Chapter Twenty-Five

The instant I looked into her emerald green eyes, all the fear and panic I had when I watched her get dragged off, disappeared and was replaced with pure bliss. No matter where I was, I could always find comfort in her eyes, and the agonizing months I had spent, looking at those eyes from afar, wasn't enough to satisfy my need for her.

I hadn't realized just how much I had fallen for this beautiful angel, until after I had believed she had been taken from me. Permanently.

Not a day had gone by, where I didn't see her face. Perfect, every time I imagined her. I only had one real chance to kiss those extremely soft and inviting lips once, and I had cursed myself every day that I hadn't given into my feelings for her sooner, and taken every opportunity. I never wanted the feel of her to go away, but as each day had passed while she was still asleep, the feeling faded.

It drove me insane. I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to eat, nothing looked appetizing to me. I didn't want anything. I just wanted her.

My sweet Ava.

"You found me," she whispered, and her lips curled into the oh so perfect smile I had fallen in love with, causing her green eyes to sparkle where the corners of her mouths touched. I grasped her hand in mine and pulled her against me. I needed to feel her. I loved the way her skin felt against mine, how her body molded with mine perfectly, like she was made to be there, wrapped in the cocoon of my arms and nowhere else.

"I will always find you." I pressed my face to her hair, and inhaled her sweet scent. When she had left, I foolishly took the bed set she had slept on with me to the new manor, and used it. I wanted to be connected with her, in any way that I could. She had left nothing, except her personal phone, which at times had become too agonizing to look at. Eventually, though, her scent had faded too.

I didn't want to think of that. She was here, right in front of me, alive.

I couldn't stop myself, and brought my lips down to meet hers. I didn't want to hold back any feelings like I had before, because who knew what would happen next, with her crazy over-protective father, and my Uncle in jail and on the brink of possibly spilling everything. I wanted her to know exactly how I felt, everything.

I wanted her to feel how insanely in love I was with her, how I was hers and always had been. She owned me, every part of me, and I was more than willing to give it all to her.

She had responded to the kiss with as much passion and hunger as I felt, and it overjoyed me to know she had felt the same. No words had needed to be said, the way we had clung to each other, as if our lives depended on it, said more than enough. I never wanted to leave her side or be without her touch, ever again.

"Stay with me tonight," she said, between gasps of breaths. She had taken the words right out of my mouth. My lips crashed back down on hers without a second thought, and I pushed us backwards until she hit the bed and we fell back. I was fumbling with my shirt buttons by the time she had her dress off and over her head.

I stopped and marveled at her. Her skin was as silky smooth as her lips, the curves and dips of her body calling to me, tempting me, as I covered her body with mine. I ditched the rest of my clothes, and positioned myself perfectly on top of her. This was my new favourite place to be, I had the best view of her and those killer green eyes.

She looked up at me, her eyes wide and innocent, but I saw the hint of lust twinkle, as she bit her bottom lip softly, pulling it between her teeth, and flicked her tongue over it slowly.

With that one small gesture, she broke my strong hold on my self-control, and I lost it. She had to remind me to be gentle, but I didn't want to be. I wanted to ride the incredible high I got with her, and only her, until I had nothing left in me. I wanted to get out all the anger, desperation, and sadness I had endured the past few months without her.

***

After the best sex I probably ever had, Ava and I had laid there for what felt like hours. I could feel that there was something she wanted to ask me, no doubt several things, but she bit her lip and remained quiet. I nudged down towards her, so I could look directly in her eyes. I almost forgot what I had wanted to sat when I did.

"You can ask me or tell me anything," I said, and softly brushed the hair out of her face. I couldn't keep my hands off of her, so afraid that this was all a dream, and I would wake up without her or her touch.

"There is so much I want to ask you," she whispered. Her smiled dropped, "but there is so little time."

She was right. It had been at least an hour since I had arrived, and though we had tried to be quiet, I had a feeling someone was going to check on her sooner or later.

"Ask me anything then, while we have the time for now."

She thought about it for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me who you were?"

"I didn't think you would remember."

