My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Too late?

Lola turned to Ava with her mouth agape, her surprise palpable. “Art exhibition? Seriously? Since when did you start caring about art?”

She had never seen Ava attend such events before.

Ava smiled. “Honestly, I’ve never gone to one before. But I want to explore new things. And, well… Nicholas invited me to this one. I’m actually pretty excited about it.” She beamed.

“Well, well…Nicholas, huh?” Lola’s surprise turned into a knowing smirk, a mischievous glint in her eye. “So that’s why you just told Dylan that little white lie!”

Ava’s smile faltered slightly, a shadow crossing her expression. “Even if Nicholas hadn’t invited me, I still wouldn’t have gone with Dylan. I’d have found another reason to turn him down,” she replied firmly.

Lola reached out and gave Ava’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I get it. Well, I hope you have a wonderful time tomorrow. Good luck.” She offered Ava a warm, supportive smile.

“Thanks, Lola.” Ava’s smile returned.

“But what happened today was beyond surprising.” Lola’s mind drifted back to the scene at the shop, her brows knitting together as she shook her head in disbelief. “I still can’t get over what happened back there. I never thought he’d actually go out of his way like that—buying you an entire shop? He is obviously making an effort.”

Ava glanced out the window, her thoughts clouded. She was just as bewildered as Lola but refused to let herself believe in his intentions. Despite the grand gestures, his efforts felt hollow compared to the scars he had left behind.

“But don’t give in soon,” Lola advised softly. “Don’t let his gestures pull you back in. Stay strong and keep your guard up. Check if he is serious or faking it. If he is not serious, he’ll give up soon enough. But if he is—well, let him prove it.”

Ava nodded, her gaze distant. She knew Lola was right. Her heart still carried too much hurt, and she wasn’t ready to let him back in easily. Not yet.

His grand gesture, his protective words—hinted at a man who seemed determined to salvage their marriage. Yet all she felt was ache in her heart. It was too late, wasn’t it?

Ava was afraid to trust him again. She feared of getting hurt. She couldn’t endure another heartbreak.

The rest of the journey went peacefully. Waving goodbye to her friend, Ava entered the house. She hadn’t noticed that Dylan had been following at a safe distance the entire way, making sure she reached her father’s place safely.

As Lola drove away, Dylan parked his car on the side of the road, lingering there in the quiet, dimly lit street. Through his windshield, he watched Ava unlock the door and step inside, vanishing from his view. He wanted to go in and check with her, but his mind stopped him.

‘Give her some space,’ he cautioned himself. With the hope that they would meet the next day, he pulled the car away.

When Ava entered the house, she saw her father with Ethan discussing something seriously in the hall. But as soon as they noticed her, their faces lit up with welcoming smiles.

“You’re back,” Thomas said warmly, gesturing to the empty seat beside him. “Come and sit down.”

Ava walked over, her curiosity piqued by the hushed tones she had overheard. She settled next to him, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. “What were you two talking about so intently?”

“Nothing serious,” Thomas replied, a little too quickly. “Just trivial matters.” In truth, they were planning a surprise birthday party for her, but he kept his face neutral.

Ava raised her eyebrows, unconvinced. She had caught the serious expressions just moments before. They were certainly not discussing some trivial matters.

“Are you sure?” she pressed, a hint of anxiety creeping into her voice. “You’re not hiding something, right? No work problems?”

Thomas laughed, shaking his head. “No, not at all. We’re not hiding anything from you.”

Ethan chimed in with a reassuring smile. “Really, Ava, there is nothing to worry about. Just some minor stuff—nothing that should concern you.”

“Yes, sweetheart.” Thomas reached over, gently brushing a hand over her hair. “So, tell us—how was the party? Did you have a good time?”

Ava’s eyes dimmed slightly as she recalled what had happened at the party, but she wouldn’t tell them anything about it. Pulling a beaming smile, she said, “I enjoyed myself with all of my friends.”

Thomas’s face softened with relief and happiness. “Good, good. As long as you enjoyed yourself, that’s all that matters.” He rose slowly from the sofa, stretching. “Well, I’ll leave you two to chat. I think I’ll rest for a bit.”

With a gentle pat on Ava’s shoulder, he headed off to his room, leaving her and Ethan alone in the cozy, quiet living room.

As Ava chatted with Ethan, a sudden realization hit her—she hadn’t seen him at the party. Her smile faded slightly, curiosity flickering in her gaze. “Wait a minute… you weren’t at the party, were you? I didn’t see you there.”

She felt a pang of regret for not telling him sooner that she had already promised Nicholas to go with him. If she had informed Ethan earlier, he wouldn’t have festered the hope to go with her.

Ethan’s smile faltered for a brief moment before he looked down, fidgeting with his fingers. “I, uh, got a call from the orphanage. So, I went there instead.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie; he had gone to the orphanage, though no one had called him.

“Oh! Why did they call you all of a sudden? Is everything okay there?”

“Everything’s fine, don’t worry,” he assured her quickly. “Forget about me—tell me about the party!”

“I had a lot of fun with my friends.” Ava launched into a lively recounting of the evening, filling her story with exaggerated details to keep things lighthearted. She avoided any mention of the tension with Dylan or the spiked drink.

Ethan smiled weakly as he had missed the opportunity to have fun last night. But he hadn’t lost hope entirely. He still could have some time with Ava. When Ava finally stopped talking, he chimed in, “Tomorrow is Saturday,” a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. “How about we go out? There is someplace I’d really like to take you.”

Ava fell silent for a while. She hesitated but couldn’t keep him in the dark. “I’d love to, but…I’ve already made plans to go to an art exhibition.”

“Art exhibition?” Ethan repeated, a faint tension in his voice. Deep down, he had a feeling that she was going to attend Nicholas’s art exhibition, and Ava’s reply confirmed his doubts.

“Yes, Nicholas invited me.”