Chapter 117: Chapter 117

"Huh? What?" Rocky stepped back in shock and surprise, his hand going up to his cheek automatically.

"Why are you reacting as if you have seen a ghost when I just asked you about what is on your cheeks?" Shelby asked her brother.

"Rocky! There are hand-drawn marks on your cheeks as if someone has slapped you..."

’slapped you..... slapped you .....’

These words kept re-echoing in Rocky’s ears after Shelby had said them. Whatever she said or asked him after just flew over his head as he thought back once again.

Shelby pointing out this now made a lot of things clearer. He had been receiving a lot of stares and abnormal questions. Detective Leon had looked at him strangely at the station for a while as if he had wanted to ask something but had never mustered the courage to do so, however, at their mansion for the seize and search operation, the detection had asked him if he was okay, while looking straight at his cheeks.

His hand automatically went up and traced his cheeks fondly remembering when Ava’s hand had connected to it. He knew that she most probably had not meant to slap him but had only done it as a self-preservation or something along those lines.

Rocky also remembered the same look from both the taxi drivers he had used that day. It turned out that his girl had left a love mark on him. ’How sweet!’

On Ava’s side, after Rocky left her apartment, she remained in the same position after the door closed behind him.

However, his words and his actions remained.

Just the way he had said her full name with so much authority was the first thing that had made her heart melt. Ava had never heard Rocky use her full name before and that alone had told her that whatever it was that he had been about to say was dead serious. However, she could not help herself because it had been just after that exhilarating kiss.

’Who knew!’ The imprint of his mouth was still felt on hers and heck, she could even taste his uniqueness on her tongue! It was as if he had been just taken in a mint candy or gum! She unconsciously smacked her lips.

"Ava!" She reprimanded herself, but at that time, Ava’s mind was on a wild goose hunt, exploring those giddy emotions she had felt from the man that she had thought of as a boy all along.

’I love you and have for as long as I can remember.’

Ava had lost it when he had said these. From all along, Ava had only thought that Rocky only had a childhood crush on her that he would grow out of. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that his small remarks about ’let’s go on a date’ had been serious.

"He loves me, huh?" She scoffed. However, only Ava knew how she truly felt about all of this. It was his remaining words that really shook Ava as she struggled to understand him.

’I am not going to force you into anything, but I need you to stop treating me like a child because I am not. As I told you years before, I will be your future husband, and nothing will ever change that!’

It was the look in his eyes. Rocky meant every single word he had spoken and for a moment, Ava felt her heart tremble slightly. She did not even know if the response she had given him was sincere. This was because, at that time, Ava was really confused. She was confused about so many things which did not even make sense. However, Rocky had been right; she had kissed him back and then slapped him; talk of double standards!

"Why Ava! Why did you kiss him back?!" She asked herself in the empty room.

Ava also knew that it was probably why she had brought Josh into the conversation then because no matter how much she re-analyzed them, Josh did not fit in anywhere. It was as if by bringing Josh into her conversation with Rocky, she would have given herself a reality check.

With the thought of Josh, Rocky’s warning flashed into the forefront of her mind.

Initially, she thought Rocky’s sentiments on Josh were unwarranted, mainly because Rocky had borne his heart out to her. It would have been prudent on his part to take off what he felt was the competition: Josh.

She kept replaying Rocky’s last words in her mind:

’I sent you an audio file with interesting details about your boyfriend Josh; try to listen to it when you can. It will be for your own good....’

Ava brought out her phone and looked at the last audio message sent by Rocky. Her thump trembled while hovering on it. Before she realized, she had tapped and downloaded the file.

"Do I really want to listen to this?" She asked herself as Rocky’s last words to her played back:

’Just know that, as I have deemed him unworthy of you, I am now going to pursue you with everything I have in me!’

For Rocky to have said that, then it meant that the audio was one that may help his cause? What exactly is on the audio?

Ava hit the play button:

’Yo! My man! What’s up?’ Josh’s voice echoed. Ava immediately paused it after only listening to about five seconds of the lengthy audio file.

"I should learn to trust in my relationship! I agreed to date Josh and I will stick to it until my judgement tells me otherwise!"

Ava firmed up her resolve and then deleted the message. Even after this, she felt uncomfortable as if her mind was trying to tell her that she had missed out on something major!

Deep down inside, she knew that she did not want to consider Rocky as anything other than a friend’s little brother, no matter how much of a great kisser he was. Listening to the audio might open up a Pandora’s box that she was not ready for. Besides, who even said she might detest Josh just because of a recorded audio?

Ava nodded to herself just as another message popped up.

"Oh shoot! I told Shelby that I would go to her place today!"

She dialled her friend’s number:

"Hey Shelby, sorry about that. It’s been a busy time."

"It’s okay Ava, if you can’t make it."

"You said that Geneva Thornston herself invited me?"

Shelby nodded vigorously, adding, "She wants to meet my friends...."

"What of Brianna then?"

"I don’t know about that, Ava; she only asked of you and it was because of the meal you packed for us back at the restaurant."

"Brianna is not going to be happy about being left out once again."

"I can’t help that, Ava. I’ll invite only Brianna and you another time, okay?"

"Well, let’s brace ourselves for this then."

There was a slight pause and the two girls burst out laughing.

"Okay, Shelby, I’ll see you in a jiffy."

"I’ll tell Katie the good news."

"Oh wow! I am truly honoured!"

"Stop playing around Ava!"

"It’s not every day that I get an invite from the most powerful madam on T-Vino Island!"

"Haaahhahaha!!!, see you Ava!"

"Is everything okay at home?"

"News does travel fast, right? How did you even hear about it?"

"I-" Ava did not want to tell Shelby of Rocky’s visit to her place for some reason. As she struggled to come up with an explanation, Shelby just continued talking, making her release a huge sigh.

"It’s just James..... remember the contract that I told you about? He-"

Shelby narrated all the proceedings, leaving out the part about Ian trying to kill him. Those were just not relevant to be told to people at all. No matter how close she was with Ava, she felt that even that was not appropriate.

"That man is a jackass!" Ava fumed!

Shelby remained silent and listened with a smile as Ava ranted on her behalf.

"You see this? I wish they could cut off his balls or something!"

"But Shelby, a drug accusation is major!"

"What’s going to happen to Rocky and your mum?"

"I’m not sure, Ava.... I’ll think of something."

"Your stepfather is really stupid! He tried to offend the one person who would have helped him out of this predicament...."

Shelby’s reply was feint but Ava was too angry to take notice of it. Only Shelby and a few handful of people knew that James’ accusations had been facts but who was going to tell on Ian? Absolutely no one!

"I’m worried about Rocky-"

"You’re worried about Rocky? Why?"

Ava faltered a bit, her mind running a million miles an hour.

"I mean, I worry about BOTH Rocky and your mother, especially the impact on them. If the drug accusations are proven to be true!"

Ava felt her thundering heart calm down a notch. Shelby’s question had been warranted because Ava’s statement about worrying about Rocky had been out of the blue, but for Ava to react that way even scared herself.

’What is wrong with me?’

"Yeah, you know that in as much as we do not like James, he is the biological father of Rocky. So even you cannot escape the impact of this arrest."

"Are you not worried at all Shelby?"

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