"I could have tried, I remembered some things," she said, but didn't look convinced herself. As much as it had hurt when I knew she didn't remember me, and seeing me wasn't enough to jog her memory, I also understood. We hadn't spent much time together, though it was still enough time for me to fall madly in love with her.

"Also, there is another reason, a bigger reason why," I started and paused to get her reaction. She didn't seemed shocked, which told me she might have already contemplated this thought.

"When I heard that you had lost your memory, I was crushed. I knew you didn't remember me, and weren't going too just by looking at me or hearing my name. As selfish as it sounds, I used that to my advantage. In the end, I was hoping you wouldn't remember who I am."

She gasped. "Why on earth would you want that? I would never remember how time together, or my feelings for you."

"I had a feeling you would, at least remember the feelings, or develop new ones. Ava, I hated the way I met you, and since that day, I have prayed that things were different, that I would get the chance to meet you under better circumstances, and have a real relationship with you. I saw this as my opportunity, to get a second chance, but this time, do it right."

A thick silence followed my confession, and it hung in the air between us. Ava's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. I was taken back when I saw tears start too bunch in the corners of her eyes, and she threw herself at me before I could ask. I could feel her cry into my shoulder, but heard the soft laughter as well, and the smile on her face.

"I love you, Ashton," she whispered. My heart stuttered painfully in my chest, and I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, but in the best way, if that were possible.

"I love you, Ava. I love you so much," I whispered back over again, between quick kisses on her lips. She giggled lightly, and we pulled apart.

I suddenly remembered one of the main reasons I followed her and her father all the way out here, and climbed her four-story manor.

I had to leave town. With Lucien in jail, and the police still on the look-out for any other accomplices he had with them, which had already been heavily implied when Ava's accident had been called in, I couldn't risk being caught around her.

"Ava, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I promise, I will be back."

Panic flared in her eyes, and my chest tightened. Damnit! Why was it so hard to leave her? Even just for a night, though I knew it wouldn't be that long. Two weeks, at the least, Lucas and Charles had said. They thought it was for the best, if I really wanted things to work out with Ava, I needed to let everything else die down or blow over.

"How do I know I'll see you again?" she whimpered and I pulled her to me immediately. I ran a hand through her hair, lifting her soft scent into the air, as one last parting gift for myself.

"I can never stay away from you, my sweet Ava. No matter where you are, I will always find you. I promise on my life, I will see you again."

I gave her one more hard, desperate kiss, before I practically flew out her bedroom window and back onto the large oak tree that sat outside. I couldn't stay there any longer, or I was going to end up taking her with me. I gave one last fleeting look to the window when I made it to the ground, and blew her a kiss before I dashed off.

It took everything in me not to turn around and run right up to the front door, and beat her father and those body guards senseless, and take her from them. She didn't belong there.

She belonged with me.

***

2 weeks later…

"Mate, just give it one more day." Charles had argued with me all morning.

It had been exactly two weeks since I left out Ava's bedroom, after the best night of my entire life. I promised her I would be back, and I had tried texting and calling her, but her phone had been turned off. Probably due to her over-protective father.

"I can't wait just one more day, I'm going now." I pushed past him to walk out the door, but he grabbed my arm and stopped me again.

"Ashton, stop! I'm trying to protect you," he barked and glared at me.

"Protect me from what? The only thing that matters to me in this life? The only person who gives me purpose? Why are you trying to keep me from her?"

Charles looked panicked and hesitant. What was he hiding from me?

I let out a growl and tried to shake his arm off, but he had an iron grip. It quickly resulted with my fist in his face, and next thing I knew, we were on the floor in a fury of swinging fists.

"You're my brother, and I'm just trying to protect you! This isn't going to work out, and you know it!" he continued to argue.

"I don't care! I'm willing to risk everything for her, and not even you can stop me, brother," I cried, and gave him one last shove to the ground, before I fleeted back. I brushed off my shirt and wiped a bit of blood from my split lip. "I'm going to get her, and we're going anywhere but here. I don't care if I'm hunted, she's the only thing I need."

"You can't go to her."

I growled in frustration. "Why the hell not?" I yelled.

"Because she isn't here, anymore." My head snapped towards the door, where Lucas strode in through, a somber look on his face.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Lucas and Charles shared a look, which only boiled my anger.

