Ava Comes Home by Lesley Crewe Read Free Book Online Page A

screamed blue murder when her siblings tried to take her upstairs to bed. They eventually had to leave her there. She slept in that chair for a month, until finally, at her wits’ end, her mother threatened to throw her fairy doll in the wood stove if she didn’t stop her nonsense.
    The thing that bothered Libby the most was when her mother came to school for some reason. Most of her friends had young, pretty mothers. Libby told some girls in her class that her Ma was really her Nana. Somehow it got back to her brothers and sisters and she got in trouble. There wasn’t much she didn’t get in trouble for, or so it seemed. With so many siblings expressing their opinions about her misdemeanors, she always felt she was letting someone down, no matter how she handled a situation. It was exhausting.
    Ava got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her head. She slipped on the hotel bathrobe and walked back to the king size bed. She threw herself on the mattress, face first, and groaned.
    Lola shouted from the open door of the adjoining suite. “That doesn’t sound too encouraging!”
    â€œKill me.”
    â€œSorry, if I do that, I’ll be out of a job and you know I’m up to my eyeballs in debt.”
    Ava turned over on her back and smirked. “And whose fault is that?” “Yours.”
    â€œOh?”
    â€œYippers. You look so damn good I have to spend a fortune to keep up appearances.”
    Ava tugged at her hair, looking for split ends. “What a lot of horse–radish. The only reason I look good is Maurice, and he’s not here at the moment, so you have no worries on that score.”
    â€œTrue that.”
    â€œBesides,” she laughed, “when I’m around, no one looks at you anyway.”
    A pillow sailed through the door and landed on Ava’s head. Lola followed suit. They tousled with the pillow for a moment but Ava won. She put it over her own face. “Do it. End it all.”
    Lola tore the pillow away from her. “No. I’m dying to meet your family properly and see where you grew up. It can’t be as awful as you say.”
    â€œOh, yes it can.”
    â€œSo, who cares? I’m still dying to see it. Did you live in a big house?”
    â€œNo. It’s about the size of my bedroom closet.”
    â€œThen it’s gigantic.”
    â€œHush up, Lo. I don’t want to go back there.”
    Lola stopped clowning around and sat up against the head board. “Why? It’s your family. You sound like you’re afraid of them.”
    Ava stared at the ceiling. “I guess I am.”
    â€œDon’t be silly. They love you.”
    When she didn’t answer, Lola shoved her with her toe. “I’m right.”
    â€œThey don’t know me well enough to love me.”
    â€œThat’s because you don’t let people in.”
    â€œNot this again.” Ava sat up. “I let you in, didn’t I?”
    â€œAnd you regret it enormously.”
    â€œYou took the words right out of my mouth,” Ava smiled. “I’ve got to get dressed. What should I wear?”
    â€œSomething black.”
    â€œShe’s not dead yet.”
    â€œThen something white, it might cheer her up.”
    â€œI’ll look like an angel come to take her to the other side. I don’t want her to have a heart attack on top of everything else.”
    â€œWear what you want,” Lola shrugged.
    â€œI can see now why I pay you the big bucks. You’re indispensable.”
    Lola got off the bed and sauntered into her room. “Remember that when my Christmas bonus comes around.” She shut the door behind her and left Ava to fend for herself.
    Ava tried on a half a dozen outfits and got annoyed that she was dithering about it. Standing in front of the mirror didn’t help. “Just put something on and get it over with.” She walked over to the win–dow and looked out on a