Song: Talk Dirty - Jason Derulo (because I like to think that this is Ava's anthem whenever she sleeps with Harry. She becomes this totally different person when they are together. She's no longer reserved but becomes this dirty talking sex goddess. #hava haha!)

| forty-eight | 

“Well look who finally decided to show up for work.” Stevie is sitting at her desk, her feet resting on top of her desk. “You look like shit,” she says with a smirk on her lips. 

Ava looks over at her and gives her a roll of the eyes. “I missed you too.” It wasn’t that she didn’t realize that she looked terrible. She already knew that. During the past two days that she had called in sick, she had consumed an amount of Chinese food that was border line alarming, wore the same sweat pants (that also were stained from a minor mishap with the soy sauce), and hadn’t washed her hair since Friday. She also happened to not shower this morning either. Her hair was pushed up and out of her face and was fastened to the top of her head in a messy bun. She looked down at the boyfriend fit jeans she was wearing and internally cringed at the loose black tee that she borrowed from Harry. It hadn’t help that she was wearing her scuffed up converse. 

In all honestly, Ava didn’t feel up to actually trying. She didn’t care if she had oily hair and smelt like three day old kung pow chicken. Her heart was still breaking at the seams. And quite frankly, she could care less on how she looked appearance wise. The only reason why she even managed to get into a pair of jeans was because Harry had to physically put them on her. 

Her head suddenly began to pound. She quickly brought her fingers to her temple and put pressure to her temples. She took a deep breath; breathe in, breathe out- she continuously repeated to herself. 

“Ava, are you okay?” 

Ava didn’t bother to look up. She was too focused on the jackhammer that was going to town on her skull. “Seriously, what is up with you?” Stevie walked over to where Ava sat and put her hand on top of her knee. She peeked from underneath her eyelashes and gave a loud groan. 

“You know that scene in the Lion King where Mufasa is thrown into the herd of antelopes and they all trample over him and it’s just a complete throbbing mess?” She croaks out, her voice raspy. 

“Sure?” 

“Well instead of a field, it’s my head, and the antelopes are stomping over my brain.” She takes a sharp inhalant of air and scrunched her eyebrows together. “And my throat feels like the fricken Sahara desert.” 

Stevie walks up from her desk and reaches for her water bottle. “Here, take this.” She replies with a small thank you and takes a long swing from the bottle. Her throat feels revived as the cold liquid slides down her throat. She immediately feels relief course all across her pained body. The headache that was continuously thumping throughout begins to ease as well. 

“God,” she hiccups after she takes another long drink from the bottle. “Who would have thought that all I needed was water to feel remotely better.” 

Stevie holds back a laugh. “Hydration is a friend to all. Glad to be of service.” She takes a seat back at her desk. “Now tell me. Where have you been? I haven’t seen you since your sudden disappearing act at the party.” 

She takes a deep breath through her nostrils at an attempt to calm her racing heart. The events that have been replaying over and over in her head begins to come back. “The party was for Harry.” 

Stevie gasps and her eyes grow large, “Harry? As in ex-boyfriend, sex on two legs Harry?” 

Ava doesn’t even hold back the small giggle that escapes her lips. “Yeah. That Harry.”

“Damn. No wonder you left!” She smirks. “Oh! That totally makes sense now.” Her eyes widen as if she has realized something. “They were saying that the author had to leave. Something about an emergency happening.” Her eyes go back and forth as she starts to put the pieces together. “But wait. If you left with him, was it emergency get back together sex that you two ran off to do?” She smirks once again. 

Ava groans in response. “Fuck off Stevie.” She only smirks in response. “No. We didn’t go and have make up sex. I found out that my dead father is actually alive.” A stream of water bursts out of Stevie’s mouth. 

“What the fuck?!” She exclaims in utter disbelief. “What do you mean he is alive?” 

“Turns out that my dead dad is actually alive and that my mother lied when she said he died of a brain tumor. They divorced when I was two and he moved away to god knows where.” 

“That is fucked up.” 

“You’re telling me. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me when I found out. And Mack - Oh shit! Mack!” 