"Someone tell me something!"

"You asked me to keep tabs on Ava after she had left the hospital, right?" Lucas asked and I nodded. I had asked him to tell me the moment he found out she had been discharged from the hospital, and where she went from there. Though he was young, a year younger than Ava, he was smart as hell and knew how to hack like the FBI.

I hadn't told Ava, even after she regained her memories, but I also had Lucas tap into her manor's security system and had him monitor them every once in a while. That was how I had confirmed that she had been taken home, after her father found everything out. I watched him get the phone call from her backstabbing friend and had known something was wrong immediately.

"Well, I checked last week, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary at her house, but I feel like something is up. I started watching the camera's daily since then, and I wasn't too sure of it until now, but…" he stopped and looked frightened.

"But, what? Spit it out, Lucas!" I was inches away from throwing him against the wall. Charles had sensed that and taken a step towards me cautiously.

Lucas let out a long breath. "I hadn't seen anyone around the house and glimpsed what looked like a moving truck out front a few days ago."

I couldn't comprehend what he had said.

"W-what does that mean?" I managed to ask. I felt a hand come down on my shoulder, and I glanced at Charles over my shoulder.

"It means she's gone, mate. Her father most likely moved the family because of the two of you, and we have no idea where they went, and don't have the technology to find out where."

That hit me hard. I felt like every last breath in my lungs had been knocked out of me.

But I refused to hear them, refused to believe what they had saw. I tore away from Charles and ran towards the door. I grabbed whatever set of keys on the way and pressed the keychain button to figure out which when I barrelled out onto the driveway. Charles and Lucas were hot on my heels, but thankfully I was faster, and chose a rather fast vehicle.

I rushed over and dove into the driver's seat before they could reach me. I ripped out of the driveway and drive in a blind rage, my mind set on one destination.

Please be there. Please, fucking be there!

I pleaded in my head over until I finally reached her housing community. I stopped at the gate and punched in the stolen code Lucien had managed to grab before we had kidnapped her. I ditched the car, the doors opened way too slow for my liking, and I rushed through them the moment there was a crack in the side. Her manor wasn't far from the front, and I had studied it so many times, I knew exactly which one it was before I even saw the end of the driveway.

I ran up to the window and peeked inside. I didn't care if anyone saw me. The furniture and décor were still there, everything had seemed exactly as it was, but there was no movement. I peered in a little more and noticed a slight sheer level of dust on a few of the tabletops, that reflected with the light morning sun.

My heart had sunk, but I was still determined. I rushed over to the next house over and threw all instinct and worry out of my head about being recognized and banged on the door. A frail, elderly lady answered the door with a shocked look on her face. I had imagined what I looked like to her, if I looked as delirious as I had felt.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked.

"The family, next door," I tried to say through huffs of breath and pointed to Ava's house. A light smile touched her face and she nodded. "Have you seen them lately?"

"Oh no, dear. I believe they moved out last week, I'm not too sure why though. It was almost as if they had packed whatever personal belongings they had and left-over night. I thought I had saw a small moving truck, but it was no bigger than your average pick-up."

If it was possible, my heart had sunk even further, and I could no longer hold myself up. I fell to my knees, right in front of the old woman.

It had felt like the entire world had crashed down on top of me. I couldn't move, and barely had the strength to lift my head. I heard the old woman call to me, before she had rushed off into the house, and said something about phoning the police. I knew I only had a few minutes, or I was going to face the inside of a jail cell the moment the cops found out who I was.

I ran off the property blindly before the woman could come back, and found myself back at the car. I threw myself in the driver's seat and stared at the steering wheel, before I laid into it repeatedly with my fist. I had kept hitting it until I had no energy left, and my knuckles had started to form light bruises.

I had tossed my head back, and let the tears flow freely. I didn't care how much of a blow it took to my ego, I had felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest and thrown into a woodchipper, with my nerves still intact. My chest had become tight, and I gasped for breath as I choked on my sobs.

She can't be gone. I will find her.

I had promised her. No matter where she was, or where she went.

I would always find her.

I will find you, my sweet Ava.

THE END