THINKING IT OVER

Moments later, Ava set the table with the dishes she’d brought him for lunch, and reality crossed his heart while sitting beside her.


“Why are you not in the office today?” Zac asked, confused.


“Took the day off to be with my man,” Ava stole a glance at his face and replied casually.



Zac continued looking at her face without saying a word. He knew it was an irrational thing to do but he also loved the fact that she was here with him. His addiction.


Soon, Ava finished dishing out the meal and pushed it to his front on the table alongside the cutlery.


Zac stared at the meal, a Philly cheesesteak filled with sliced beef, chip steak, and onions. Together with some summer rolls with peanut sauce and protein salad.


“I believe this is just to pay me off, isn't it?” he sneered while taking the fork and ready to dig in.


He was not the type that loved food too much but he couldn't deny that he took satisfaction in Ava’s meals. They were always sumptuous! His woman was damn incredible!



Ava grinned and went closer to him on the couch then placed a hand around his back while watching him eat slowly.



She thought that this was the best chance to tell him her decision and she was never going to let this chance slip away.



“I want to tell you something, Zac,”



Zac looked at her and nodded, hinting at her to go ahead.



“But you have to promise me that you're not going to argue and agree with whatever I have to say,”



Hearing this, Zac stopped eating at once and then slowly let go of the fork before sitting upright and turning to her.



“What is it, Ava?” he asked carefully.



“No, Zac. You have to promise me first,” Ava made her voice firm, and Zac knew at that moment that she wouldn't say it until he promised her.



Sighing, “What if it's something I can't bring myself to do, Tinkerbell?” he questioned softly, his gaze softening as if to draw Ava into saying whatever the thing was without him making a promise.




“Of course, you can do it, baby. Now, promise me,” Ava smiled and stretched out her hand toward him.



Zac sighed in resignation before covering her hand with his, “Fine, I promise. Now tell me,”



“I want to move out of your house, Zac. I want us to start living separately from now on,” Ava let the words out as quickly as she could get them out of her mouth.



Beyond her expectation, Ava was damn shocked when Zac gave her a close-lipped smile and took his fork again to resume eating.




“What do you want to tell me, Ava?” he asked naturally as if Ava had not said anything just now.



Then, Ava grunted, raising her head up in aggravation, knowing that this man was not going to give in easily but then he'd already promised.




“You already promised not to argue, Zac,” she reminded him but Zac only snorted silently and continued eating.



Ava then wrapped her hand around his arm and rested her head on the same arm, “In case I haven't told you this before, Jamal, I sincerely appreciate the stark love you have for me and I'll never take it for granted,”



“However, it's not necessary for us to live as a couple for us to prove our love for one another. I love you more than you could ever imagine and I believe the same could be said about you too, Zac,”



She lifted her head from his arm and made him look at her face before continuing, “Please, baby. Think about what I just said and you'll surely find some sense in it, huh,”



A humorless chuckle left him, “You don't love me to live with me, is that it?”


Ava’s eyes rolled at his remark. How does living separately mean that she doesn't love him? This man!



“Now what are you saying__”



Ava wanted to rebuke him when Zac’s phone started vibrating in his chest pocket but he chose to ignore it.



“It might be an important call,” Ava noted while bringing out the phone and handing it to him.



After taking a glance at the caller ID, a frown set on Zac’s brows as he took the phone from Ava and then rose to his feet to answer the call.




“Genevive,” he breathed, putting his free hand in his pocket.




“Oh, my goodness, Zac. Are you really my son? Do you have another mother apart from me?” the familiar feminine voice complained bitterly over the phone.




“Why does it seem so hard for you to pick up your phone and put a call through me? You don't ever think of hearing my voice let alone think of coming to visit!”




“Mom_”




“No, I’m still talking,” the voice interrupted him, and then he pressed his lips together.




“Tell me honestly, Zac. Don't you like me as your mother? Have I done something despicable that makes you think that I'm not your mother?”



