It was honestly scary running into Alec and seeing what Jordi had been dealing with all along. It hurt to think she was dealing with all of that alone while I walked away and started a life elsewhere. It wasn't really my fault, she acted like such a horrible person towards me, but it wasn't her fault either. It was all Alec.

It was in that moment when Gabe and I reached the house and I looked down at the bruise on my arm that I realized how much I wanted to get my best friend back. I didn't want to lose her over something so messed up. It wasn't my fault or hers, and I didn't want our friendship to be destroyed because of that abusive jerk. We'd never be able to be as close as before, especially if she chose to date my ex-boyfriend, but we could still be friends.

Gabriel was very understanding, he seemed to get why I was so upset. He sat with me while I called her, and when she answered, she was smiling happily at me.

"Hey, Ava!" Jordi said.

"Hi!" I smiled.

"What's up?" She asked me.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to talk to you." I said with a smile.

"I miss you, Ava." She sighed, plopping down on a couch.

"I miss you too... I've actually been thinking... we shouldn't let what happened come between us." I said to her.

"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to get away from me... I was horrible." She told me.

"I don't care... you weren't horrible because you wanted to be... it's ok... it doesn't matter anymore, Jordi. I just want my best friend back." I said to her.

"I'd love to have my best friend back too." She said.

"Do you want to come visit me in Vancouver sometime?" I asked her.

"That would be really nice, Ava. There's one problem though." She told me.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Noah is going to want to come with me." She told me.

"Why?" I asked her.

"Because he's my boyfriend now and he's super protective." She told me, looking nervous.

"Well, if he's your boyfriend now, then... there shouldn't be a problem right?" I asked her.

"I guess... I just don't want you to be uncomfortable." She said to me.

"I won't be, Jordi. Noah and I didn't do anything serious together. We wasted a year trying to make something pointless work... if he's willing to put that behind him and stop being weird about it, then I'm perfectly fine with you coming to visit and him coming with you... as long as my boyfriend is ok with it as well." I said.

"You have a boyfriend?!" Jordi squealed.

"Yup! And I can't wait for you to meet him!" I smiled.

"That's amazing, Ava. How long have you two been a thing?" She asked me.

"Well, we've known each other for a little over two years now, but we've been in a relationship for almost two months." I smiled, looking at Gabe.

"He's right there with you, isn't he?" She asked me.

"Yeah." I chuckled, my cheeks turning red.

"Hey, Buddy! Don't you dare hurt her. We may not be as close as we once were, but I'll still kill you if she gets hurt." Jordi said.

"I could never hurt my doctor." Gabe said, sitting up and kissing my cheek.

Jordi laughed on the other side of the phone.

"Hi, Jordi... I'm Gabriel." Gabe smiled.

"Hello, Gabriel... you really better not hurt her, it's for your own good." Jordi said to him.

"I would never hurt the love of my life." Gabe said.

"It's he a cutie?!" Ava squeaked.

"He is... so... do you also live in Vancouver, Gabriel?" Jordi asked.

"Yeah, I do... I was raised there." He smiled.

"And how did you guys meet? Are you also a doctor?" Jordi asked.

"Nope. I'm a teacher. It all started with this beautiful doctor giving me stitches." He said.

Jordi gasped.

"Ava! I didn't think you had it in you to date a patient." Jordi teased.

"She doesn't... which is why I had to wait two whole years for this one to finally agree to a date." Gabe said, sighing heavily.

"Of course she made you wait two years." Jordi laughed. "That's Ava for you."

"You guys are bullies." I pouted.

"Don't listen to her, it's emotional blackmail." Gabe said.

I laughed and pushed his head away.

"Get out of here, Meanie." I chuckled.

He laughed and took my free hand, kissing the back of it.

"So, are you in Vancouver now?" Jordi asked me.

"No. Gabe and I flew to Canton so he could meet Mom and Dad. But we'll be back in a few days." Ava explained.

"Ah, I see... do you two live together?" She asked me.

"Not yet. But we're gonna search for a place as soon as we get back." I told her.

"You two are moving in with each other?" She asked me.

"Yup." I smiled.

"That's amazing, Ava! This is so exciting!" She smiled.

"I'm excited." Ava admitted with a nod.

"Make sure to send lots of pictures when you pick your place. I'll come visit once you two are settled." Jordi told me.

"That sounds amazing. Let's keep in touch, ok? We may not be able to get as close as we used to be after everything that happened, but let's just stay in contact and still be good friends." I said.

"I'd love that... thanks, Ava. You really made my day." Jordi smiled.

"Don't thank me, Jordi... I'm just glad we can still talk." I smiled.

"Me too... did you take Gabriel on a tour of the town?" She asked me.

"Yeah. I took him to our dance spot." I giggled.

"That was always fun." Jordi chuckled.

"Yeah." I chuckled. "When you come to Vancouver, we can establish a new spot like that." I laughed.

"Oooh, it would be really fun to find a good spot together." Jordi smiled.

"Yeah, we can do lots of exploring together." I smiled.