Ava had completely forgotten about Mack. Everything that happened with her dad showing up and her and Harry getting back together, she had completely forgotten about Mack. She felt like  a complete bitch for leaving him like that. He has been nothing but a sweetheart to her and she didn’t even think to call him. 

“What about him?” 

“I totally ditched him at that party! I haven’t even talked to him since.” She picks up her phone and scrolls through it, seeing all of the missed calls and texts that she got from him. “Shit! I feel terrible.” 

“Well, you’ve been preoccupied with having hot make-up sex with Harry.” She gives her a knowing wink. 

“We haven’t even had sex since we got back together. I’ve been a complete wreck.” 

“Then clearly you are in need of it! When you go home tonight you two need to get it on. It will definitely help distract you from the mess that is going on in your life right now.”

“I don’t know. We just got back together. I don’t feel ready to do that with him yet.”

Stevie watches Ava as she fiddles with her phone between her fingers. “Have you two not slept together yet?” 

“What?” Ava’s cheeks turn a deep shade of red. “No, we’ve uh- we’ve have. Yes. Just not since we got back together is all.” 

“Good. Seriously, I took a look at the photo of the author and damn Ava. He is one fine piece of man. Good job!” 

“Yeah, he’s pretty great.” She smiles as she thinks about Harry. Sometimes she can’t even believe that a guy like him would be interested in a girl like her. She shakes her head at the thoughts of him but the smile lingers. “But back to Mack. What do I do?”

“Honestly, Ave, don’t worry about him. He did seem kinda bummed that you left but don’t over think it. He obviously is into you, but you clearly are not.” She laughs. 

“What? Mack was not into me. We were just friends.” 

“Seriously?” She gives her a dumbfounded look. “You cannot be that naive. He totally has a thing for you.” 

Ava begins to think about their times together. The thought had always crossed her mind that he might have liked her, but she never felt the same. Whenever the hung out, she couldn’t help but wonder where Harry was and what he was doing. She never even thought about them kissing or holding hands. As great of a guy that Mack was, he was no Harry. “Yeah I guess. But- I honestly thought I made it clear to him that I didn’t like him.”

“I’m sure once you ran off with Harry he got the picture.”

“I feel terrible! I should seriously give him a call.” She runs her fingers over her phone as an internal debate on wether or not she should give him a ring back. 

“What’s the point though?” Stevie asks - no judgement in her voice. 

“We’re friends?” The statement comes out more of a question than anything else. 

“I wouldn’t do it. I don’t think Harry would be too pleased to know that you are calling Mack. Especially if they work together.” Stevie had a point. She knew that. But Ava still felt bad. A thought then came to mind - perhaps she would go to Harry’s job to visit him but then would happen to run into Mack and talk to him. That seemed like a reasonable idea. I’ll do that, she concluded to herself. 

“Okay, I won’t call him.” She sits her phone back down. 

“Good idea. Now, what are you going to do about your dad?” 

“Honestly, I don’t even want to think about it.” 

“Did he say anything to you?”

“That I looked like his ex wife, then asked me my name and said that was the name of his daughter. I then put two and two together and yelled at him. He looked so happy to see me, but it just made me want to vomit. I had to get out of there fast.”

“Are you going to try and contact him?” She asks her carefully. 

“Hell no. He’s dead in my mind.” 

“You don’t even want to hear his side of the story?” She asks innocently. “I mean seriously. This is some crazy shit. You should talk to him about it. Especially with your mom being gone. This is your only way of knowing the truth.” 

Instead of answering, she shakes her head. As much sense as Stevie was making, there was no way that Ava would go after her father. The thought alone made her feel sick. It broke her more and more knowing that her parents had lied to her. That she had missed out on having a healthy relationship with her father. There were so many times that he could have been there for them. But he wasn’t and that made her sick to her stomach. 

Stevie dropped the subject after Ava simply nodded and not saying anything else about the matter. Ava took a look at all of the papers on her desk and begins to feel anxiety rise up within her. “This is so much work. Help me catch up?” 

