Trespassing

Trip's POV

I shifted my head from under the heat. Fur had nearly suffocated me for a minute, there. My muscles were stiff, so I moved a little, enough to know I was on my couch.

Alone.

Eyes snapping open, I gave myself a dizzy spell from hell. Spots filled my vision here and there. I closed them tightly, getting my head to stop spinning like a playground's roundabout.

Two warm hands cupped my chin. A weight sunk next to me, snuggling into my side.

"My mornings would be better if I woke next to you." The tight rope my stomach had become unfolded. Blue met brown and I leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Where were you?" I hated the urgency in my voice. Made me look clingy.

Ava lowered her head on my shoulder, entertaining herself by tugging on my chest hair.

"Bathroom." Oh. I noticed the damp hair, and her clothes were on. "I didn't want to wake you up so I was studying. Or trying to. Taking pictures of you asleep was more fun."

I smiled against her cheek. "I thought..." I breathed. It didn't matter, she was here. "You liked the camera?"

"Almost as much as I love you." Ava pecked my temple, circling my bellybutton with a fingertip. "What did you think?" her chocolate hair fell away as she looked up, expectant.

"Nothing, baby, it doesn't matter—"

Ava frowned, though. "You thought I left, didn't you?"

Yes, "No." I lied smoothing down her wavy hair. "Of course not—what were you studying?"

Changing topic was better then having to discuss morning-afters with Ava. Especially when they concerned Catherine. That chapter of my life was closed as far as I was concerned.

"Huh, calculus." Right, we had that test on Monday. "Trip—"

She squealed when I wrapped her in my arms, lifting her off the couch. The furs fell to the floor, my body jerked at the sudden change of temperature. It was ass-cold. The AC had been on all night.

I dumped Ava on my bed, where my school stuff was lying about.

"I see you've taken over my bed and books." Her innocent shrug reminded me why I loved her, it made me want to bust my brain in two for ever thinking she'd leave me. "You're turning into a little book-worm." I pinched her nose.

"Look who's talking, Mr. Perfect-GPA."

I backed off, winking. "Gonna take a quick shower and then we'll pick this up together. Sounds good?"

"Pretty good."

***

"Are you ever going to put that down?"

"What's the point of giving it to me if you don't want me taking photos?" Snap. Giggle.

That had been going on for a while. Ms. Happy Thumb and I still hadn't left my bedroom. We were studying calculus. After Monday's test we only had two more weeks before spring break. But with Ava flashing my eyes every-two-seconds made it hard to see numbers.

"Would it kill you to smile?" she pouted, lowering her Canon EOS 70d.

That was the only thing I knew—the name. And the price. The salesman had accurately described it to me, or tried, until I cut him off saying I'd take it. I loved Ava, loved that she had passion for photography, but I didn't speak pixels and lenses.

"Remind me never to give you birthday presents again." I sighed trying hard to get back to studying.

Ava shoved the camera near my nose.

"Smile?" her doe-eyes begged. I rolled my eyes but was darn close to smiling. "Come on, grouchy." Ava poked my side. My lips trembled—she poked again, only this time, she worked her fingers under my shirt, stroking them in a feather-like manner. "You're ticklish!"

My pen fell so I could grab her hand. There were several snaps before I could get Ava to stop torturing me, tugging her all the way from her side of bed, to mine. I took the camera, gently placing it on my bedside, then cupped her cheek.

"Having fun?" she yelped when I held her sides, brows wagging. "Two can play at that game, remember?"

Ava smiled despite shaking her head.

"No—don't, don't—ha, ha... stop... Thomas—" I trapped her underneath me, working my fast fingers across her belly. "S-stop..!"

"Nope," I smirked making sure she couldn't worm her way out from under me while I got the Canon. "Say cheese!" Ava tried to overthrow me, when I rolled aside, I'd snapped dozens of photos. "These will go straight to my phone—"

She snatched the camera, turning it off. When I thought we were finally going to focus on the problems, Ava's arms latched around my neck, tipping back.

