Everleigh didn’t sleep long. She woke as soon as I pulled into the driveway. We ate dinner, watched peppa and now she was tucked up in bed ready for preschool.
I took a bath. Soaked in the tub for a good hour before getting into some clean pjs. I made myself some tea and was sat on the couch watching some true crime documentary. Not that I was paying attention.
I was patiently waiting for Blaze to come home but I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be home anytime soon. Marko was here and when Marko dropped by, he dropped by for a reason.
Then again, they’re probably all shitfaced.
It wasn’t late but I was struggling to keep myself awake. I was bored, I was bored of doing nothing. Scrolling through my phone I opened a new message to send to Ally.
‘I’m bored out my brain. Are you busy?’
It didn’t take long for her to call me.
“Hey”. I spoke.
“Do you want to go for ice-cream? I’m craving something sweet”.
“Everleigh’s in bed and Blaze is still at the clubhouse”.
“Lunch tomorrow?”. She asked.
“It’s a date”. I smiled.
“How have you been? Is everything okay?”.
“All good. Baby is fine but they want me to go back in on Friday for a checkup”.
“That’s good Ava. You must have got some fright”.
Even thinking about it now made me feel unsettled. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.
“There was so much blood Ally. I thought for certain I miscarried”.
“I can’t even imagine but are you sure you’re, okay?”.
“Dying on a night out and some wine”. I laughed.
“Same”. She laughed. “Hey, we can still go out. We may not be able to drink but we could go for a dance”.
“Yeah, right. I can just imagine the look on Blazes face if I told him I was going out”. He would literally kill me or housebound me.
“Oh, yeah. I wouldn’t want to give him another reason to hate me”.
I winced. “He doesn’t hate you Ally”. They didn’t see eye to eye all the time, but he didn’t hate her.
“I have to go. Cage has just pulled into the driveway. I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you gal”.
“Love you too”.
Turning off the tv a yawn escaped my mouth. I wanted to wait up for him, but I could already feel the heaviness behind my eyes. Getting up from the couch I stretched out my arms and made my way upstairs.
After checking on Everleigh, I got myself sorted and got into bed. I hated when he wasn’t home. I always had this dreaded feeling in my stomach when he wasn’t here with me. especially at this time. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand I dialed his number.
“Hello?”. I spoke.
Nothing.
He answered or at least someone answered his phone for him.
“Blaze?”.
And then I heard it.
A squeal, a stupid high pitched fucking squeal. Like it fell from the lips of a teenage girl. Why was some girl answering his phone?
“Blaze?”. I grit my teeth.
This time it was a giggle I heard.
“You’re so bad… oh, let me get that for you”.
For his sake he better have misplaced his phone. I ended the call. Teeth clenched; I balled my hands into fists. Dialing Jared’s number, I waited patiently for him to answer.
“You should be sleeping sweetheart”.
“Are you with Blaze?”. I tried to keep my cool, tried to keep the anger out my voice.
“He ain’t with you?”. He asked.
My stomach knotted. No, no, he wasn’t with me. He should be with me, here with his fucking family.
“Ava?”.
“He’s not here”. I sighed.
I was already thinking the worst. A girl answered his phone. How was I supposed to act right now? Was I jumping to conclusions?
“I left to take Sasha to mine darling. You want me to swing by?”.
Sasha was home?
“No, it’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. By Jared”.
Pushing the covers off I got out of bed and made my way downstairs. I was anything but tired now. My mind was working overtime, every little thought circling around in there.
Fixing myself some tea I settled myself on the couch. He wouldn’t do anything stupid. He wouldn’t cheat, wouldn’t do anything that would break up our family. And yet I couldn’t stop the little voice in the back of my head.
One thing for sure I couldn’t go through what I went through before. I think it would kill me. I wouldn’t put Everleigh through that. She didn’t deserve it, she deserved nothing but the best and that’s what I planned to give her.
My mom moved us away to try and give me a better life. There was nothing stopping me from doing the same. I came back here but I didn’t need to.
