Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Chapter Seventy - Four

Jasper's POV

Ava did not ride with me today. She left early, taking a cab to the office. Even though I told her so many times to just ask another one of my drivers if she was going somewhere when I was out with Mark. Still, she didn't listen. If she was angry with me, fine, but why take it out like this?

It was ridiculous in my eyes.

I sighed.

Well, maybe not so ridiculous.

If I was in her place then I would have behaved the same. And surely I would not have gone with myself too. But, I would still use the services provided to me. Especially when she chose to leave so early in the morning. It was Maria who told me that Ava had left for the office already and that she had chosen to call a cab rather than asking Mark or any other one of my drivers for the ride.

I wondered if she noticed that all the food that she had made last night was gone, because I had snuck inside my own kitchen and eaten her hand made food like a thief. I should not feel like I had stolen the food that she had made using the ingredients that were brought by my money, but I was. Even though she made dinner using the stuff that was bought with my money, yet it was her hard work that she prepared that delicious food for the night.

I opened my eyes that were closed. Currently, I was in my office with a pile of files on my table to be sorted, signed and checked after, but I was choosing not to. Instead, I was moving in my chair from side to side thinking about yesterday and everything that happened in between. I tried to force myself to work but could not focus on anything. I had too much work to do but still was not able to immerse myself in it.

Usually, it was a very easy task for me. To focus. As soon as I hit the office chair, I was in my work mode. However, right now everything was out of focus. I should be worried about leaving my work like this while pondering over something completely unrelated to work. It would make the work pending, especially since I could not even focus on the first line of the file, how was I supposed to work efficiently?

Yesterday, I had made up my mind that Ava and I would sit down and talk about everything. We would resolve every issue, problem and misunderstanding between us, but now I was not sure if it was such a good idea.

Good idea or not, I had to do it. It needed to be done.

I thought about talking about it in some public space like a restaurant or something. Then decided better of it. Choosing a different setting wouldn't be required if we talk in my office. Nobody came here without my permission, well maybe except for her own self. I still remember the day, she just barged inside my office and saw me kissing Charlotte.

I shook the memory away before I got sucked into it.

I chose myself to put into action and picked up the phone. I dialled the floor Ava's office was on and asked her to be sent into my office immediately. I was the boss of this place, she could not directly deny my order for her to be here. So, right now, all I had to do was wait. Wait for her to come up and meet me personally. Maybe once all of this is sorted, I could go back to work.

Few minutes went by and there was no sign of her. I was about to pick up my phone again when finally there was a knock on my door. A sense of relief flooded in my veins and a low sigh escaped my lungs. I breathed in a lungful of air before I called out.

"Come in." I said, straightening in my seat. The door opened and in came the person I was least expecting. Or not expecting at all. The very person who stormed out yesterday night and was so sure that I would not see today.

Charlotte.

"We need to talk." She told me as soon as she entered the room, her eyes intense. She sure as hell had not forgotten yesterday. And I was to blame for it.

I ran my hand through my hair. This was not the right time for her to be here. If Ava came here and saw me with Charlotte then things would turn ugly. I had to break our non - existent relationship once and for all. And then I had to send her on her way.

"Humm ... Ava. Listen -" I tried to start. Hoping to start this the right way. Better than yesterday. I was a straight up asshole yesterday.

But she interrupted me in the middle, cutting me off before I could complete what I was about to say.

"Marry me." She said, stunning me into silence. For a second, I was too shocked and surprised to respond. It was so sudden and it came out of nowhere that it caught me off guard. It gave my head a sudden halt.

"What?" I asked, my voice sounding just as stunned as I was.

"I said, marry me." She said, repeating herself. I looked at her and saw that she was serious. There was no hint of any humour.

"Are you serious?" I asked her. She nodded her head without hesitation. This was not what I was expecting. I swallowed. Yesterday, I behaved like a complete jerk. Today, I would handle it with more sensitivity.

"Ah ... Charlotte. You know that what we had between us was not a relationship? So, where did this come from?" I questioned her in a quiet voice.

"Oh. It was a relationship for sure. We have known each other for five years Jasper. And we have been screwing each other for three year. It sure was a relationship." She fired back. My head went to speed mode as I realised what she was trying to say.

"No, it was not. We both agreed to be each other's companion for a time being. With consent. We both did not want to get into a serious relationship because it would have hindered our progress or become a distraction. Therefore, we mutually agreed to keep it casual. And you entered this relationship, knowing full well that I didn't mean anything apart from what it was." I ran out.

