Chapter 271

Ava's POV I was still fuming about how Joseph flirted with those women at The Social Club. That's why I found myself chatting with Theo, one of Ruby's brother Jax's friends. Our conversation flowed easily, and yes, I was deliberately flirting with him. Pure anger and jealousy were driving me. Even when Joseph drove me home afterward, I intentionally mentioned that my mom wouldn't be home Wednesday, letting him build up expectations before crushing them by canceling our plans. If he thought he could play with my feelings, he had another thing coming. I wasn't that foolish girl who gave her heart away too easily anymore. Any relationship worth having needed to pass tests first. I wasn't about to let smooth talk and calculated moves win me over, even if Joseph did make my heart flutter. His charm, his attentiveness—it was working on me more than I cared to admit. When I walked into my apartment this morning, it looked like a flower shop had exploded inside. Those cliché red roses were eve