Episode 627: Living On A Prayer

Sebastian shook his head and went to open the door. Dread built in his stomach with each step he took. He wasn’t expecting his father, but that wouldn’t stop Phillip Marques from blowing up his son’s life in retaliation for not doing as ordered. Sending Lila rather than Ava to work for his mother was unlikely to have gone over well.

Fingers curled around the doorknob, he turned back to Ava. She’d stepped out into the hall. "Let’s pretend we’re not home," he said.

Ava appeared tempted. "Wouldn’t that be rude?"

"Isn’t it rude to just show up at the dinner hour at someone’s home?" It might be the last dinner he’d ever have with Avalon if his father was in the mood for vengeance.

"How about you check the peephole and see who it is? Then we’ll decide."

Bas nodded quite happily. He figured Ava would go along with not opening the door to his dad. He’d have at least one more night to find a way out from under his father’s thumb, and at least one more night with the woman he loved. It was a relief, and even more of a relief when he glanced through the peephole and discovered his father wasn’t yet breathing down his neck. "It’s Calvin."

He turned to Avalon still hoping to have her all to himself, though not surprised when she hurried to open the door. He was happy for her. However strained and imperfect her relationship with her dad, at least for the moment she didn’t dread seeing the man, not like him with his dad.

Sebastian wasn’t quiet as happy a short time later. Ava had asked Calvin if he’d like to stay for dinner and the guy steered the conversation towards the high cost of living these days, how difficult it must be for a young couple like them to buy their own business as well as such a nice engagement ring. Fortunately, Ava loathed money, she thought people particularly Bas’s father and her biological mom were warped because they’d placed too much value on it. She didn’t want to make the same mistake and therefore squashed such talk.

Still, it had unnerved Bas. It made him again wonder if Ava’s dad was as big a threat as his own was. Sure, maybe Cal was just trying to make conversation, and checking on his daughter’s financial wellbeing was probably normal, but what if the guy was suspicious? What if he found something? Would he tell Ava? Sebastian could only hope not.

Episode 628: Innocent?