"I'm excited to meet Gabriel in person as well, I'm so happy for you, Ava." She smiled at me.

"And I'm happy that you and Noah are together. And I genuinely mean that." I told her.

"I find that hard to believe... I still struggle with the fact that he cheated on you and hurt you." She sighed.

"No, Jordi... he didn't hurt me. I never cared enough about him for it to hurt... And I just wasn't right for him, but maybe you are. You two have always had a special connection, and I'm happy that you two are together. I don't believe he'd ever cheat on you." I told her.

"You're right. I trust him... I trust that he won't hurt me. But I hate his past." She said.

"But if you're the one he changed for, then it's over. It's done, Jordi. The past is the past, you don't have to think about it." I said to her, feelings Gabriel rub my back.

"Do you really genuinely support this? You don't hate that I can be with him, even after knowing he cheated on my best friend?" She asked.

"I don't hate you. I'm telling you that I think you're the one for him. He's always had a special place in his heart for you. I mean for God's sake he calls you 'Sugar'. He always respected you enough to leave you and your friends out of his games, and he always protected you from everything. And I think that now that both of you are available and the past is in the past. You two might just be meant for each other. He won't cheat on you, Jordi. He can't hurt you like that." I told her.

"You know I really believed that he changed for you and that he loved you... I'm sorry that I maybe pushed for you two to be together." She sighed.

"No. Please don't be sorry. You thought he was genuine and so did I. It turned out horribly, but look where we are now? Both of us are so much happier, right?" I asked her.

"Right." She nodded.

"And maybe a lot of the not so good stuff had to happen for us to get here." I said to her.

"I think you're right. Thank you for being so supportive, Ava. Even when you really didn't have to be." She said.

"Of course I had to be, what are friends for?" I asked her.

"You're too sweet." She smiled.

"Alright, I'm gonna get back to my parents and Gabe... I'll talk to you later, ok? Keep in touch." I said to her.

"I will... I'll text you later tonight." She smiled.

"Sounds good, see ya, Jordi!" I chuckled.

"See ya!" She giggled, hanging up.

I put my phone down and looked at Gabriel.

"Hi." Gabriel smiled.

"Hi, wanna go see how the dinner they're making is going?" I asked him.

"Yeah, let's go." He smiled, kissing my forehead.

We went out onto the deck to find a little fire in the middle of it. Dad had put that firepit to good use.

"Wow, something smells delicious." Gabe smiled.

"I made burgers." Dad smiled.

"Yum. Did you guys already eat?" I asked.

"No, not yet, we were waiting for you two." Dad laughed.

"Ah, it's good you didn't eat yet. I'm gonna make sure we all get the best burgers any of you have ever tasted." Gabe smiled.

"How?" I asked.

"Toppings are what make or break a burger." He told me.

Dad took Gabriel to the kitchen and they came back with so much stuff. Dad brought out the burgers he made and Gabe started teaching us all about how important each topping was. He put it all together and gave my dad the first bite.

Dad's eyes widened and he smiled.

"Oh my God. You have to try this, guys!" Dad said, devouring his burger in the time that it took Gabe to make my mom one. After my mom's burger, it was my turn, but Gabe stole a bite. He made my dad another one and then he made himself one. I made sure to steal a bite of his to make it even. My bite may have been double the size of the one he took out of my burger, but that was a minor detail that could be overlooked.

We ate our burgers and then Gabe started telling stories about Theo and Romeo and how crazy they were. Mom and Dad loved hearing Gabe's stories. We all stayed up by the fire and we continued with telling stories. I eventually got into Gabe's lap and cuddled into his chest with a blanket around my shoulders.

I listened to the story of fifteen year old Romeo and how he embarrassed a girl that wouldn't leave Gabe alone.

"The girl was so persistent, she knew my family was rich and she was so obsessed with the idea of having me. But I told her a million times that I didn't want her to get near me. Romeo had just come into the school. I was in my last year. He saw her trying to get at me again and he walked over. He started being his charming self, not even really saying much and she switched to trying to get to him. But he started loudly asking her why she could take a hint. I hated drawing attention to myself, so I didn't really enjoy that experience, but it did the trick." Gabe smiled.

"What did he make you do for that? If I know Remi, I know that he made you give him or get him something to pay him back." I smiled.

"Yeah, I took all ten of his next shifts at the kitchen with Sophie and I also took his gym shifts for a week." Gabe sighed.

"That's harsh." I chuckled.

"Tell that to him, he's the one who wouldn't compromise." Gabe said. "But anyway, I like kitchen duties with Soph. It gives me time with my sister."

"Ugh, why are you so cute?" I asked him.

He laughed and kissed my forehead.

Mom and dad started asking about the rest of the family and Gabe ended up drawing a family tree for them. Then they asked about each family member and I knew Mom was taking mental notes about it all.

After staying up for quite some time, we went off to bed and I felt the urge to stay with Gabriel. But he insisted on respecting Dad's wishes and sleeping in separate beds.