20. Publicity Stunts

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Ava

I thought us doing the interview would make my dad satisfied, but here we are three days after the interview in his office.

"What's taking him so long?" Jaxson asks me with my sleeping Bella in his arms.

He doesn't want to be here 10 times more than me. It's like he was fighting to not hit someone.

"I don't know, but please be on your best behavior" I beg him. Pretty sure this is Jaxsons first time seeing my dad since he found out my father abuses me.

"I will I promise" he says. Milo and Cedric just taught me not to trust anyone. I believe Jaxson though.

Speaking of Cedric and Milo, they've put me through more hell in four days then I've been through my entire life.

Every night they call and every night I have no choice but to go. They are holding everything against me. My daughter, my company, and now even Jaxsons company.

I guess Milo figured out I have been helping Jaxson get his numbers back up and now they're threatening to expose Jaxsons company being bankrupt.

His numbers are just starting to get back on track, them exposing him will just hurt his company again.

He's already so happy that he's restoring Micheals legacy, I can't be the one to take that happiness away from him.

My dad finally walks in and sits down behind his desk. "Dad, why are we here?" I ask getting tired of watching him look through files he knows nothing about.

"You two need to up your game." "What?" Jaxson asks before me.

"Public appearances, do something that catches the paparazzis eye" he says. I scoff "was the interview not enough for you?" I ask.

"No, do something scandalous, go make out on a public beach or something." He says leaning back in his chair.

I look at Jaxson who is keeping quiet only because I asked him to behave himself. I can't keep forcing him to do things he doesn't want to just so my father doesn't take it out on me.

"We're not doing it" I say. My dad is more than surprised.

"You work for me, you don't have a choice." "Jaxson's not doing it" I tell him.

"I think he can speak for himself." I turn to Jaxson and wait for him to say no. He looks at me confused.

"Just know your consequences will be severe Ava" my dad adds. I don't care. I'm tired of having him rule my life.

I just shrug. "We'll do it" Jaxson says. "Great, you two can leave now." My father dismisses us faster than he called us here.

As soon as we walk out his office I stop Jaxson. "Why'd you do that?" I ask him.

"Ava I know you may not want to, but come on, is it worth your safety?" he asks.

"Jaxson it's not that I don't want to. He already runs my life, don't let him take over yours too" I tell him.

Jaxson

She's worried about me when she's the one that'll end up hurt.

I laugh "Ava you're worried about the wrong thing. I think I got the better end of the deal anyway."

"Jaxson there is no better end of the deal. You're being forced to do something you don't want to do."

"Why wouldn't I want to? I get to go to the beach and make out with a hot chick. Pretty sure I got the better end of the deal" I tell her.

She laughs "you're crazy" she tells me lightly pushing my shoulder just enough for Bella to wake up.

"We go home now?" she asks us. "Only for a little, you want to go to the beach?" I ask my daughter. She's instantly fully awake and cheers.

We walk into Ava's office and wait for her to get some things she'll take with us in order to work from home more permanently.

"Can I go say hi to Cedric mommy?" Bella asks. "NO!" Ava says way too quickly. I'm not gonna complain, I didn't want her to talk to him either,  but I thought Ava and him were friends.

"Okay" Bella says. I look at her with my eyebrow raised. "What? we're about to leave anyway" she says putting more things inside a box.

"Mommy what happened to your wall?" Bella asks pointing to the corner of the room. There is a huge crack with wood sticking out and a little blood around it.

The possibilities of the things that could have happened makes me feel sick. She is too pure to have gone through any of them.

"I'm so glade you're getting out of here." I tell her and she gives me a small smile. "Nothing baby, I think a picture fell or something."

Once she packs up everything she needs I grab the box from her and she picks up Bella. I  watch as she walks right pass Cedrics desk without looking at him.

I look however. He stares after Ava and my daughter. He is pissed for sure. I wonder what happened between the two of them.

In the car Ava gets a call from Penelope. She wants to know if Bella wanted to go to her cousins birthday party.

Of course Bella is more than excited. I think Penelope just wants to spend more time with Bella before she goes off to college.

She picks Bella up an hour after we get back home. I've been waiting for Ava downstairs ever since.

I get tired of it and go  in the room to see what's taking her so long. She's sitting on the bed with bathing suites surrounding her.

"You aren't ready yet." I say stating the obvious, she's wearing shorts and a crop top.

"My one pieces are too small!" I shrug, I don't see a problem. "Wear a two piece" it's not that complicated.

"I can't" she says pointing at her stomach. Oh, maybe it is that complicated.

"Just embrace them. Sure it's not something to be proud of, but they've built you into who are. Plus, they really aren't that bad" I tell her.

Screw what ever anyone else has to say about them. "Awww that was cute" she says and I smile.

"Yeah i'm known for be-" I start "but if my father saw it in the photos he'd be done with me" she says.

Damn she's right. "Maybe you could cover it up with your makeup stuff" I say and her entire demeanor changes.

She jumps off the bed and goes into the bathroom. I really just want to go to the beach.

I go into the bathroom and watch as she squirts what I'm assuming is foundation on her stomach.

She takes one of her squishy egg things and starts patting it around her stomach slowly covering her bruises.