“Yeah, let’s get some coffee and get this shit done.” She smiles and opens the door for Ava as she slowly walks over to her with a small smile on her own face. 

- 

The headache that Ava had ridden herself of the morning before had come back that next afternoon. But this time not because of the personal demons that were tormenting her. Instead it was the mass work that she had to catch herself up on. As the old saying goes: the news doesn’t wait for anyone. Especially girls who find out her dead dad is actually alive and her ex boyfriend is still in love with her. 

“Okay so basically we need to write an article for whichever section we are more interested in.” Stevie explains as they look through the mass amounts of papers that Rob had given them. “Once you pick a section, you have to go over to that editor and they will give you a topic to write on.” Ava began to get excited as she read over the criteria for the assignment. “And then if we’re lucky, they might even publish it on the online paper. Crazy shit, hey?” 

Ava gives her an overexcited nod. “This is amazing!” She beams as she looks at the different sections the paper offers. 

She took a seat at her desk with the papers in hand. She took a large sip from her third coffee that day and began her pro and cons list for the two sections she was debating over. Call her Rory Gilmore, but this was the best way to make decisions. As silly as it may seem, all of her major decisions had been made with a pro and con list. 

Chinese or Thai for dinner? Pro and Con list. 

Pads or Tampons? Pro and Con list. 

Floral dress or black skater dress for date with Harry? Pro and Con list. 

If anything, Harry should be thanking her for making a pro and con list. If it wasn’t for that, he would have never been introduced to his favourite little number on her.

As she began to write a pro and con list for the “Los Angeles” or “The Arts”. They each seemed like great opportunities to explore the city. As she began to write down the first pro to writing for Los Angeles (new city; great excuse to learn more about it), a swift knock comes from her office door. Stevie had left for the day leaving Ava alone to write her lists. Ava got up from her seat and walked over to open the door. 

A mop of curly hair and a dimple smile meets her on the other side. She can’t help the smile that crosses her lips. “Well hello there.” She says with a massive grin. 

“Hey Ave,” he replies while leaning down to kiss her quickly on the lips. “Mind if I come in?” He asks her. 

“Sure.” He follows her in and shuts the door behind him. He locks it and walks over to where she is sat at her desk. He has a smug smirk on his lips as he looks her up and down.  “I like this,” he says as he traces his fingers over her high waisted lace shorts. “And you smell like soap.” He gives her a smirk, “Showered I see?” 

She giggles as he begins to run his fingers over her bare skin sending a wave of goosebumps to her bare legs. “I did.” She tries to hold back her moan as he begins to leave kisses down the skin that revealed by unbuttoning the first few buttons of her white blouse. “Harry,” she breathes out, “Stop. I’m at work.” She tries to push him back but is distracted by the way his lips mould to her lips. 

“Don’t worry baby,” he whispers in her ear, “You’re one of the only ones left in the office. It’s already past seven.” Her eyes widen. She hadn’t realized that it was already that late. 

Harry resumes his kisses along her collarbone. “But, someone might catch us.”

“I locked the door. Nobody will even bother to come by.” He smirks at her nervous expression. He wipes it away once his lips meet hers once again. He lifts her easily on top of her desk causing her pro-con lists to fall to the floor. At this point, she couldn’t bother to scold him to pick it up. She was too preoccupied by his lips that were sucking on her sweet spot below her ear. 

He lifts her legs up so that they are holding him in place. “These shorts plus those heels. Are you trying to kill me?” He growls. She gives him a cheeky smirk and begins to unbutton her blouse. 

“You know,” she purrs, “It’s always been a fantasy of mine to have sex in an office after hours. With you,” She begins to leave kisses along his jaw line, “bending me over,” she sucks on his neck softly, “and taking me me relentlessly until I’m,” she bites down on the growing bruise  on his neck caused by her lips, “screaming your name for all to hear.” She licks the now sensitive area causing Harry to growl. 

His growing bulge presses against her bare skin. “Ava. You know what it does to me when you talk like that.” He unbuttons the rest of her blouse ripping it off and throwing it across her office. He leaves heavy kisses against her now exposed skin causing her to moan with each nip. 

