“Yes, Ava has told me lots about you.” I smile wickedly at my girl as she practically chases me around the small table. “I’ll look forward to meeting you.” I raise my brows, and Ava recoils. It doesn’t sit well, and the reason stings like a bitch. My unknown age. She’s worried her parents won’t approve.

“You too,” she says, sounding hesitant. “Is she there?”

“Yes,” I murmur, my mood dipping. “I’ll put her on. It was lovely to talk to you.”

I pass Ava her mobile and throw her a warning look when she snatches it. So unnecessary. I was only trying to break the fucking ice. Isn’t that the right thing to do? Introduce oneself to your girlfriend’s mother? Not that I’ve ever had to do that before.

“Mum?” She turns away from me, and I pout, watching as she hunches over, like making herself small will lessen the chances of me hearing.

“He’s just a friend, Mum,” she says. It’s my jaw’s turn to scrape the ground. I’m raging, could quite easily claim that phone back and put Ava’s mother right, but, instead, I plunge an imaginary knife through my heart. Ava rolls her eyes, then I see her visibly solidify, swinging away from me. What was that?

“Mum, can I call you back?” she asks, and my suspicions increase. “I’m in Camden; it’s loud.” She’s being shifty. “Okay, I’ll call you later.” She hangs up and takes a few moments before facing me.

Her face is tight with anger. “Why did you do that?”

Keep your cool, Jesse. It’s tough when I’m constantly trying to advance our relationship and she’s constantly putting the brakes on it. “He’s just a friend?” I say, not prepared to let that slide. “Do you often let friends fuck your brains out?”

I expect a slap, not that I deserve one, it’s just that . . . well. Ava. But as I’m bracing myself, she seems to fold, and defeat looks utterly shit on her. “Is it your mission objective to make my life as difficult as possible?”

“No,” I breathe. That hurt. “I’m sorry.” It actually hurt.

“Forget about it.” She whirls around and starts walking away, and I trudge after her, giving myself a thorough telling off. My age bothers her. Her parents’ opinion bothers her.

Obstacles. Constant fucking obstacles.

I shouldn’t be making this harder for her because in the process I’ll be making it harder for me. Fuck everything.