I take the other off the counter and squat to my knees helping her. "What if the paparazzi doesn't even come?" I ask her and she laughs.

"You're such a rookie." She says and I chuckle. "Well enlighten me" I say still helping her cover her entire stomach with makeup.

"We're going to call them before we go. Leave them an anonymous tip." She gives up on covering her stomach leaving me to do it. "That's smart" I tell her.
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Within 30 minutes we are almost at the beach. "I just realized I can't go swimming. The makeup will wash off" she says looking down in the passenger seat.

"We don't need public water to go swimming, we have a whole pool at home" I tell her trying my best to pay attention to the road and not to what she is wearing.

She has on a black bikini top with thin straps that lace in front of her chest then around her neck.

It matches with black and red bottoms with the same type of lace on the sides. The things I could do to her right now.

We are almost at the beach when Ava calls the gossip magazine. "I have an anonymous tip for you guys" she says talking to Rob.

"Ava Hudson and Jaxson Ross was just spotted at Beakers Beach!" He laughs and she gives me a confused look.

"Ava, if you're going to try and stage something at least hide your voice." "Rob just send the paparazzi" she tells him.

He chuckles "yes ma'am... give me one second" he says putting her on hold.

"You ever played volleyball?" I ask her. That's what I'm most excited for. When I was younger me and Shawn would always go to the beach whenever he wasn't interning with my dad.

She shakes her head no. How is it possible for anyone to not ever play volleyball? I'm pretty sure every high school gym class plays volleyball.

"You have no idea what you've been missing" I tell her. She laughs at my reaction. "Hitting a ball over a net, wow I've been missing so much" she says sarcastically.

I just laugh. I've never seen her so free. She says and does what she wants without caring about what anyone will say to her.

She is so happy and always laughing now. Getting away from her dad is really changing her for the better.

I've only known her for a month and I can already see the difference in her attitude. I really like being around this version of Ava.

"Ava you still here?" Rob says coming back to the line. "Yeah!"

"So tell me what you have planned." "My dad wants us to pull a publicity stunt" she tells him being honest.

He laughs "that man needs help." The two of them have to be close. "You're right!"

Rob fake gasps. "Say that again, wait let me get my tape recorder." "Shut up'" She tells him while laughing. Yeah they are for sure close.

We get to the beach before the paparazzi. Surprisingly there aren't many people here.

I take her to the volleyball nets first. Thankfully it's still how it was before I left for Europe. There are balls scattered around the four huge nets.

A group of teenagers were having a game on one of the nets so we pick the one furthest away from them to play.

I let her hit the ball first and it comes speeding down to my side almost hitting me in the face.

She falls to the ground laughing while I try my best to control my heart beat. "What the hell Ava?" I say starting to laugh as well.

"My bad" she says standing up and grabbing another ball. "I don't even want to play anymore" I tell her watching as she continues to laugh.

"Come on be a team player" she says once again spiking the ball. It misses me by half an inch.

"You said you never played before," I accuse her of lying. She's obviously played a couple thousand games in her life time.

"Oh yeah!" She says picking up another ball. "Let's play an actual game first to ten" she says moving to a smaller net.

I'm worried for myself. "As long as you stop hitting the ball like that" I tell her.

She wins ten-to-six. We were tied six-to-six until she started doing the spiking thing to get her last four points.

"You didn't even win fairly." I say watching her jump around because she won. "Doesn't matter, what do I win?" she asks and I shrug.

"Cheaters don't get prizes." I say watching her look around. "Don't look, but the paparazzi is by the fence" she says.

I nod, "So what should we do first?" I ask her. "Give me piggy back ride to the water" she demands.

I laugh because I know she's taking advantage of the situation. "And if I don't want to?" "You have to I won" she says.

"How was your meeting yesterday?" she asks as I walk her across the beach. "It went pretty well actually. I thought for sure I was going to mess something up without you there" I tell her.

She has came been with me to my first few meetings. "You're a good businessman, you just let the pressure get to you."

"It's hard not to when my dads entire legacy depends on if I can save his company or not."

"But you're doing a good job. You're halfway out of bankruptcy within a month!" She praises me as if I did all the work.

"Yeah, only because of you." I say setting her down. "I mean I helped a little every now and then" she says looking up at me.

Her green eyes always surprise me. They match my daughters but they have a different on effect on me.

I don't understand how someone can be so naturally beautiful. I don't stop myself from doing what I've been wanting to do since the interview.

I kiss her for the second time. She responds instantly by bringing her hand to the side of neck and standing on the tips of her toes.

I wrap my arms around her waist as the kiss gets deeper, pulling her closer to where her stomach touches mine.

Like the last time, she pulls away first and smiles. "You know, if you keep practicing you could be really good at that" she says laughing.

My jaw drops. "I could be really good huh?" I asks picking her up and spinning her around.

She lets out a loud scream. "I WAS JOKING!" "Say you're sorry." I smirk already knowing I can spin for  2 minutes straight without getting dizzy.

"I'M SORRY!" She yells while laughing. "Thank you" I say giving her another kiss before placing her back on her feet.

She allows me kiss her a countless amount of times. Maybe she thinks it's all for publicity. I honestly just want to kiss her.

We walk around on the beach for a little while and leave a little after the paparazzi has taken enough pictures.

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