He lifts her off of the desk and pushes her against the desk her legs now spread out wide. She leans back so that her back is now laying against the cold wood. He unbuttons her shorts and slides them down. Ava takes her right leg and begins to run her heeled foot up his leg and against his member. “Shit,” he breathes out. His breathing now low and ridged. 

“Take me now, Harry.” 

It was in this moment that everything that she had told Stevie the day before about waiting until they were together again was thrown out the window. Seeing him here in front of her, in such a raw and animalistic state, caused every inch of her body to burn with a desire for him. 

And with one last accidental rub against him, Harry pulls down his strained jeans and bends down to attach himself to her - a feeling of nostalgia and need mixed with desire, passion, and love coursing through their bodies. 

This had felt right. Regardless of their setting. It was needed. 

Their moans and words of passion filling the small office and into the night. 

- 

Their bodies were sweaty against one another. It had been a few hours since their time in against her office desk. It was also a few minutes since their second time round back at Harry’s apartment. Her breathing was heavy against his chest. She traces her fingers around the sparrow tattoo on his chest. She felt a wave of peace run through her body like a current. Being with him and made all of the issues in her life seem to float away. 

He was what she needed. 

She couldn’t help but mentally slap at herself for pushing him away in the first place. If she had known that this would happen during her summer, she would have not overreacted that day at her apartment. She would have had a calm discussion about it. She would have heard him out and not let her own insecurities get the best of their relationship. 

She had a lot of baggage in her life. Her father and her mother’s lies were an example of just that. Yet he didn’t run away. Instead he held her close to his chest and whispered sweet words into her ear as she cried the pain away. He didn’t run away or back out. He stayed and fought for her. The demons of her insecurities and of the past keep coming back up. They try to bring her back down but she pushes them away. 

She had Harry. She didn’t have to worry anymore. With him, she could take over the world. He was her partner in crime, her best friend - with Harry, she could conquer all of the problems that life decides to throw in her way. 

With that thought in her mind, she leans up to his lips and kisses him fervently. Startled, Harry doesn’t respond right away. But he soon realizes what she is doing and returns the kiss. His hands find their way to her waist and hold her tight to him. Her fingers hold on to the nape of his neck as she deepens the kiss. 

“Baby,” he moans against her lips. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” She gives him another kiss and grinds her hips against his. 

“Ha, baby. We should probably take a break from that.” She giggles along side of him and rolls off his body. 

They lay in a comfortable silence. Their fingers intertwined. He looks over at her and places a soft kiss to her forehead. “What’s going through your mind right now?” He asks her gently. 

“My dad.” She confesses. 

His jaw clenches at the mention of her deadbeat dad. “What about him?” He tries to keep his voice calm. 

“I think I want to talk to him.” She confesses softly. 

“What?”  Harry looks at her, still holding her hand tightly with his own, but his eyes now widening. 

“I don’t know. I just- I’m curious, is all.” 

Harry takes a deep breath. His thoughts whirl around. “I’ll go with you.” He states confidently. Ava looks up at him surprised. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah.” He whispers back. 

“Okay.” She sits up and pushes her hair off her forehead. “Okay. I’m going to talk to my dad.”

- 

A/N: Well, that chapter heated up fast. Didn’t mean for that to happen. Ha! Anyways- I have been absolutely surprised, thrilled, and pee’d my pants slightly when I saw how many of you a) vote for my story b) read my story and c) actually LIKE my story. It is so crazy. Winter Air is almost in the top 100 in Fan Fiction -- OHMYGOSH! I seriously didn’t think anyone would read this story and actually like it. So THANK YOU! Thank you for actually liking my jumbled up mess that I claim to be a story. Ha! I love you all.  

Vote + Comment Because it still makes me smile. Last chapter is almost at 50 votes which is nuts because I thought it wasn’t my best one. So that’s rad! Ha. Anyways. LOVE YOU! 
Jenn xx 
PS: They made this story rated R so I had to delete the chapter and re-write it so that it wasn't. Oy.