Ex-Husband's Regret

"He's married to Ava?" I asked, completely and utterly shocked.

"Yes" he answered, then his eyes narrowed. "Why do you seem so shocked by that news?"

Shrugging, I answered. "Probably because I am."

And I was. I never once saw this coming. Not one fucking bit. Like I said, Rowan loathed Ava, so how did he end up with her? How the hell did things change so much that he was now all rainbows and shit?

The Rowan I remembered was moody, angry, bitter and had a chip the size of a whole galaxy on his shoulder. He had a constant frown etched on his face and had rarely smiled. All that change happened after he slept with Ava and broke things off with Emma.

This new version of him reminded me of when he was still with Emma. His face used to light up whenever he saw her or was near her. He constantly smiled as if the mere presence of Emma in his life made him happy.

Given all these, you can understand my skepticism that Ava made him this happy. Unless something changed while I was gone. Something huge. Or maybe they just decided to stay together for the sake of their children.

"It's really not nice to assume things about other people" Gabriel's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to face. "I wasn't assuming anything, Gabriel. I just went by what I knew. I'm not saying this to be mean or anything, but it's hard to imagine Rowan happy with Ava when he clearly hated her and for a long time too. What was I supposed to think? The only possible explanation in my head, given the hatred he had for Ava was that they'd divorced and he'd married Emma"Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

There was a beat of silence as he just stared at me. It was like he didn't know what to do with me or how to handle what I had just told him.

When he didn't speak, I continued. "It's unfathomable that someone can get from that high degree of hate to pure love. I would say it's nearly impossible for that to happen. It would take a divine miracle." "It's been years, Harper. People change," he uttered in a soft voice.

As the words left his mouth, I couldn't help but wonder if he was talking about Rowan or himself. Instead of dwelling so much on it, I pushed that thought away, not really ready to accept his words. "So how did they reconcile? Or are they still together because of the kids?" I asked casually and curiously.

"As you thought, they did get a divorce. In fact, it was Ava that asked for one. A few months later, James died and Emma came back for the burial. We all thought that with Emma back it would be a done deal that she and Rowan would get back together. They did, but it didn't last. None of us, including Rowan, counted on the effect it would have on him when Ava started moving on with another man."

Gabriel then proceeded to give me a quick run down of everything that happened. It was a short summary, but it had every important detail. By the time he was done, I couldn't believe it. "Well," I muttered still reeling from the shock. "I never thought I'd see the day when Rowan was in love with Ava"

Just then Ava walked out of the

house using a different door. As if sensing her; Rowan turned to his

wife, his eyes and face lighting up at seeing her. She smiled and after placing some food on the table,

went to her husband.

Rowan quickly snagged Ava around the waist before bringing her close to him. Right in the middle of the backyard, he kissed her, not really caring that others were around.

When he pulled away, she said

something that made him throw his

head back and laugh. He then stared at her like she was the only one that mattered. Like she was the most important woman in his eyes.

"Wow" the words slipped out of my mouth without me meaning to.

elmet

If I had thought the way he used to stare at Emma was beautiful and captivating, then I was so damn wrong. Nothing compares to the way he stares at Ava. Ava had Rowan wrapped around her finger. It was clear to see that she held his

heart in her hands.

"Come on" Gabriel took my hand and started dragging me to the rest of the family. "I'm starving."

I couldn't help but shiver when his warm hand engulfed mine. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't have it. He firmly held mine in place.

"I believe you're the only one who doesn't know about Harper and Lilly, Ava," Gabriel told Ava once we got to the rest.

"Oh, I already know about them. I was just waiting for the official introduction," she answered, her eyes shining.

Ava is a natural beauty, but when she smiled, it took her beauty to a whole new level.

Gabriel groaned beside me, before looking at his brother. "Seriously Ro, you couldn't keep this one thing a secret from Ava?"

"Nope," Rowan smiled while popping the p at the end. "There are no secrets between us."

Gabriel's jab was meant to shame his brother, but Rowan didn't look ashamed at all. In fact, he looked really pleased with himself.

Ava rolled her eyes and pulled me in for a hug, "Forget about these two overgrown babies. I'm Ava, but you already know that, given, we had some classes together in high school."