"Hi," Ava whispered smiling tenderly, coming closer.

Drawing my arms around her waist, I said, "Long time no see." She giggled kissing my chin. "I love when my girlfriend comes to visit me."

"You don't say?" her chest glued to mine. Ava buckled our hips together.

Fuck that was hot.

"Calculus," I breathed into her ear. "Study." Her wondering hand made it hard to talk in full sentences. "Ava."

"I liked the last word." She smirked taking control of my mouth, tracing the edges of my face, stealing every breath from my lungs. "Thomas," she said in a begging tone.

Ava squirmed above me, my crotch pressing to hers. Her knees dug into my hips and a small sound escaped her throat. Any guy knew what these signs meant. Especially me. I knew them all too well. Last night, we'd fooled around—not the first time—but right now... Ava made me want to go further.

Much further.

"Thomas," she nudged my neck molding her body into my arms—wanting me.

A hand found its way under her top when a loud knock came from outside. Ava buried her head in the crook of my neck, letting out an angry groan. My teeth gritted as I rolled her off to the side. Ava looked like I'd taken away her candy.

Sorting my hair, I unlocked the door.

"You?" I hissed leaning away from the door frame.

"That's not the kind of greeting you'd expect from a well mannered guy like you." Catherine Fitz walked past me with her Louboutin heels, and red Prada handbag.

"The other greeting I had for you was: fuck off." I rounded on her. "Better?"

Catherine rolled her eyes—

"What are you doing here?" Ava's snappy tone was expected. In a second, she was standing, arms crossed.

Catherine sighed, "Aren't you the pair for rude 'hellos'."

"Only if the guest isn't welcome or a guest at all." She said tightly. Cath's eyebrows jumped. "I know what you did—" I pressed a hand over her mouth, giving her a glare.

Catherine wasn't just a blond bimbo, though. She got it.

"You told her. Good for you, I guess." She brushed off the subject as if it meant nothing.

Taking a deep breath, I slammed my blue eyes on hers.

"Before I call someone to throw you out of my bedroom, care to share why you're here?"

She didn't flinch at the hardness of my tone, simply pulled out a chair and sat. Ava was seething by the time my arm made it around her waist.

"The reason why I'm here is simple and believe me, you'll thank me for it." I doubted that. "Your mom called me two days ago. She wanted to talk about you." I frowned. "Both of you—as in a couple."

"Why would she talk to you?"

She waved a hand as a dramatic gesture, "Apparently, you've expired. You're yesterday's news. You know, the couple isn't the It anymore, nothing happens you're all cuddly, no scandals—doesn't keep the public interested for long." Ava stiffened, pressing into me. "She wants you to break-up now, but she wants you to go out with a bang. So, she called me, asking me to seduce you—"

I was seeing red. I wasn't sure who caused it. If my mother and her choke-hold on my life or Catherine saying she was ordered to seduce me—again—so Ava would think I'd been cheating.

I was knocked into the real world when Ava tried breaking free of my hold. She looked capable of murder.

"You crazy slut—"

"Honey, I've been called worse." Catherine crossed a leg with elegance, not fazed by the outburst. "Let me finish before jumping to conclusions, though. She told me to break you two up, but I can't do it." Wait—what?

My scarred eyebrow arched, "You can't?" She nodded. "Why? I doubt it's out of the goodness of your heart."

Catherine smiled a little.

"You wound me, Tom. But no, it's not because of you—" she held up her left hand, showing us a modest-sized diamond ring. "I'm engaged. Have been for half a year."

Ignoring the bitter taste those news gave my mouth, I joked, "Who's the poor sap?"

She glared coldly at me.

"He's a photographer, not that that's any of your business." She got up, her face serious, making her seem older five years. "And I'll be leaving your mother's label by the end of the week. I got a contract with Gucci." That stunned me into silence. Ava gripped my arm. "The last thing I need now is a scandal, so, that leaves you with a problem." She pointed a canary-nail at me.

