset him and hurt his feelings, and that was never my intention. “Tank,” I start, but he doesn’t let me finish.
“We’ll finish this later, Ava. The guys are here, and I think—fuck—I hope you’re going to be happy about this.”
I nod and watch as he walks away from me. I hate this feeling that there’s strife between us. This past week has been beyond perfection. We’ve gotten to know each other and spent a lot of time together. I kept waiting for some kind of bombshell, like I’d find out something about him that I didn’t know already, but there’s been nothing. He’s been attentive and then given me space when I needed it. He’s given me gifts, listened to me talk about my dreams and what I want to do, and this is how I repay him. It kills me to think that he believed for one second that I would want to leave him.
He opens the front door and waves for me to go through it. I walk past him and miss his touch. He usually has a hand on me anytime we’re near each other. When I get to the porch, Maverick and Glock are standing at the rear of a truck. They open the back door, sliding it up, and it’s then I recognize it.
Tank comes up behind me, still not touching me. “I told them to be careful with the photography equipment.”
I turn and look up at him. “You had them get all my stuff.”
He nods. “Yeah, I wanted you to be happy here.”
“Tank, I am happy—”
But I don’t get it out. Maverick and Glock are climbing the porch. “Where do you want it?”
They’re asking Tank, but he’s looking at me. “Where do you want it?”
I can see the challenge in his face, and he’s asking me more than just what’s obvious. “Well, I’m staying in our bedroom with you... so I guess in the spare bedroom for now.”
He nods, still looking at me. “You heard her, boys.”
They walk past us and into the house. Tank and I join in carrying things, even though they won’t let me carry much. I ask Maverick when we’re passing each other on trips, “How did you get into the dorms?”
He nods his head at Tank. “He set it up. He had us check on Cassie while we were there, and she helped us get in.”
I grab more stuff, and it’s an insane feeling, knowing that I’ve known Tank for such a short time and everything he’s done for me. He’s proven over and over how he feels about me.