Ex-Husband's Regret (Ava and Rowan) novel Chapter 543

Sierra.

The ringing of my phone interrupts my sleep. I groan and try to ignore it, burrowing deeper into the warmth of my blankets. I am tired and the last thing I want is someone calling me at odd hours, interrupting my precious sleep.

Whoever it is, they can wait.

The ringing stops and I sigh in relief. I bring my cat closer and curl tighter around her, pressing my face into her soft fur. I was just about to fall back to sleep when the damn ringing started again.

I grope blindly for it on the nightstand, knocking over a water bottle in the process. I should’ve switched the damn thing off like I usually do.

I’m a biologist, so you can imagine the crazy hours I put into research. When I do get time to rest, I’ve learned to guard it like it's gold.

Eyes still shut and assuming it's a colleague, I swipe to answer and grumble into the phone, “This better be important.”

“Si? Are you awake?” her sweet familiar voice breaks through the haze.

My body goes rigid. That voice... I know it like a lullaby. The fogginess immediately clears and I snap awake.

“Hi, Aunt Ava,” I reply sheepishly, sitting up in my bed, guilt warming my cheek for being rude to her.

My cat, Blackie, meows, communicating her annoyance at the disturbance. To calm her down, I pull her onto my lap and pet her back, watching as she curls up and goes back to sleep.

“Did I wake you?” she asks, her tone laced with genuine concern

I’ve known this woman since I was eight. She’s like my second mom. I love her so much; I would do anything for her, including telling a little white lie.

“No, you didn’t.” I lie, clearing my throat to sound more alert than I feel.

“You do realize I can tell when you are lying, right, Si?” she asks with a chuckle.

My heart warms at her nickname for me. She says it with so much love and affection. I’ve never understood why she would treat me like her own daughter when her son hated me so much.

I close my eyes for a brief second, smiling into the empty room.

“Sorry,” I murmur sheepishly.

There are only a handful of people who truly know me—my mom, my grandma, Aunt Ava, Aunt Harper, and Lilly, my best friend.

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