Maura West dishes about General Hospital's Ava Jerome, Ava and Austin, and more

Are you Team Jolt (Ava Jerome and Austin Gatlin-Holt)? Maura West dishes about where things stand between her and Austin -- as well as several other key people in Ava's life.

Things have been heating up for Ava Jerome (Maura West) and Austin Gatlin-Holt (Roger Howarth) as Mason Gatlin (Nathanyael Grey) continues to blackmail Ava into cooperating with his mystery boss. Recently, Maura West sat down with Soap Opera Digest to discuss Ava's current predicament.

According to West, Ava is not ready for a relationship with Austin, despite their recent steamy encounter. "She's not ready for that relationship; she's not sure she wants that relationship! But you know, there's something irresistible about that Rogert (sic) Howarth that comes through into Austin!" West said. It's hard to argue. During Howarth's run as Franco Baldwin from 2013 to 2021, sparks flew between Franco and Ava when it was revealed that they had romantic history. (West and Howarth also shared the screen on As the World Turns as Carly Tenney and Paul Ryan.) From the looks of it, the chemistry between the actors is just as explosive.

West acknowledged that -- for now -- Ava and Austin are stuck with each other, since Mason is threatening to expose Ava as Nikolas Cassadine's (played by Marcus Coloma and his occasional replacement Adam Huss) murderer. However, viewers know that Mason has an alive and comatose Nikolas hidden in an undisclosed location. "When somebody knows a dark secret, in her words; you either have to kill them, or you're sort of at their mercy," West said. While Ava did confide to her best friend Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) about sleeping with Austin, Ava chose to keep silent about the fate of Nikolas and about sMason's evil intentions.

As for Austin, West conceded that Ava still has a lot of questions about her new lover. "He's still kind of a mystery to her. She doesn't really understand who he is. Why he's the way that he is? How is he beholden to Mason?" West said. However, West did admit that the uncertainty of Austin was a turn-on for Ava.

West also discussed Ava's complicated -- and often acrimonious -- relationship with Carly Spencer (Laura Wright). "In the last couple of years, when they're together, they have this tendency to begrudgingly offer each other grace, during all their scenes and during their showdowns and during their confrontations and conversations," West said of Ava's interactions with Carly. West believes that it shows some maturity for both Ava and Carly. Indeed, they have come a long way since the days when Carly wanted Ava to pay with her life for Ava's role in Morgan Corinthos' (Bryan Craig) tragic death.

Ava and Carly might never be friends, but both women have a deep love for Avery Corinthos (Ava Scarola). It's what also unites Ava and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), and why Ava ended up confiding the truth to her daughter's father about Mason's dangerous demands. "I'm having a good time with it. The Ava and Sonny stuff, for a long time, was really so adversarial. I mean, that's putting it lightly! It was a verbal assault, you know? And for good reason; it (sic) get it [laughs]. But to have these two characters have a meeting of the minds is so interesting to me because there is so many more levels you can play than just anger and fear," West said. West knows that the past will always be there, but Ava and Sonny have reached an uneasy truce.

That truce is especially timely, since Ava is one of Nina's only friends, and Nina is about to marry Sonny and become Avery's stepmother. "She genuinely wants her friend Nina to be happy. Whether she really thinks they belong together, I don't know, but she certainly wants Nina to be happy," West said. It's a good thing Nina has a friend like Ava because Nina has her own dark secrets that threaten to blow up her relationship with Sonny.

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Will Sonny be able to get Ava out of her sticky predicament with Mason? Can Sonny clear Ava's name by finding Nikolas and bringing him home? The future is uncertain, but we can be assured that the ride will definitely be interesting.

Are you interested in Ava and Austin as a couple? Where would you like to see her story take her? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.

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