THE FATAL NIGHT

The pair of six eyes ogled Ava with a worried expression. Ava, Hazel, Freya, and Caleb were all sitting in their favorite spot in the school restaurant.


Ava had told them about the occurrence between her and Zac the last time. And ever since then, she had been avoiding Zac's calls and text messages.


She really could not put up with his ferocious attitude. That day, Zac had scared the living soul in her body and she purposely left the place before Zac could return from wherever he had gone to.


Although, she had ensured Nick had come back to stay with Aurora before she leave.


“Ava, you can’t stay mad at him forever,” Freya was the one who voiced out first, her eyes radiating with empathy.


“It’s good that you are aware of his anger issues now, Ava. Moreover, no sane man would learn about what Mia Dawson had done to his beloved and stay put without reacting like that,” Hazel put in, reaching out a hand and patting the back of Ava’s hand on the table.


Both Caleb and Hazel nodded in agreement.


“Yes, Ava. Don’t blame him for reacting like that, it shows that he really loves you and will never tolerate anyone who treats you in that manner,” Caleb also added persuasively.


Ava then released a long deep sigh that she never thought she was holding.


“I think there’s more about him that I don’t know about, guys. His aura when he was angry disclosed it and I’m beginning to worry about Mason's words,” she uttered in a low timbre, looking at their faces one after the other, especially Hazel.


“Come on now, Ava. Don’t tell me you actually believed Mason's words from that day. Why would you think Zac is a bad man just because he flared up? Everyone has his or her own issues and evidently Zac's issue is rage. So I think you should stay by his side and assist him with his anger. He loves and respects you a lot, Ava. He’ll always listen to you,” Hazel expressed genially as she completed her last words with a smile on her lips.


And after listening to Hazel’s tutor, Ava’s mood lightened up immediately as an optimistic smile formed on her cute pink lips.


In her opinion, she thought inside her heart that Hazel was right. Everyone has their shortcomings and just like Hazel said, Zac could not be a bad man just because of the way he had lost his temper two days ago.


“Aww, does your smile means you’ve forgiven him now?” Freya asked in a low expectant voice with a broadened smile emitted on her round shaped face.


“Of course, Freya. Ava loves Zac so much and can never stay mad at him for so long,” Hazel said with a teasing smile, and an ugly tint burnt Ava’s cheek right after Hazel’s words.


“So will you at least return his calls now?” Caleb asked with composure but Ava shook her head directly.


“No, Caleb but I won’t ignore his call when he calls again,”


“Thank God,” Freya said with a relieved sigh while Hazel’s lips upturned into a tremendous smile.


“All good. Now I would like to order a meal, I’m famished,” Caleb said with a light frown and others burst into a peal of laughter.


*


Ava arrived back in her apartment late in the evening. She had been studying so hard in the library considering the fact that it had been so long since she studied last- All thanks to Zachary Gonzalez.


Getting off the cab in front of her house, she was quite shocked to see him standing there, his body plastered to the driver’s door and staring at her levelly.


Ava’s brows wrinkled lightly. So he had decided to come to see her after two days of not hearing from her. She thought to herself as she crossed to her house and walked past his car, ignoring him completely.


Now, it was Zac’s turn to frown. His full brows crinkled as he said, “I’m standing here, Tinkerbell,”


Ava then turned around, raising her eyebrows high, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Gonzalez. I didn’t see you standing there,” she drew out as much sarcasm as she could muster, walking toward him.


Zac’s brows furrowed even deeper and right then and for the first time in his whole dominant life, he was speechless. A lady had just rendered him speechless just now.


Removing his hands from his trouser pocket, “Until when are you going to quit being mad at me, Ava?” he asked. His soft voice was like the spring breeze in March, refreshing her.


“So now again, I’m Ava to you? Why not Tinkerbell instead of Ava? You know that was exactly what you did that day, calling me by my real name,” Ava was infuriated as a thin layer of mist flashed across her eyes.


Meanwhile, Zac couldn’t help but think that she looked so adorable during her little fit of rage.
“Now you’re smiling? I refused to pick up your calls for good forty-eight hours, Zac and you’re just coming to see me? Do I not mean anything at all to you? ” her voice had a crying tone as she expressed herself.


This time, Zac reached over and wrapped his two hands around her back and drew her to his chest, two bodies got so close as he looked into her eyes tenderly.


“You are more important to me than I’d planned, Tinkerbell. I just never knew you liked the nickname all along,” he uttered sincerely, having that look in his eyes. The one that trailed the fullness of her lips, the one that could tip her over.


The flutters that have been dancing in Ava’s tummy since she had set her eyes on him still formed around.


Zac waited for her to say something about what he had just said but she kept mum, only staring at his face.


He then asked softly, his hot breath fanning at the tip of her nose, “Have you forgiven me?”


“Only after you bribe me,” Ava looked away from his face and said in a finality tone. Although, a tiny smile was already tugging at the corners of her mouth.


