A TRAP

*To spy on us? To give out our plans and information to your man so that he can take away our big deal once again?*

No matter how hard Ava has been making an effort to push these words out of her heart, they keep reeling in her head and it's becoming very frustrating.

So frustrating that she had placed a call through Zac and to make everything worse, Zac hasn’t responded to any of her calls which implies that he’s probably busy.

By now, Ava was driving into the traffic which seemed to aggravate her tension, and out of frustration, she hit her hand against the steering wheel, her nose flaring.

When she was hoping that if only there could be magic that could land her ass home as soon as possible, she had to come and face this.

“Ah!” she breathed out heavily, sloping back on the driver's seat and staring ahead.

Just then, her cell phone started ringing in the central console. Ava sat upright with an immediate effect as she grabbed the phone.

However, after seeing that it wasn't Zac’s name on the phone screen, she felt her heart sink a bit… Just a bit because the person calling her instead of Zac has made her grow in anxiety.

It was Emma. Her mother.

Ava stared at the ringing phone in her hand, her thumb hovering over the screen in conflict.

“Why’s she calling me out of the blue?” she muttered to herself and gulped softly.

Ava was clearly glad when the phone stopped ringing but she became strung up again when it started ringing almost immediately.

‘Something is definitely fishy’

She inhaled some breath into her lungs severally before sliding a finger across the screen and answered the call.

“Ava, my dear,”

These short words that came out in the sweetest voice Ava had ever heard from her mother met her ear, and she was forced to remove the phone from her ear and glimpsed at the caller ID to be sure she had not answered the wrong call.

“Mom?” Ava called out with uncertainty, her brow line pressing into a furrow.

“Yes, it's me, dear,” Emma's voice transmitted into her ear again, “You know what? Can you please come home for a moment, I need to talk to you,”

“Is there something wrong, Mom?” Ava asked softly after staying silent for a few seconds.

There was a silence at the other end of the line and just when Ava was starting to think that perhaps the line had gone off, Emma spoke up again…

“It's nothing serious, Ava, but it requires your attention. Can you start coming now?”

“I'll be right home now. Mom. I'm on my way,” Ava didn't give it a second thought before saying that to her mother.

And as soon as the line went dead, she focused on the road again and was glad to see that the traffic was not as hectic as before.

Bit by bit, Ava got to the next U-turn and then made a turn, heading back to the highway that leads to her family house.

What could be so important that requires her presence?

Buzz! Buzz!

Ava’s mind was occupied with that thought when the ringing tone of her phone interrupted her mind. She stole a glance at her phone and saw that it was Hazel calling this time.

And just like that, a widespread smile arose on her face as she grabbed the phone, answered the call, and then put it on speaker.  

“Hey, babbbbyyy!” Hazel’s delighted voice met her ears and the big smile on her face grew brighter.  

 “What's up, Hazel,?” she reciprocated with the same energy, her gloomy mood just now disappearing.

 “Oh, Ava. I've got a pile of gist for you, but you should be able to guess the subject correctly,”

Ava’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline, wondering what the topic might be that could make Hazel this happy.

“You and Daniel are now…going out?” she asked reluctantly and immediately shut her eyes, waiting for Hazel’s yell.

“Fuck, girl. I knew you would guess it correctly,” Hazel said with a light chuckle.

Ava laughed, “I've always known you like Daniel but you were just so stubborn to admit it. Lucky boy, he eventually got what he wanted,”

“So, how's it going between you two? Does he worth it?” Ava asked keenly, her lips stretching and stretching.

“Come on, we can't talk about it over the phone”
Ava could swear that Hazel was already blushing by now as she said those words.

“Where are you? Let's hook up tonight. Ah, sincerely, Ava, your face has become so scarce since you've been staying with Zac,” Hazel continued, grousing.

“You’re talking as if it’s been a whole week since we last saw each other” Ava giggled, “Anyway, I’m currently on my way to see Mom. She wants me to be home soon,”

“Is everything okay at home? Or why did she want to see you all of a sudden?” Hazel asked after a momentary silence.

“I don't know either, Hazel. Don't worry, I'll catch up with you as soon as I'm back. Bye, take care,”

With that, she disconnected the call and concentrated on her driving, increasing the speed.

One and a half hours later, Ava arrived at her house but parked her car a few miles away from home so as to avoid any suspicion about her movement at school.

Her mother will never believe she owns a flashy car like this and might even start calling her names once she sees it.

Looking around the surroundings as she walked bit by bit to the villa brought memories and she could only smile at the sweet ones and shook her head pathetically at the awful ones.

Soon, she got to the front villa and let herself in after a brief knock.

“Welcome home, Ava,”

Ava nearly flinched as the voice came so suddenly followed by Emma’s appearance from the kitchen direction.

“How are you, dear?” Emma asked warmly, a big smile radiating her face as she dropped two mugs of coffee on the dining table.