"Which is?"

"If you don't split she'll divulge the DVD's content." The floor fell from underneath me.

Ava reacted, turning around, looking up with big ol' brown eyes. I saw the anguish and didn't know what to tell her—

"Fortunately," Cath mumbled as I cupped Ava's cheek. "I don't like loose ends."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She snorted softly, "Come on, Thomas, do you really think I'm going to leave a sex tape in your mom's power? If by any chance someone recognized me that would be my end—finnito. I didn't come this far for that."

"What are you saying...?" Ava whispered turning around.

"I know where the DVD's hidden. I'm going to help you get it."

Ava's POV

Thomas pulled up beside my house in his SUV, just as I parked Mia's old car in the driveway. Mom and dad were home, their cars were both inside the garage. Not feeling like crossing paths with them, I took Thomas to the backyard where the back-door was.

"Do you think we can trust her?" I whispered twisting the key, silently.

Since our awkward meeting with Catherine we'd been quiet with one another. I figured we were both in shock and worried about our future together. If Catherine could do what she said—get the DVD—then Trip would be free. Giselle wouldn't have control over him, we'd be free.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "I mean, what could she gain by telling us all that? I've been running all the case scenarios in my head since she left my house, but...there's nothing."

I walked into my kitchen nodding—

"We have a daughter, David! How could you betray her and me this way." I heard my mother's voice from the living room.

Getting closer to the fridge I listened carefully, holding up a hand in Trip's direction when he said my name.

"Don't make this about Ava. This has nothing to do with her." My dad shot back in a murmur. "This is about us—about you. You've been different since—"

"Me? I caused this?" she laughed hoarsely. "I'm not the one going around kissing other people. I can't believe I'm hearing this... How can you be so selfish?"

"You're selfish, too." I heard my dad call out and felt Thomas hovering beside me. "You're distant and cold when you get back from work, you barely talk to me anymore, Elizabeth."

"I'm cold—how dare you!"

"How dare I what? Have you even given a second thought about you've done to our daughter since Mia died?" I swallowed hearing my father touch that spot. "For two years you've turned her life around—"

"Ava did that of her own free will."

"No. She let you do it—or did you really think she wanted to be a model like Mia? She was sick of us fighting all the time, Elizabeth. We fought because you weren't happy, because you just couldn't accept your dream of being an international model died when our daughter was murdered!"

I silenced a gasp with a hand, falling back a step. I'd never heard my dad say it—murdered. Thomas held my shoulders and I was barely aware of his warmth.

I could picture my mother throwing up her hands, "Fine! Fine, Mia was killed! Did you forget why, David? Why our daughter died?" Oh, no. "Because of Ava! So she becoming a model is only fair after she ruined her sister's life."

A cold phantom of grief and hate coursed through my veins. I'd blamed myself since day one, when Mia died outside that airport, but to hear the words out loud—being spoken by my own mother... It was too much.

"Baby, we should go—"

"Shh," I managed as the first tears slid down.

"—she was fifteen, for Christ sake. If you didn't always put Mia before Ava she wouldn't have done what she did. But you couldn't spare five minutes—"

"And you could?"

"Yes, I could! But you always put up discussions and just had to get your way, what was the point?" This was the part where my father pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I kissed Christine—I did. And to tell you the truth, I don't regret it because this... whatever we've been doing for this long isn't healthy. Not for Ava. Not for us." There was a long pause. "We should... we should talk about getting a divorce."

Trip kissed my temple softly, holding me against him. That's when I realized I was shaking.

"I don't know what to say to you..." my mom's voice floated away as Thomas' brushed my ear.

"We should get out of here." He pulled me towards the door. "Come on." He guided me by pushing a hand into my back, keeping me on a straight line for the back-door.

