Bittersweet

The sound of large rumbling thunder and the constant flashes of deadly purple lightning awoke Ava from her sleep. The rain pelted hard on the window as she sat up in bed, watching and leaning against the bed frame. An old memory surfaced her mind and took her back to the dreaded night of her first thunderstorm she experienced as a child. The blonde hated thunder more than anything. She was only 6 years old at the time living with a family of 5 after they’d took her in from the adoption centre. Ava was isolated, trapped all alone in her room one night when a thunderstorm came. She had cried, pleaded for someone to come ease her, take her away from the pure horror, but they never did. Ava shuddered at the old memory and shot out of bed as another boom of thunder came from over the house; two more flashes of lightning lit up her room.

Ava trembled as she put on her black robe before hurrying to the door and running off to the one place she wanted to go the most. Ava regretted banging so hard on Fernando’s door but she desperately wanted comfort. His door opened wide in an instant and Ava could just make out his tall strong form in the dark.

“Ava?” He sounded tired but with a hint of concern too. He knew it was her standing there before him. Fernando heard her shaky breaths. Ava suddenly felt ashamed. Bad for waking him up from his sleep to satisfy her own needs.

“I can’t sleep.” He heard her mumble, her voice shook. “The thunderstorms keeping me up and...and I don’t want to be on my own.”

“Come here.” Fernando murmured softly, feeling how shaken up she was when he pulled her towards him before shutting the door behind her. Another outbreak of thunder came with a cackling sound of lightning. Ava jumped away in fright, crying out loud that she bout fell against the wall and bumped into the wardrobe without realising.

“Ava?”

“Hold me,” she cried, “por favor.”

Ava settled in Fernando’s embrace when his arms quickly wrapped around her. He ushered soothing words in her ear while walking her over to the bed and helping her lay down on the sheets, propping up the pillows to rest her head. He soon found himself curling and returning his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.

"Mejor?(Better?)”

Ava nodded, relaxing in Fernando’s arms, feeling safe before closing her eyes and silently wishing the thunderstorm would hurry up so she could sleep.

-

“I want to thank you, for the last night,” Ava says as she walked around her parents back garden with Fernando by her side. The brunette decided to take a detour that morning after breakfast and asked Fernando to go with her. She wanted to talk about last nights events before Fernando would return back to England until he’d have to leave again in preparations for the Euro’s. Ava glanced to Fernando and caught the smile he wore. He must of been thinking about the kiss they shared. Though for her, she had other things on her mind. “I mean the thunderstorm part." She said, grimacing once the smile vanished from Fernando's face. "I’m not so great with them and I just needed a bit of company.”

“Really? So what about the kiss?” Ava stopped to a halt and sighed. She faced Fernando who waited positively for her answer. He took a step closer to her and grabbed both of her hands. “You can’t hide away your feelings from me Ava. Whatever you’re going to say, it’ll be a lie. I know this; the actions you took last night when you told me to hold you during the thunderstorm, it wasn't an act out of love. Deep down, you still have feelings for me, you even said for yourself that I possibly wouldn’t have to fight for you. I thought for a moment right there you were coming round to your feelings, that you're ready to put all this behind us so we can start over again.”

“But it’s not as easy as that, is it? Are you forgetting I’m still in a relationship? You as of yet have a divorce to finalize Fernando. I just got caught up in the moment. The kiss shouldn't have happened.”

“Keep telling yourself that Ava,” he said unhappily, “but we both know it’s not true. I don’t want to be apart from you anymore. I don’t believe in miracles and I hardly trust destiny, but we can’t stay away from one another. You know we can't.” He groaned. “Why can’t you see that? I want us to do this properly, to raise this child together, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to come to the euro’s with me.” He said. His words affected Ava deeply that she had to choke back a sob. Fernando cupped her face with both of his hands. “Why are you so afraid of opening up your feelings to me Ava? Why can’t you just tell me?”

“Because I don’t want to get hurt again,” she replied, removing his hands away from her face and wiping her tearful eyes. “Don’t you understand? I’d have to choose and I can’t go through that again. It was bad enough the first time.”

“You can’t give up on something that’s not lost. You’re worth fighting for and I’m not gonna give up. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”

“Stop it! You don’t mean that.”

“Si, I do.” Fernando stepped closer to her again. “Ava, I love you. Just tell me you feel the same way. I need to hear it-”

“Fernando-”

“No! Por favor?”

But before Ava had a chance to answer, Lucia appeared with a look of shock and fury as she caught them in the act. Fernando noticed her first and wondered if she had heard their entire conversation between him and Ava. She certainly looked the type to go snooping around a rose bush.

“Ava?” She called, earning her daughter to pull away from the Spaniard. Ava composed herself and glanced to Fernando before turning to her mother. “Miguel is at the door.” Lucia continued unimpressed. “He is asking for you.”

Out of all the things to hear, Fernando didn’t like the sound of it. Not one bit. And by the look on Ava’s face, she didn’t either. One thunderstorm had passed, another was about to come.