Episode 997: Still

“You’re not supposed to warn people about a surprise,” Sebastian said with a smile and with an ease to his tone, yet Xavier felt the edge there, too.

“And this wasn’t a bad idea, actually, it was practically your idea, Ava.”

“I think I’d remember that,” she replied, glaring at her husband.

Xavier didn’t want to enjoy Ava’s misery, but he couldn’t help it, he did like her being upset with Sebastian. It was impossible for Xavier to believe that Sebastian hadn’t played some part in that expose article cooked up by his father, the article that had laid bare Xavier’s most private pain that already hadn’t been doing wonders for his self-worth, and in turn, he hadn’t done wonders for his relationship with Ava.

What if back then he’d been more sure of himself, more sure that he’d deserved happiness, deserved her? Instead, he’d walked away, run away, and now here he was, invited to her house for dinner by her husband. Insanity. Even more insane, he’d accepted the invitation for reasons probably every bit as murky as Sebastian’s motives. A fact that definitely didn’t make Xavier proud.

“We’re leaving,” he reiterated and he turned, intent on walking out the door, with or without his coat.

“Stay,” Ava said.

He turned right back around. Their eyes met. Practically like old times. Except for the elephant in the room. Her husband.

“My wife,” Sebastian said with all the possession anybody could possible wring out of that phrase. “After I took that well-meaning, but regretful tactic with you, Justine, out of concern for you, and which I am sorry for, after that, my wife really schooled me on how wrong it was to try to push you out of town, Xavier. Until talking to Ava, I hadn’t realized just how alone in the world you are. So, inspired by my wife,” again, so much emphasis on those two words, “I thought the best way to make up for almost costing you the few people in your life is to break bread, make friends instead of harboring grudges. After all, we’ll all moved on, we’re at very different places in our lives. Ava’s married now.”

Sebastian not only made Xavier sound like a charity case, practically everything out of his mouth was an antagonism, undoubtedly on purpose. But Ava had asked him to stay.

Episode 998: The Night Is Still Young