I stood up and rounded the table. Stopped a step before her.

"Then she you shouldn't have said, 'I love you' so freaking often while you reached climax." She snapped back. Her argument did shut me off this time.

I gritted my teeth badly. That was just said in a moment of passion and vulnerability. It had nothing to do with feelings or emotions. Now, I was regretting those moments of weakness.

I pursed my lips and then muttered out through clenched teeth.

"We are not getting married." I forced out. Gritting through every word.

"Yes, we will. And you will agree to it." She shot back, forcing every single word. With that she turned around and headed to the door. With one swing, she opened the door and I saw Ava standing there. We both froze on our spot.

She was standing there, with her face all angry and crying like.

And I knew that she heard everything.

Charlotte looked over her shoulder to me and smirked. After that she straightened, most probably giving the same smirk to her before she walked past her, leaving Ava alone.

Both Ava and I stood where we were for a whole while, staring at each other, but then we both sprang into action. I speed walked over to Ava who broke into a run. Going for the elevator. Even though she was running and I was speed - walking, I got to her first because I was fast and tall.

The moment I took a hold of her arm, she started hitting me. Her little fists pounded all over my chest, stomach, ribs, literally everywhere her hands could go. All the while she cussed at me to let me go.

"Let me go!"

"I said let me go."

"You can't stop me."

"This is against - let me go."

"I SAID let me go."

I didn't.

Instead, I rounded my arms around her waist and pulled her into me through her punches. Taking all of her anger that she had bottled up against me. Taking every punch that I very much deserve. Because of all the things that I had put her into.

Slowly by slowly, her protest died down and she stopped punching me. She stopped fighting me. It was then that I pulled her in my arms completely and hugged her little frame. She sagged up against me and then finally wrapped her arms around me. I squeezed more tightly.

And then I felt my shirt starting to get wet as Ava began shaking in my arms. Sobbing.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I heard her ask me from where her head was buried inside my chest.

"Why is this happening to me?" She whispered through her sobbing. I squeezed her harder and did not say a word.

"Why does every person that I love, doesn't love me back?" She asked, nestling in my chest more. Her arms are squeezing me.

"I don't want to live like this anymore." She said.

My heart ached like it had been punched over. I could not bear to see this person in my arms like this. She had already braved through so much, I did not want her to be in so much pain.

"Why can't you ever actually see me?" She asked. This time I pulled away, making her look at me. I saw her tear stricken eyes, running nose and puffy cheeks, and I felt like shit.

This woman had gone so much in her life and I had not made it any better or easier for her. These tears in her eyes weren't given by some other people in her life. These tears were given by me.

I took her face in both my hands and looked into her eyes.

"I DO see you, Ava. I have always seen you. From the moment that we met to the moment here, I do see you. I have never not seen you." I told her. She removed my hands from her face and pulled away.

"No, you don't see me. If you had seen me then you would have trusted me. And certainly wouldn't be sleeping with another woman while whispering 'I love you's' into their ears." She said, her anger taking over her crying. And for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of jealousy in her eyes. I did not know why but that made me feel happy, just for a second before I realised what I was doing.

"No. I trust you, and that was before I met you." I told her and when she opened her mouth to protest, I continued.

"If I had not trusted you then I would have killed that jerk the moment I saw you with him. When you pulled me away to talk to me in the hospital, I had trusted you. Over my instinct to kill him. When you explained to me the reason why he was there, I trusted you. I trusted you every single time." I told her.

Her stare was untrusting. Tears were still coming out but they were way less than the last time. And she was listening to me.

"Then what about the time you slept with her in the pool after you met me? What about those 'I love you' things?" She yelled back.

"I had slept with her after meeting you Ava. But the moment I figured out my feelings for you, I had stopped doing that. Since the moment I thought about beginning my life with you, when I never did with her, I had stopped sleeping with her. I even stopped myself from even thinking about her." I explained it to her.

"I don't believe you." She said with her eyes blazing, turning her face to avoid seeing my face.

Her words send fire blazing through my veins. And my head turned all fuzzy and crazy.

"Then let me show you the only way I can." I told her, my voice heavy, cold and direct. Now, I was the hunter and she was the prey.

In a flash, I picked her up, threw her over my shoulder and strode towards my office.