Ava was dumbfounded and she didn't know how to react to her mother’s jovial attitude towards her.

It's no longer news that she didn't attain a mutual relationship with her family and to be honest, she has come to terms with the fact that her family will never like her for whichever reason she didn't know about.

But here’s her mother smiling at her like a true mother will do each time they see their child after a period of time.

Ava didn't feel safe with this act and had an impulse to turn around, open the door and run away from her mother.

“Come over here, don't just stand there,” Emma’s voice penetrated her mind and she gulped softly before evacuating where she was standing and headed to the dining area.

Ava sat down ever-slowly on a chair while she watched Emma swivel around and sat down across her, beaming softly.

“I hope I didn't interrupt anything. Perhaps you were in the class or_”

“No, Mom,” Ava cut in softly, “You didn't interrupt anything. So, can you please tell me the reason why you've called me here,” her tone wasn't harsh but didn't come out friendly either.

Emma lowered her head for a moment and then lifted it back, her eyes landing and staring straight into Ava’s eyes.

“You’re my daughter, Ava,” she began in a matter-of-fact tone, “And I believe no matter the ups and downs going on between us shouldn't stop you from telling me some personal things about you,”

Ava’s eyebrows furrowed, the corners of her eyes wrinkled, “I don't understand, Mom,”

Right after her words, her phone started ringing and she quickly fetched it from her small bag.

It was Zachary calling.

Ava glanced up and realized that Emma was looking at her so she couldn't pick up the call. Therefore, she silenced the phone and kept it on the table.

“I'm listening, Mom. What are the personal things you feel I should be sharing with you?” she asked bluntly without mincing words.

Instead of responding, Emma only sighed and slowly stood up, “Follow me,”

Ava didn't think twice before she sprang to her feet and followed her mother upstairs.

The expression on her face indicated that she wouldn't let anyone push her around like they used to anymore.

Not even her mother.

They arrived upstairs and she was pretty stunned her mother was leading the way to her room.

Emma smiled up at her before bending the doorknob and stepping into the room.

Ava had no idea what her mother had got up her sleeves and she only stared at her from where she stood in the doorway. “Why are we here?”

“Are you now scared to step into your own room?” Emma smiled sadly, “Or is it because it's not as beautiful as the one your billionaire boyfriend prepares for you?”

A light chuckle rolled out of Ava’s mouth and then she walked wholly into the room, “Now I'm starting to see why you invited me home all of a sudden. What's left between us that you haven't heard, Mom?”

“Yes, Mom. Zachary Gonzalez is my boyfriend. And just so you know, Mom, my life has become a whole lot better since I've met him just the past few months unlike when I was with you all those years,” as Ava spoke, tears had gathered into her eyes and she hated it.

“He treats me like I'm the most important thing in his life…like a queen, like a father would treat his beloved daughter at the same time like a mother would cherish her daughter. All the love and adoration that you all think I am not worthy of, Zachary Gonzalez bestowed every bit of it upon me and now I feel complete,”

By now, she had walked up to stand in front of Emma, blinking back the tears in her eyes stubbornly. There's no way in hades she's gonna cry. Not here, not in front of her.

“So you're saying that Zachary is the one who completed you?” Emma asked naturally, walking past Ava and heading to the door.

“I've never felt complete like this in my whole life,” Ava replied with high shoulders while she spun around to face her mother.

And to her shock, her mother quickly walked out of the room and the next sound that filled the air was the door bolting from outside.

“Mom, what are you doing?” a shudder went to her spine.

“What does it look like to you, you little ingrate brat!” Emma snorted from the other end of the door.

 “I can see that you've forgotten your senses since you've started moving around with a criminal but now I've brought you back in your place and I'm sure that in no time, you'll recollect how things are done here and you don't raise your voice at your mother,”

Ava has a look of pure anger on her face now especially when she discovered she had left her cell phone downstairs.

She ruffled her hair exasperatedly, her jaw clenching, “I'm sorry but I'm no longer the Ava you can do as you pleases with anymore. So open this door now, Mom,” Ava wanted to sound stern and authoritative but her voice cracked and she almost hated herself for it.

“Like I said just now, you shall remain in your room until you regain your senses and know your place in this house again, Ava,” Emma ranted in a finality tone.

Ava scampered toward the door and banged on it severally, “You can't do this to me, Mom. Open this door,”

“You can bang on it all you want but I'm never opening this door soon,”

Retreating footsteps followed those words and Ava’s shoulders instantly slumped in defeat as she already knew that Emma had walked away.

Her heart became so heavy and the damn tears were back again.

It was a trap all along. Her mother had lured her back into the house.

 She turned around slowly and walked back into the room with wobbling feet and then threw herself on the bed as soon as she got close to it.

‘When will this ever end?’

She closed her eyes, allowing the bastard tears to have their way with her.