Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Ava’s POV

I woke up and sighed out loud. My eyes darted to look out the window. The sky was still dark. Moving to the other side of the bed, I picked my phone up from the table and checked my phone.

Four AM.

It was freaking four in the morning. I sighed out loud again.

It was only after the last hour that I managed to fall asleep. Otherwise I had spent the whole last hour staying awake and replaying things that happened in the pool.

I did not want to try and go back to sleep but I also did not want to move out of the bed either. So, instead of moving and getting the day started, I settled more into the bed and became more comfortable.

I stared outside the window. And once again my thoughts began racing inside my head.

I cringed at the thought when I slipped and fell into the pool like an idiot. And the way I had flung my hands around to stay on the surface of the water …

Oh, no …

All of this was super cringy, especially because I could swim but in that moment, I had completely lost the momentum that I lost control over myself.

I was thankful that Jasper saved me. However, it was still embarrassing considering the fact he witnessed my frantic state, yet again.

And I remembered the look in his eyes. One that had awoken a feeling inside me that should never exist in the first place. I remembered his bright green eyes that had stared right through me. Those eyes were so beautiful that it made me question reality.

The look in his eyes reminded me of the guy who got me impregnated. The thought left a sour taste in my mouth and I shifted my focus on to the next thought before I began pondering over something ugly.

I did not remember for how long we had stared at each other. I just remembered the fact that my stomach had fluttered with some nervous butterflies.

I raised my hand and drew his name in the air.

My mind went to the moment when his grip had tightened on my waist from stopping me sliding down. How his strong hand hauled me up before I could fall back into the water.

The way his muscles felt under water …

I knew that he was a strong built person, but I never knew how strong he actually was until that very moment. The way his rock-hard abs felt against my stomach … When I put my hand on his chiseled chest to push away from him.

There was no denying that he was a really good-looking man. But now I also know how he felt …

God!

No.

I should not think of him like this.

I turned on my back and stared at the ceiling above my head.

Right after I left the pool and Jasper behind me, I ran. I ran as soon as I was out of his sight. I ran until I reached my bedroom and then shut the door down. I had pressed my back behind the door and remained like that for a long time.

I was scared of myself, of my thinking. I was feeling something in that moment that I did not want to name. So, I had gathered myself and pushed the unwanted thoughts away.

I showered, dried up and changed my clothes before lying down on the bed. In an useless hope to get some sleep so that I could get rid of these thoughts.

I did not know what was wrong with me.

I had told him everything that I had felt. I had told him about my parents and their escape. I had spilled my guts out to a stranger, No, My damn BOSS. One that I was having wrong thoughts about, just now.

I was a disgusting piece of trash. Who was having these disgusted thoughts towards her boss.

No.

I was having these thoughts about a person who had been generous enough to provide me a job, a shelter, a home. He gave me a place to sleep, to eat and stay and to live. He let me cry on his damn shoulder yesterday and let me vent in his comfort. But here I was thinking trash things like this.

I shook my head at my audacity. How could I behave like this? How could I think like this?

Letting out a groan, I jumped off from my bed. If I stayed like this, not moving, then I would never stop thinking about it. Thus, to get away from these unwanted thoughts I left my bed.

I needed to do something, an activity to keep me busy, to keep me occupied so that I can think about something else. Keeping that in mind, I got out of my room and walked downstairs. I walked into the hallway and looked around, trying to find some sort of activity to do.

Nothing.

I found nothing.

All of sudden my eyes glanced at the dining table and an idea popped into my head. Maria had done so much for me. She had made a cake for myself when I was hungry at best, so I decided to return the favor.

I did not think that she ever got a day off from work. She always makes breakfast for me ever since I entered this place.

So, I could make breakfast for her one day. Today she would wake up with all breakfast for her and for everyone else.

Subsequently, I walked inside the kitchen and turned on the light. The lights blinded me for a second but then my vision adjusted. Since it was morning, I was feeling energetic and fresh. I was so ready to start this day with something new and get some work done.

