Chapter 54 - James Apologized...

"What's so funny that you two are grinning from ear to ear?" Asked Pisces as she approached the two bodyguards with Ava walking in front of her, who was also curious as to why Chupsy and Mary looked so happy.

Chupsy and Mary only shook their heads, as they didn't want Ava to hear their answers. So they straightened themselves and stood like dummies.

"Is Pearl also here?" Ava asked curiously to no one in particular after seeing Chupsy was there with Mary.

Chupsy only nodded as she straightened herself up to make herself look more serious. However, she couldn't hide the half-smile that was still plastered on her face.

Ava couldn't wait to get inside the villa to find out why the two bodyguards were grinning from ear to ear when they arrived. Pearl must be the reason because she was always in a frenzy over anything. It must be something to do with her parents. She couldn't wait to find out.

Pearl and Akira were about to leave the villa when she entered. She could hear Pearl's anxious voice as she came in. She made haste so she could clearly understand what they were talking about.

"Akira, let's go and find Ava. She's the only one who could take care of this. I don't want to stay with my parents for the whole week that they're here. They're so strict, and if they find out that I do live streams, I will be in big trouble. You know what I mean, right?" Pearl said, pleading and almost in tears while holding and shaking Akira at the same time.

Ava heard what she said as she came in. "What made you think that my parents would listen to me? They're as strict as your parents, you know. All of our parents are the same, so there's nothing I can do." Ava said as she walked in then sat down right next to Akira on the sofa.

"Yea! But, your parents are nicer than my parents. Please, Avaaaa!!!!" Pearl begged, tears already running down her beautiful young face.

Ava felt terrible and decided to help her friend. "Alright! I will ask my parents if they can let us have our own room in the main hotel. I doubt they would approve, but I will give it a try." That made Pearl so happy, while Akira could care less.

===

Ava left to go back to their villa, knowing her parents should have arrived by then. However, she was shocked when she opened the door. There was no one there, not even Jeffrey.

She decided to go for a walk instead while waiting. She figured it would be a while before they arrived; she might as well take her time and walk around the beach.

Pisces was on the phone when she came out.

She motioned to her that she wanted to go for a walk. Pisces nodded and followed her while still conversing with whoever was on the phone.

Once they arrived at the beach area, Pisces just stood a few meters away from her to let her have privacy.

From the corner of Ava's eyes, she saw a silhouette walking in her direction; she ignored it and continued walking. When the person almost reached her, he spoke.

"Could I have a word with you?" James said. His voice was so kind, and his eyes were filled with tenderness.

Ava was stunned for a moment after clearly seeing who was in front of her. She contemplated for a moment and was unable to respond right away. Instead, she looked around to see if anyone else was with him. When she was sure that it was only the two of them, she nodded shyly.

They continued walking a little distance away from where Pisces was standing. She was still speaking on the phone, but her eyes were on them. Pisces knew James, so she wasn't concerned and let them be.

The wind was mildly blowing, and the sun was about to come down. It was a beautiful sight to see, but neither of them was looking at it. There was an eerie silence for a moment until they saw a dead log lying on the ground. James invited her to sit down.

He first cleaned the log of any debris before ushering Ava to sit down, then sat down right next to her, his arm brushing her arm for a brief moment.

===

He let out a heavy sigh before finding the courage to speak. He figured that they needed to clear the air before their parents arrived. He would start by introducing himself properly, then go from there.

"Ava, first, let me introduce myself properly. My name is James Jones, and I'm Akira's older brother and Ashton's twin brother." He stretched his hand out towards her for a handshake. He wasn't sure if she would accept his hand, but he had nothing to lose by trying.

Ava was stunned. Her eyes widened as she stared at his face, then at his hand. She was unsure if she should accept it or not. What did he mean he was Akira's older brother? Why did they hide their relationship from everyone? She couldn't comprehend what was going on; she was speechless.

When Ava hadn't made a move to accept his hand, and it had been a while, James lowered it down to his side sadly. James then thought to himself that since he already started it, he might as well go all the way.

"Ava... I'm sorry! I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings before. I was so young back then. I have always wanted to apologize to you for so many years now. Every time we went to the Philippines for vacation, I wanted to come with my mom and Akira to apologize, but I always chickened out in the end. So please, forgive me…." He repeatedly apologized.

Ava's head snapped up. She stared at James dumbfounded. She was at a loss for words. She couldn't understand why he apologized to her for something he had done so many years ago. What did he even do to her? She couldn't seem to remember any incident at all....