Chapter 5

Julian ignored Nate, his focus entirely on me.

"We heard you were selling your little drawings," he said, his tone patronizing. "Charity work, is it?"

Nate stiffened. "She's a talented artist."

Caleb laughed. "Talented at what? Finding a new sugar daddy when the old money runs out?"

The insult was crude, designed to wound.

I saw a flicker of anger in Nate' s eyes, but he kept his composure.

"You should leave," Nate said, his voice firm.

"Make us," Caleb challenged, stepping forward.

I felt a surge of protectiveness towards Nate, towards the small, peaceful life we were building.

I looked at Julian, at the unexpected pain in his eyes when he saw me with Nate.

It was a flicker, quickly masked, but I saw it.

An idea, cold and sharp, formed in my mind.

I reached for Nate' s hand, lacing my fingers through his.

"Don't bother with them, honey," I said, my voice loud enough for the trio to hear.

I leaned in and kissed Nate, a deliberate, lingering kiss.

Over Nate' s shoulder, I saw Julian flinch as if struck.

Caleb' s smirk faltered. Leo looked away.

Nate, surprised but pleased, deepened the kiss.

When we broke apart, I smiled brightly at him, ignoring the furious glare from Julian.

"Let's pack up," I said to Nate. "I'm suddenly in the mood to celebrate our successful day."

Julian stepped forward, his face tight with anger. "Ava, don't be ridiculous."

Nate moved slightly, blocking Julian' s path to me. "She asked you to leave."

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Julian snapped, his gaze flicking contemptuously over Nate.

"I'm the man she's with," Nate said calmly, but with an edge to his voice. "The man she chose."

The words hit Julian harder than any physical blow could have.

Caleb and Leo exchanged uneasy glances. This wasn't going the way they'd expected.

"She chose you?" Caleb sneered. "Or you were just the only one available when her standards dropped?"

"At least he doesn't make bets on people's hearts," I retorted, my voice cold.

Julian winced, the color draining from his face.

Leo actually looked ashamed.

The public nature of the argument was starting to draw attention.

People were looking, whispering.

I felt a familiar wave of discomfort, the feeling of being a spectacle.

"This is pathetic," Julian said, his voice low and venomous, directed at me. "You, with him. You're better than this, Ava."

"Better than what, Julian?" I asked, my voice equally low. "Better than someone who actually respects me? Someone who doesn't see me as a game?"

He had no answer to that.

He looked from me to Nate, then back to me, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger, confusion, and something that looked suspiciously like regret.

"You'll come crawling back," Caleb muttered, but his usual confidence was shaken. "You always do."

"Don't hold your breath," I said, turning my back on them.

Nate put his arm around me, and we walked away, leaving the trio standing amidst my scattered sketches and their own thwarted possessiveness.

As we left, I started to think.

Julian' s reaction had been too strong, too personal.

And Nate, my kind, supportive Nate. There were small things, inconsistencies in his stories about his past, vague answers to specific questions.

A new unease began to creep in, a suspicion I tried to push away.

The trio continued to be a thorn in my side, "accidentally" showing up wherever Nate and I were, their presence a constant, oppressive reminder.

Leo, surprisingly, seemed the most affected. He' d look at me with such sadness, it was almost unnerving.

One afternoon, he approached me when I was alone.

"Ava," he said, his voice soft, "are you really happy with him?"

"Happier than I ever was with any of you," I replied, my voice flat.

He flinched. "I... I miss you, Ava. We all do."

"You miss your punching bag, you mean," I said, turning away.

His genuine distress was unsettling, but I couldn't afford to let my guard down.

Not again.