Outside, I drew my arms around myself, feeling prone and vulnerable. Thomas took me to his car and I got the sense he wanted to hold me, but saw I needed space. Melting into the passenger's seat, I gazed ahead with unseeing eyes.

All my hard work of two years—the effort to keep them together—gone.

"Ava...?" All because my dad couldn't keep his mouth to himself—I sobbed—but was it really his fault? "Baby, please, let me help. Talk to me."

"I didn't mean for it to happen, Thomas... I didn't. I just..." I sobbed into my hands. He stroke my hair non-stop until I could breathe more than incoherent mumbles. "I wanted them to see something I'd done for once. It was always about her... it was always Mia taking the spotlight—just once I wanted it to be me." I leaned into his embrace, eyes fiercely shut. "There was this... this play at school and I—I got the lead roll and for months—months—I told them about it! They promised they'd come see it..."

I clung to his shirt knowing I was soaking it—not the first time.

"Mia landed a photo-shoot in L.A. though, and she was coming back the day of my play... she was expecting my parents to pick her up—for that they had to miss the play—" I sniffed, his cheek touched my head and nuzzled me. "So I did something... I told my parents Mia had called saying her flight would be late... that way they could attend my play and... and Mia wasn't stupid, she could hail a cab and come home." But that hadn't happened. I looked straight into his sapphire gaze, begging for understanding. "I never wanted her to die, Thomas..."

"Of course you didn't, baby, I know that." He breathed above my sobs, trying to catch all the tear trails. I was a leaking ocean, though. "Hey, look at me." He tipped my chin. "Tell me, I know you want to and I know what it's like to have a big secret and no one to confide in, but you have me, Ava—I'm not going anywhere. I'm here just for you."

I choked a breath as his arms coiled around my waist, pulling me over, so I was totally surrounded by his heat and safeness.

"My sister went looking for a cab and was mugged—she resisted and... the thief shot her."

His muscles tightened around me, holding me together like a perfect glass figurine. He whispered into my hair all the 'sorries' and 'it wasn't your faults' and I wanted to believe him, I wanted to give into him and just be free.

"I love you," I murmured into his ear right before vomiting all the crap I'd kept down for years.

I told him how that GUCCI handbag had been Mia's favorite, how mom loved it when I wore it—even if it made me feel miserable—I told him about transferring school's when Mia passed away, losing my best friend because my mother didn't allow contact. I confessed how lonely and empty I'd been before meeting him. Lastly, I told him how I'd broke down trashing Mia's bedroom.

Trip rubbed my shoulder rhythmically, after God knows how long. My eyelids fanned my damp cheeks as I came to terms of what I'd witnessed inside my house.

"My dad cheated." I stated with a raspy voice. "After everything I did... he goes and ruins it."

Thomas' chest rose evenly under my head, lulling me into calmness. He was so calm you'd think he was sleeping. I knew better.

"Maybe it's better this way, Ava. Their relationship wasn't great, you heard what your dad said, and he's right. It's bad for you—it harms you." Trip shifted for the first time in what felt like hours. His blue eyes peered down at my puffy ones. "I hate that you've been carrying this around for so long, that it took you so long to open up..." he shook his head. "Did you think I would blame you? That I wouldn't understand?"

"No," I smoothed his honey hair aside. "I... I didn't know how to tell you. There was never a time." I cast down my eyes. "I'm sorry."

Sighing, Trip planted a kiss in the middle of my forehead.

"It doesn't matter now. You came clean and from now on—"

"I'll tell you everything."

"You better." I nearly smiled. Thomas stopped caressing my cheek, the look on his face half scared me. Like he'd been struck by lightning or something. "Do you realize what this means?"

"Huh?"
"You've been playing model so your mom would be happy and your parents wouldn't argue."

"Yeah..."

"But with a divorce..." Thomas trailed off not wanting to sound cold about my family situation. I understood perfectly what he'd been about to say.

"With them divorced I can stop being Mia." He nodded stiffly.