Hearing the roar of a bike engine I scrambled to my feet rushing towards the front door. I would confront him; I would ask him straight out. There was no point beating around the bush.
Pulling the door open I crossed my arms over my chest. He wasn’t exactly who I wanted to see. “I told you not to come over Jared”.
He shrugged. “I’m here now. Tell me what’s going on”. He planted a kiss on my cheek as I moved to the side to let him inside.
“When did Sasha come home?”. I asked as I closed the door behind me.
“Not relevant sweetheart now tell me what’s going on”.
“Was he with any girls at the clubhouse?”. I sat back on the couch lifting my tea off the table.
“You’re fucking kidding, right?”.
“No, Jared I’m not. I called him and let’s just say it wasn’t him who answered”.
“Get whatever you’re thinking out your head. He wouldn’t do that Ava”.
“Wouldn’t be the first time”. Taking a sip of my tea I could feel his glare. Jared was his best friend. He knew him better than anyone. Who’s to say he wouldn’t cover for him?
“That the hormones talking?”.
“Yes, Jared blame this on my hormones that’s what we’ll do. Some girl answers his phone, but we’ll blame my overthinking on my fucking hormones”.
“He would never do anything to make you leave him”.
“Perfect opportunity though. Me pregnant at home looking after our daughter. Him at the clubhouse-…”.
“With your dad and other guys that wouldn’t hesitate to fuck him up if he did”.
“Yeah, right”. I rolled my eyes. “Tell me someone that would stand up to Blaze? You men are all the same. As soon as your wife’s backs turned its any holes a goal”.
A laugh fell from his lips before he collapsed into one of the chairs. “Do you know how ridiculous you sound. He’s not out fucking anyone sweetheart”.
“Can’t blame me for thinking the worst Jared”.
“You thought he cheated the last time and look how that turned out”.
“A girl answered his phone. How do you expect me to act?”. I asked.
“Thought you trusted him?”.
“I do but something doesn’t feel right about this Jared”. I could be overreacting and completely off, but my gut was telling me I was right in what I was thinking.
“I think you need to chill the fuck out and go to bed. Can’t be stressing after everything that’s happened”. He nodded towards my stomach. “Gotta keep him safe”.
“Don’t you start with that rubbish”. I got to my feet and headed towards the kitchen. “I can’t go to bed sitting on this. I have to go to the clubhouse”.
“Like fuck you do”. He glared. “In case you’ve forgot you’ve got a kid upstairs”.
“Yeah, and I’m sure her favourite uncle won’t mind watching her until I get back”. I placed my mug in the sink feeling his presence behind me.
“Don’t think it’s a clever idea Ava. In fact, it’ll probably cause more hassle than it’s worth”.
“Why, because I’ll walk in on him with some skank?”. Turning round in his embrace I poked his chest. “What are you hiding Jared?”.
“I ain’t hiding anything sweetheart”.
“Then you won’t have any issue watching Everleigh until I go and check”.
“He’s on a job Ava”.
“Where?”.
“That’s all you need to know”.
“Right, he’s on a job. I wasn’t born yesterday, and I thought better of you”. Pushing past him I went into the living room. Jared and I were close, but he would always be loyal to Blaze.
“It’s best you don’t know”.
“Tell me straight Jared is he with a girl or not?”. I wasn’t stupid and he can’t expect me to be okay with another girl answering his phone.
It could be nothing but at the same time it could be the one thing that blows us apart. Maybe he did misplace his phone but until I knew for sure I know I wouldn’t settle.
“Go to the clubhouse sweetheart, go and show him that you don’t trust him. I’m sure that’ll work out just fine for you”.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to make me feel bad, guilty even for not trusting him. Maybe he was right maybe this was all in my head.
“I thought he was on a job?”. I frowned.
“He is”.
“Then why should I go to the clubhouse if he’s on a job?”.
“You need to chill out Ava. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you keep thinking like this”.
“Okay”. I nodded. “I’ll just sit here going out of my mind while he’s out there doing god knows what. I want you to leave”.
“Ava don’t-…”
“Get out of my house”.