Author's Note: This chapter is set during Chapter 15 of Season 8 "Girl Meets I'm Going Home."
Ava's POV
I went with the Matthews to Central Park. We watched KC as she burned her contract with Liberty Records. Auggie and I started swaying to the music, holding hands. I laid my head on his shoulder. He kissed me on my head.
After the concert, Auggie and I were sitting in his living room, watching the news.
"I can't believe she set off a chain reaction," Auggie said.
"I can," I said. "She's awesome."
"Yeah," he said. "I love you, Ava."
I smiled.
"I love you too, Auggie," I said.
"What was it like before we met?" He asked me.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I know your parents fought a lot," he said, but you never really told me how it made you feel.
"Well, do you remember our book club?" I asked him. He nodded. "My mom wouldn't read to me. She was too busy yelling at him. When I asked her to, she told me to read it myself and that it would make me weak. Your mom and dad made me realize just how messed up that was."
"I'm sorry, Ava," he said.
"My dad hardly acknowledged me, and acted like I was a waste of space," I said. "My mom would act like she was better than everyone else to make it seem like everything was perfect." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Then she'd buy me all kinds of stuff, so that's what I thought everyone had to do. I'm glad she's changed because of our relationship, but…it didn't feel like she even loved me."
"Does it still feel like that?" He asked me.
"No," I said. "After CYFD had me stay here; I think she realized she never spent time with me. She just had focused on work. So, we started spending more time together. She cried when she found out what Kevin did to me and even more when I lost the baby. She hugged me and didn't let go for a long time."
I leaned into him and laid on his chest.
"I love you, Ava," he said.
"I love you too," I told him.
I looked at the TV again and slowly drifted off to sleep in his arms.