I picked out an apron and put it on. I gathered all of my hair in a fist and made a bun on my head. Some of my hair string managed to escape from my bun, I pushed them behind my ears. I heaved out a big sigh, stretched my neck and rolled my shoulders.

Then I got to work.

I opened the refrigerator and took out all the stuff that was needed to make the next day's breakfast. I placed all the stuff on the kitchen counter including bread, butter, cream etcetera and began my work.

It took me one and a half hours along with some sweat management but I succeeded in preparing some good, heavy breakfast.

I prepared French toast crunch snickerdoodle Sandwiches, Greek yogurt, coffee and cereal along with peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes.

All these things were my specialty in cooking so I hoped that Maria would like it as well.

At least, I hoped Maria appreciated my hard work.

Even if the breakfast would turn out to be not as tasty as I hoped it would.

“Ava?” Maria’s voice came from behind me. I spun around to find Maria entering the kitchen, squinting in the kitchen lights.

“What are you doing here?” She asked me. I smiled at her.

“Are you hungry? Did you get the cake that I prepared for you?” She questioned me. She walked around the counter and came to stand at my side. Her eyes skimmed over everything I had prepared.

“What is all this?” She asked me. I grinned at her with my child-like smile.

“I got your note and ate the cake. It was yummy.” I told her. Her eyes seemed to be stuck on the prepared food.

“Then what’s all this?” She asked me, her eyes still on the food.

“Umm … you made me a cake so I thought that I should return the favor with my cooking skills, as well.” I told her, as an explanation. Finally, her eyes met mine and she looked stunned.

Although, I was not sure if it was a good stunned expression or a bad one.

“You did not have to do that.” She told me.

“I know. But I thought that you probably make breakfast daily, and would like to let someone else take on that duty for once, so I decided to do it in your stead. What happened, Maria? Did you not like it?” I asked her. Beginning to get disappointed.

She shook her head and something ached inside my heart.

“I mean, I made everything that I thought that you would like and one that I was good at but if you did not like it …”

“Like it?” She questioned turning to me, looking incredulous. I quieted down at her question.

“I loved it, Ava!” She exclaimed in excitement. Her answer lightened up my face.

Her lightened expressions and genuine happiness was the reason I made this breakfast and put so much effort into making this.

She pulled me in a tight hug.

“Thank you dear. Nobody had ever thought this much about me before, less than actually doing something for me.” She told me. My heart ached at her words. I could very much resonate with her situation. How can we forget that people who helped us in day to day deserved feeling appreciated too? For all their work?

I hugged her more tightly, to show her that I appreciate her work and her sacrifices. For everything she had done for me in the last few days.

After a few seconds, both of us pulled apart. Maria turned to the food on the counter.

“And it smells delicious. You seriously made it?” She asked me. I nodded in answer.

“You must be an amazing cook. If this food smells this good then how good will it taste?” She asked, almost to herself. I could not hide the smile that had adorned my face. It was a really good feeling to make someone smile.

All of a sudden, I remembered that I had to prepare for the next day in the office.

“Umm … Maria. Can you set this breakfast outside on the dining table?” I asked her.

“I had to prepare for the office.” I told her.

“Of course, darling. Go ahead. I will set the table right away.” She told me and I smiled at her. She seemed really happy.

She ushered me to go change my clothes and pushed me outside the kitchen while she took care of the stuff on the table.

Not that I needed any convincing. As soon as I saw that the time was Six – Fifteen AM, my body got into a rush mode. I ran into my room, changed into fresh clothes. I skipped bathing, since I already did that in the pool. Fully prepared, I sprayed some perfume on my clothes and on my wrist before hurrying out of the room.

This time when I went down, there was another person as well.

Jasper, Or my boss, was rolling up his shirt sleeves before pulling a chair out for himself and sitting down.

He looked handsome with his hair gelled up. He wore white shirt and black pants, while his gray coat hung off from another chair.

Right as if he could feel my gaze, he looked up and met my eyes.

And a look passed between us.