37

Chapter 37
Ava sighed both in exhaustion and relief as she pushed the door to her room open and stepped in. Exhaustion because she had been out most of the day and relief be she was finally at home.
Kicking off her shoes, she walked straight to the bed and collapsed on it, lying face up, her arms spread her feet dangled over the edge of the bed.
Her eyes focused on the white ceiling as she got lost in thoughts. She was grateful for Mika, and even more grateful that she had appeared just when she needed her the most.
The only friend Mist Wood had given her had been alpha Jude and now that they were not together she felt extremely alone sometimes, but she had learned from a long time ago to not dwell on the feeling.
She had had other friends at West Wood too, not much though but a few, and they had also disappeared when alpha Damon got into the picture.
No one wanted to be associated with the girl who got bullied, no one wanted to be friends with someone who was humiliated almost every day at school
She would have ruined their images, so slowly, one after the other they had peeled off her. Making up excuses, avoiding her and all.
Eventually, she had gotten the memo, that she was no longer required, no longer a part of them, to them, she had fallen from her throne.
And was then below them, too low for them to be associated with or named after.
But Mika had been there for her, stuck to her like a stubborn rusty stain on a white shirt. Mika Han had been there to pick her up every time they dealt with her.
She could not stand up to them, no one could even if they wanted to, it was Damon after all, and he was just like a Demigod.
Mika was there to pick her up, to wipe after her, to apologize for something she did not do, and to wade off other students when they tried anything funny like recording her or booing.
She even started coming to school with extra school shirts and skirts and even had a place in her locker for them.
Mika was her friend indeed. She even cried when Ava told her she was leaving West Wood, and cried even more when Ava told her she was denouncing West Wood and accepting Mist Wood.
But she also understood why Ava was doing it, it was not to stay away or to spite her, it was for Ava’s happiness and that alone was the reason she had helped Ava leave.
Keeping her promise of not mentioning a word of it to a soul, and protecting Ava’s already tarnished image.
Meeting her was the highlight of Ava’s day, and she hoped they would be able to keep in touch now and often too.
Slowly she felt her eyes close as she dozed off, not wanting to stop herself she turned to her side and slept off.
Mika smiled for the remaining few hours of the day, she could not help it.
After so long and one night of just seeing a glimpse of her at the ball, Mika was glad she finally found Ava again.
It had been so long, but she had kept the memories of her close to her heart. Her heart has grown even fonder of her in her absence than ever.
Seeing her at that mate bond ceremony that night had been everything to Mika, not just seeing her but seeing the woman she had become, the woman she had made of herself.
Mika had barely recognized her that night even, not only was Ava much more beautiful now, she had an air of grace and carried an aura of importance, one that was almost too much for a woman.
Her steps held purpose, and she held her head high in confidence. She looked as if she knew who she was, unlike the Ava that Mika remembered from high school.
Ava was scared, hated crowds badly to a nauseating point, and held her head down in both shame and fear.
That Ava was trampled on and made fun of at school Ava was insecure and stayed swabbed from people, even looked down on herself.
But this Ava, this Ava, looked like she would punch someone in the nose if they dared to stand in front of her.
And when she saw this Ava that night at the mate bond ceremony, she could tell something had changed in her, there was a shift.
It was obvious, maybe just to her, since no one could recognize her.
Mika too had grown, she had a small place of her own now that she was alone, but she was happy, at least as happy as anyone who had lost both their parents at the same time could be.
And she even found love, she had not had the time and opportunity to mention it to Ava, but she knew Ava would be thrilled for her.
They had Both always talked about love and falling in love, and now Mika had found hers in will. While she had found hers with Damon.
Even though theirs was complicated, Mika knew that Ava would figure it out, she always did. She was the smartest of them, after all.
Mika walked into the apartment and headed straight to the kitchen when she heard clanking sounds.
“Hey,” she called to him with a wide smile, so wide she could feel her cheeks hurt a little from it.
“Hey beautiful” will call back to her, dropping the pan in his hand and scooping her in instead.
“You smell like bacon and cheese” Mika subtly pointed out as she held on to him, too, tightly like her life depended on this hug.
“You took longer than expected, all you had to do was deliver a message,” Will said, staring down at her in adoration.
“I know, guess who I ran into?” She asked enthusiastically.
“Who?” will asked, his eyebrows shooting up when he heard the excitement in her voice. Whoever it was had made his woman happy.
“Ava” Mika said with a smile and a small squeal.
“Ava?” Will asked.
“Yes”
“Same Ava of mist wood that works for alpha Damon?” He asked again, just to be sure.
“Yes,” Mika answered, rolling her eyes at him.
“How do you know each other?” He asked, genuinely surprised at the coincidence.
Mika stood still, she had only ever told him about her best friend, but he never mentioned names, never gave any clues away because she had an image to protect, Ava’s image.
And now she would have to explain to Will how she knew Ava and he might put the pieces of the puzzle together, he went to the same high school as they did, and he knew what alpha Damon did to Ava.
Even though he might not know her that much, everyone in school knew the Mitchell girl who was alpha Damon’s foot mat.
“But you never mentioned any Ava, and you mentioned almost everyone you knew at school or grew up with,” Will said, squinting his eyes at her confused.
“Yeah, maybe it skipped my mind,” Mika said with an awkward chuckle.
“You only ever spoke about Mitchell, your best friend, and…”
Mika’s eyes grew wide when he paused and his face scrunched up a little in thought, she knew that face, and she knew she was fucked.
He was piecing it all together in that big brain of his, it was moments like this that made her hate how smart he was and could be.
“So Ava is your best friend Mitchel, who was also in high school with us. And your said best friend, Mitchell, was the same Mitchell that was bullied by alpha Damon and his friends at the time.”
Mika pulled away from his hug, he had pieced it all Together, but nothing would make her admit to him that he was right.
“So I’m guessing she left and made good of herself in mist wood and now answers after it,” he said, turning back to his cooking.
Mika sighed, she hated that anyone would remember Ava like that, not even Will, whom she loved. She had broken her promise without breaking it.
“I will not tell a soul, don’t worry,” Will said when he saw the look on her face.
Walking over to her, he hugged her fork in behind, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling her sweet scent.
Dropping wet kisses all over her, Mika smiled at the feeling, he knew just how to make her smile and for that, she was grateful.
“I’m starving”
“On it” Mika chuckled at the speed with which he left her and went back to cooking, she poured herself a glass and kept him company.
And while she was mad that Ava had fallen for none other than alpha Damon, she just hoped he made her feel even half as happy as Will made her.