“Of course, babe. Now let’s go,” Zac stood straight and held one of her hands.


Ava pulled back, but not removing her hand from his. “Where are we going? It’s late now and I have a test very early tomorrow morning,” she told him decisively.


“Fine. Let’s just have it together in an eatery. How about that?”


The smile that instantly covered up her face was her response. Zac then made her sit in the car and also sat behind the wheels after her.


Thirty minutes later, the car rolled to the circular drive and they both got down at once.


A glowing building sat at the top of a steep hill lightning up the dark sky. Looking up, Ava discovered that it was a five-star restaurant that appeared so marvelous and monumental. The entire walls were made of glass.


Securing her hand in his, Zac led her into the beautiful place and Ava couldn’t help but feed her eyes with everything her eyes could come upon with.


“Zac, can I ask you a question?” asked Ava after they seated themselves.


Ava sat with her back to the entranceway while Zac was in the opposite seat, meaning that he could see the doorway.


Zac gave a nasal sound in reply. Ava then wet her lower lips before asking, “Do you remember the lady you shunned out the first time we met in my coffee shop?”


Zac gave a curt nod.


“She seemed so interested in you but why did you do that in return?” Ava asked inquisitively, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes sharpening with curiosity.


“Firstly, that was not the first time I’ll be meeting you,” Zac let out, surprising Ava.


“That…that was not the first time? Then when?” she sputtered, not willing how to hide her astonished expression.


Zac then put an elbow on the fabulous glass table in their middle and put a finger under his chin as if he was trying to recall something.


“That day, you and a woman came out of a grocery store. I don’t know if that was your mamma or aunt but she was so pissed and yelled at you for dropping the oranges,” Zac explained and Ava’s eyes and mouth instantly opened wide in disbelief.


Sure enough, Ava recalled the day vividly.


She had gone to the grocery store with Emma to bet some stuff but on their way out, someone bumped into Ava, and the bag she was carrying that contained some oranges fell off her hand and dispersed everywhere.


Emma went livid and if they were not outside, she would have slapped Ava so hard across the face.


“You really saw me…that… that day?” she stammered again, covering her mouth and looking at Zac over her hands with complete shock.


Zac cackled softly. “Yes, babe. Breath,”


“I saw everything from where I sat in my car that day. How you picked up the oranges briskly while the woman kept ranting on and on. Who’s she anyway? A mother would at least give a hand but all I could see her do that day was rage,”


With a blue smile, Ava lowered her eyelashes demurely and fondled them with her fingers, “She’s my mother,”


Zac opened his mouth but then closed it. Needless for Ava to say, he had understood the bitter expression across her eyes which only indicated that she didn’t attain a mutual with her mother.


“Uhmm,” Zac hummed out, picking up the two menus and then handing one to Ava. “Come on, let’s eat now”


Ava then lifted her eyes, grinning. However, Zac was cognizant of the unshed tears that were shining in her eyes.


He thought there was more to know about her family but in whichever way, he was glad they had raised Ava so well and mannerly.


Disrupting his thought, “Their baked chicken and salad are so appealing, Zac,” Ava cut in and then looked up at his impeccable face. “I would like to have it. What about you?”


“I want you,” Zac uttered, his eyes staying on hers levelly. Leaning over, he extended his hand and held her tiny wrist. Looking at her face again, he felt a fear that he had never felt before.


“I have never because of a woman been so troubled before, Ava. Look at me now, I almost lose my mind just because I couldn’t hear your voice for two days and nights,” his tone carried a hint of sarcasm, mocking himself.


By the end of his statement, he had retrieved a gold emerald bracelet and clasped it around her left wrist.


Ava grazed her finger over the tiny object that had MINE inscribed in it. It looked so beautiful and elegant.


“If you feel the same way about me then I don’t want you to ever take this off. No matter what,” as he spoke now, he was not looking relaxed anymore and Ava soon noticed that he was peeking at the few men that just walked into the place.


Beaming, “Even I don’t want to ever take this off, Zac. It’s so beautiful,” Ava expressed, still staring down at the bracelet on her wrist with pure adoration.


Clutching one of his hands into a fist on the table, red blood shots had gathered in the center of his pupils.


However, Ava was too busy to notice the sudden change in his mood as she was still admiring the bracelet.


“After the count of three, Tinkerbell. You get down under the table. Ready?”


Ava couldn’t quite catch what he had just said and just stared at his horrifying face.


“Zac_”


“Get down now!” Zac yelled and jumped to his feet.
With this, the sound of gunfire reverberated throughout the whole place.


“Oh my goodness,” Ava shrieked in fear while she quickly curved and hide below the table.


Covering her ears with her two hands, she watched as the few people and som planned to run out for their dear lives but unfortunately, many of them met their ill-timed death.


“Argh!” Ava cried out and began to shudder when a waitress slumped to death under the table she was hiding, blood oozing from her forehead hysterically.