Zac then opened his mouth to talk again when her next words beat him to it. This woman will keep asking him questions but never will she allow him to answer any of the questions?



“You’ve become my only son since your older brother had gone MIA with no traces of returning. Yet, you never make yourself available to me. Don't you really value your own mother?” her voice cracked up and Zac could instantly tell that she was very close to tears.



Zac took a deep breath and said calmly, “I promise to make it up to you, Genevive,” he made a promise, knowing that was the only words that could soothe her.



And he could sense the latter smiling as soon as he said that.



“By making it up, are you coming over next month? I'm planning to throw a small party,” enthusiasm had taken over the broken voice just now.



Zac frowned, “What party?” he asked.



“Come on, you've forgotten it’s my birthday next month?” disbelief



Zac bit down on his lower lip upon hearing that. He'd completely forgotten his mother's birthday was next month.



“I’ll be there, Mom. Don't worry,”



“You’d better. And I want your girlfriend to tag along too, wouldn't she?”



Zac could tell that she was smirking when saying that. He took a glance at Ava’s way and saw that she was reading a magazine.




“I can't remember telling you I have a girlfriend, Genevieve,” he asserted his tone the softest, still looking at the absentminded Ava.




“Now come off it, son. I'm your mother and I can tell there's a lady who has been keeping you lately. I mean for you to have forgotten about your own mother,”




Zac didn't refute nor did he agree. “We’ll see then, Mom. I need to go now,”




“Alright, son. I hope you're hearing from Aurora and her mother,”



Zac hummed and said again, “Take care of yourself,”



“You too, baby,”



With that, the line went off.



“Are you bored?” he asked while walking back to his previous seat beside Ava.



Ava beamed, putting away the magazine paper, and then sat up, “You took so long taking the call so I thought I should get myself occupied. It was an important call, wasn't it?”



“Not really. That was just Genevive,” Zac shrugged, wrapping his hand around her waist and drawing her closer.



“Your mom?” Ava quizzed, nestling into his broad chest.



Zac answered with a hum, “We’ll be traveling to Chicago late next month for her birthday party,”



Stunned, Ava peeled away from his grasp where he was beginning to toy with every single feature on her face and looked at his face.



“I’m m-meeting your mom?” she stuttered out, her eyes widening in disbelief.



“Yeah. Said you should tag along,” Zac shrugged.



Ava stopped breathing. She started to speak but found herself at a loss for words.



Zac noticed how apprehensive she had become. He chuckled lightly before returning his arm around her body.



“You don't have to be nervous, Snow White. I'll be right there with you,” Zac guaranteed, his tone so low that she might have missed it if her face wasn't so close to his face.



Ava lowered her eyes, not knowing how exactly to describe her mood. She wasn't sure whether she was excited or anxious about visiting Zac’s mother.




“So you really want to move out of my place?” Zac’s question snapped her out of her thought and she immediately looked back at his impeccable face.



“Yes, Zac and I hope you see things the way they should be,” Ava blinked cutely while fidgeting her fingers.



“Is that what you want?” he asked, after staring at her face for a long minute.



“Yes, baby. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine on my own,” Ava gushed her words while wrapping her hands around his neck and shoving more and more into his body.


She completely closed the gap between them until their bodies were mere inches apart. Unbiddenly, his gaze trailed down to the soft, inviting curve of her lips, and his mouth watered.

“Do me well then I'll think it over,” his voice was firm but Ava could hear the tease underlying the words loud and clear.

Her smile turned into this massive, ridiculous grin as she covered both his cheeks with her slender hands.

“Sure, baby,”

And with that, she covered his lips with hers. She kissed him with all the feelings inside her.

Her lips moved on his hungrily, her body pressing more and more closer to his. For a few moments, Zac gave no reaction, which made her kiss him more desperately.

Then with a groan of surrender, he was kissing her back as desperately as she kissed him.

“Fuck, Tinkerbell,” he grunted between the kiss as his hand went to her waist while the other one held the back of her head closer to him.

His mouth devoured hers, like a starving male who was offered food.