Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream #2) Read Free Page B

with nerves—something he was used to dealing with for a completely different reason. He could stand in front of a crowded stadium or a room full of paparazzi ready to dissect his every word and every move, yet here he was, metres from an unconscious woman, completely consumed with anxiety. She had to wake up. She had to be okay. Although he had driven hours with every intention of making her life as miserable as he possibly could, he had never wanted to see her get hurt.
    “Ava, please,” Michael pleaded as he pushed a stray curl from her forehead.
    “She’s coming round,” Tyler mumbled as Ava’s eyelids began to flutter. Not open, but there was a definite movement.
    “Okay. Come on, Ava,” Michael whispered one more time before her delicate eyelids flickered open.
    Tyler had never experienced such relief as he stepped out of her line of sight and watched as she slowly came around. Her eyes were darting about, trying to piece together the situation but not really focusing. Her cheeks were slowly filled with a red blush that crept over her body.
    “You’re okay, Ava. Don’t try to sit up yet. Just give it a second,” Michael instructed and Ava immediately complied. She stopped fidgeting and fretting and instead just trusted Michael implicitly. “Ava, did you hurt anything?”
    After a pause that Tyler could have sworn lasted an eternity, Ava began to murmur, “Umm…my head is fuzzy.”
    “That’s okay. Anywhere else?”
    Rubbing her hand across her eyes, Ava’s face was squished with concentration as she tried to form words. Tyler could have sworn he heard her heart beating faster than a drum. “My…my wrist.” She massaged her left wrist.
    Instantly Michael took it in his hands and inspected the offending appendage. “You’ll be fine. It looks like you banged it as you fell, probably on the coffee table, but it doesn’t look broken. Maybe just bruised. Take it easy. You ready to sit up?” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped her to sit.
    Tyler watched as her eyes rolled about. She was still clearly out of it. He didn’t dare to speak or approach her, instead he found himself taking a step backwards and slumping his shoulders in an attempt to make himself as small as possible.
    “How’s that?” Michael asked, seemingly having forgotten about Tyler standing behind him.
    “Okay,” Ava whimpered, clutching at her head. Clearly she was lying.
    “Ava, Amanda’s here. She’s going to take you to the bathroom to wash your face. That should help,” Christopher announced as he stepped to Ava’s side.
    Michael and Christopher pulled Ava to her feet slowly and held her hands until she stopped swaying. Then a skinny young girl with wild curly brown hair and wide green eyes stepped up beside Ava and took her hand. “Come on, Ava. Let’s get you cleaned up,” she cooed softly, like she was talking to a child.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
    Ava
     
    Ava’s eyes darted about the room frantically as her mind tried to piece together what had happened, when her gaze locked on Tyler’s. Instantly she knew. She didn’t know how or why or when, but she knew. Tyler was standing before her in all his perfect sexiness and she had lost it. Then suddenly she was self-conscious. Ava knew how bad she must look. Hell, she knew she looked like something the cat had dragged in before she collapsed, so after that she could only imagine.
    “Come on, Ava. I’m sure you’ll feel more human after you’ve washed your face.” Amanda snickered knowingly as she led her out of the room before Ava had the chance to give herself a panic attack.
    Ava allowed herself to be led away but her gaze never wavered. Instead it was locked in a penetrating battle with Tyler’s steely glare. Was he mad? Ava couldn’t help but wonder. Stumbling over her own feet, Ava was forced to focus on the task at hand, placing one foot in front of the other as she wobbled her way towards the bathroom.
    It