The Queen's Back

"Regret won't help. You'll just have to find a way to salvage it. If you really don't want to marry Chelly, talk to her nicely, then cback here and go after Ava," Maxwell said. This was Bud's biggest headache. He didn't even know how to tell Chelly about the breakup.

After all, he had done everything have been done he was supposed to as her boyfriend, and even sthings he wasn't. Calling off the wedding now would make him look like a complete scumbag.

But if he married Chelly without truly loving her, it wouldn't be fair to her.

Only after starting his relationship with Chelly did he realize he might have feelings for Ava. Or maybe it was because Ava hadn't sent him any Whatmessages lately or shared her daily life with him. It hit him only then: he missed having Ava by his side. But he realized it too late. He had already made a huge mistake. He already had a girlfriend and was planning to get married.

It was night, and the sky was dark, making the stars above seem especially bright, like scattered pearls. After Ava and Mona finished their meal, Mona couldn't find a moment to speak with Ava privately. So, she went back to the Clem family to spend twith her grandparents, while Ava and Joseph went to see a movie. Joseph held Ava's hand as he walked her to the door. He didn't let go, just gazing at her with bright eyes. After a while, Ava looked up, puzzled, wondering why he hadn't released her hand.

Their eyes met in the quiet darkness.

Ava sensed Joseph's questions and asked, "Is there something you want to know?" Clearly, she was referring to Bud.

"Yes. What's your relationship with Bud?" Joseph asked. He had a vague guess in his heart.

Ava exhaled deeply and replied, "I used to love him a lot, but he didn't feel the same. He already has a girlfriend and is about to get married, so I let it go." When Ava decided to accept Joseph, she'd told him she had someone else on her mind. He'd said it didn't matter to him then, as long as she gave him a chance to becthe one in her heart.

Now, she didn't want to keep anything from him. Whether or not she still had feelings for Bud, even she wasn't sure.

Joseph's voice held a hint of nervousness as he said, "I figured as much. But how about now? Does he have any less of a place in your heart? Or, put another way, do I have more of one?" He had been acting for years, playing a wide range of roles.

The first the met Ava on set, he immediately sensed her inner conflict. On one hand, she wanted to live a happy life, and on the other, she seemed unable to be truly happy. After that first meeting, Joseph found himself drawn to Ava's contradictions.

He wasn't one to give up easily, and if he wanted something, he'd fight for it even if he might never fully get it. So, the third tthey met, he confessed his feelings for her. Ava shook her head honestly. "I don't know." After a moment's hesitation, she looked at him, feeling a pang of guilt for not loving him fully yet still being with him. She added, "If you're uncomfortable with this, you can break up anytime. I won't-" Before she could finish, Joseph pressed his fingers gently to her lips, whispering, "Ava, listen. The second tI saw you, I fell in love with you. The third twe met, I knew I had to tell you how I felt. And you finally agreed to be with me. So, I won't give up so easily. If I don't hold enough of a place in your heart yet, it just means I have to try harder. Don't talk about breaking up." Hearing his words, Ava felt she might have been too hasty in agreeing to be his girlfriend.

She looked at him carefully. His skin was smooth, his nose straight, and his eyes bright. He really did look like the dream partner so many admired.

Joseph met her gaze, his heart pounding faster as his eyes lingered on her lips.

He was still holding her hand, and he slowly leaned closer, wanting to kiss her.

Ava's heart raced as he moved closer.

She knew he was about to kiss her.

Though she didn't feel quite ready, she was, after all, his girlfriend. A kiss was natural.

With that thought, her lashes fluttered, and she closed her eyes, waiting for him.

She waited for a while, but the kiss didn't come.

She slowly opened her eyes to see Bud's furious face staring back at her. Before she could react, Bud punched Joseph directly in the face.

It happened so fast that Ava didn't have tto react. Bud's punch landed squarely on Joseph's face.

Joseph wasn't one to back down, though, and he punched back. In no time, the two of them were trading blows, one after the other, as Ava looked on in shock.

Ava rushed forward, trying to break up the fight, shouting, "What are you doing? Stop it, Bud! Are you out of your mind?" Even though Ava had closed her eyes momentarily, she knew it was Bud who'd started it. When she opened her eyes, she saw for herself that Bud had been the one t@throw the first punch.

"Out of my mind? Do you even know what he just tried to do?" Bud yelled back at her.

"What does it matter to you? He's my boyfriend, and he's done nothing to hurt me" ne Ava shot back, seizing a pause in the scuffle to walk forward and pull Joseph to her side. "Fine!" Bud snapped, pointing at her. "Your boyfriend, huh? I guess I'm the one being nosy." 'Fuck!' he cursed, gave a frustrated kick to a nearby stone pillar, and stormed off.

He'd chere hoping to talk things over with Ava, but he did not expect to see this scene in front of him.

He hadn't even thought it through-just yanked Joseph away right in front of her.

Only a few days ago, she'd kissed him when she was drunk. And now she could allow someone else to kiss her.

The more Bud thought about it, the angrier he got. He climbed into his car, but sat there, not starting it.

He just couldn't drive away like this after seeing Ava bring another guy hin the middle of the night.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, he cursed again. His mouth stung where Joseph had hit him, and the pain only fueled his anger. He punched the steering wheel, hard. 'One hour,' he thought to himself. 'If Joseph doesn't cout in an hour, I'm going in.'

Meanwhile, Joseph was still riding a wave of exhilaration after being brought hby Ava. This was his first tat Ava's place. He still had Fin to thank Bud for doing a good deed. Though he didn't kiss Ava as he'd hoped, without Bud's interruption, he wouldn't have a chance to get into Ava's house. He admitted to himself that he'd probably rushed things.

"Sit down for a minute, and I'll get smedicine," Ava said, letting go of Joseph's hand as she headed to the second floor.

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