The Five Powerhouses Who Match the Unwilling Bride novel Chapter 281

Chapter 281 Don’t Leave Yet

Ava ground her teeth. “A dream? Are you sure you haven’t sobered up yet?”

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She lifted her hand and tapped his other cheek too. “What about now? Still dreaming?”

That seemed to shake Ryan awake a little.

“Ava?”

The instant he realized what he was doing, he let her go. Ava took the chance to pull free and moved straight to the couch across from him.

Ryan blinked, looked around, and slowly pieced things together. He was back in his own apartment at Crescent Bay. His eyes returned to Ava, who was already sitting at a safe distance.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out. “I really didn’t mean that. Just now, I honestly thought I was dreaming.”

He sat up properly, scrubbed a hand through his hair, and hurried to explain himself. “I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you. I also wasn’t pretending to be drunk.”

Ava looked at him coolly. “If you know you can’t drink, then stop overdoing it.”

Ryan gave a meek little hum. Then, almost ridiculously obedient, he placed both hands on his knees and sat there like a schoolboy listening to a lecture. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“There wasn’t anything in the kitchen,” Ava told him, “so I only boiled some water. Do you want any?”

He nodded, then added softly, “I don’t stay here often. Most of the time, no one lives here.”

Ava brought the cup over and set it down in front of him. “It’s still warm. Drink it when it cools a little.”

Then she went on, “Since you’re awake now, I’ll call a car and head back to school.”

Ryan’s reaction was immediate. His eyes widened. “You’re leaving now? It’s late.”

Ava replied, “I still have class early tomorrow.”

He stared at her. His eyes were faintly red, and there was something in them that made him look almost aggrieved. “Can’t you stay tonight? I really didn’t mean what happened earlier.”

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12:53 Thu, Jul 23

Chapter 281 Don’t Leave Yet

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He got up, walked over, and crouched down in front of her. Looking up at her from below, he spoke in a low voice. “Ava, it’s been more than a month since I last saw you. I missed you so much.”

Then he asked again, quieter this time, “Can you stay?”

Ava met his gaze. “I really do have morning classes. Your place isn’t close to school.”

“I’ll drive you back myself tomorrow morning,” Ryan replied immediately. “Please.”

At that moment, Ava suddenly understood why Dolly had called him clingy.

She had not been wrong.

“Ava,” Ryan continued, his eyes fixed on her, “if you leave, then I’ll be here alone again.”

Ava lifted one finger. “What’s this?”

He answered without hesitation, “One.”

She raised a second finger. “And this?”

“Two.”

Then Ryan frowned. “See? I’m awake. I wasn’t even really drunk before. I just got sleepy after drinking.”

Still crouching there, he looked at her and called her name again. “Ava. Stay, alright? This place gets cleaned regularly, so it’s not dirty.”

As if afraid she might misunderstand, he quickly added, “We don’t have to sleep together. That’s not what I mean. I just haven’t seen you for so long. I really missed you.”

Ava gave his shoulder a light pat. “Alright. I heard you. I’ll go back tomorrow morning instead. Happy now?”

Ryan’s whole face lit up at once.

“Then go take a shower,” Ava told him. “You smell like alcohol.”

Ryan immediately went off to bathe.

After sitting there for a short while, Ava got up and walked into the bedroom. She opened the closet, found a clean set of sheets and a fresh duvet cover, then stripped the bed and remade it herself.

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12:53 Thu, Jul 23

Chapter 281 Don’t Leave Yet

By the time she finished and turned around, Ryan was standing at the door.

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His hair was still damp. All the makeup from the stage was gone, and he had changed into simple black sleepwear.

Ava glanced at him. “Your bed’s ready. Go sleep.”

Ryan looked at the freshly made bed, then back at her. “Ava, thank you.”

Her gaze dropped to his wet hair. “Where’s the hair dryer? Sit down. I’ll dry it for you.”

Ryan went to get it at once, then came back and sat in the chair without a word.

When Ava switched on the dryer, her fingers slipped through his hair as she dried it.

Ryan unconsciously straightened his back.

He could feel every small movement of her hand. Her fingers passed through his hair again and again, and she was standing so close that he could even sense the warmth of her beside him.

His heartbeat started to pound.

By now, he was fully awake.

Even so, the feeling in his chest was stronger than when he had actually been drinking.

Her scent was everywhere around him, not heavy, just faint and clean, yet impossible to ignore. Every breath he drew in seemed touched by her.

Slowly, heat crept back across his face.

After a while, Ava turned off the dryer. “Done. It’s late, so get some sleep. We both need to be up early tomorrow.”

Ryan nodded at once. “Okay. You can sleep in the main bedroom. I’ll take the room next door.”

Ava opened her mouth slightly.

That had been exactly where she meant to sleep.

Ryan went to look for clothes, then came back with a set of pajamas and handed them to her, “I’ve worn these before, but they’re clean. If you don’t mind, you can wear them tonight.”

After a pause, he added, “Later, I’ll buy some women’s clothes and keep them here.”

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12:53 Thu, Jul 23

Chapter 281 Don’t Leave Yet

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Then he looked at her, eyes bright. “Good night, Ava. I’ll take you back to school in the morning. I won’t let you be late.”

After that, he left the room, opened the guest room door, and turned back once more.

“I’m really happy today,” he told her. “Good night.”

Only after he went out did Ava head into the bathroom.

When she finished showering, she picked up the pajamas he had left for her. The top alone was big enough to hang loosely past her thighs. Even after rolling the sleeves up several times, they still looked long on her.

She climbed into bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and switched off the light.

That night, she slept deeply and without dreams.

The next morning, the alarm jolted her awake. Ava got up in a hurry, changed back into yesterday’s clothes, opened the bedroom door, and walked out.

The sound of movement made Ryan turn immediately from the living room. “I brought breakfast back. Come eat while it’s hot.”