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I lean my head against his shoulder and take in the view as the evening sun dips below the mountains. “I’m scared to really let myself feel it all, though, because I can’t afford to fall apart. Not right now.”
“You do whatever the fuck you need to do, Avery. I’ll still be right here, sitting beside you.”
I take a sip of the tea and place it on the step beside me. “Creed wants me to date them again. A chance to get to know each other and build trust.”
He doesn’t look at me, but I feel him tense, bracing himself for the answer to the question that slips from his lips. “Are you going to?”
“After everything I just learned? Yeah, I am. My life has been one manipulation after another. I feel like a character on The Avery Show, but I refuse to let them win. Hawk and Creed fucked up, but it doesn’t change that what I felt for them was real. And after talking to them, I believe it was real for them too. And I really need something to be real right now, Ev, because my whole damn life is a lie.”
“I get it. It’s okay.” He wraps his arm around me, tugs me closer, and holds me tight.
“You know what else is real?” I murmur.
“What?”
“This. Us.” I pull back and look up at him. The expression on his face is a mix of hope and wariness. “Creed thinks I should date you too.”
“What? Why?”
“Because he can see it.”
“See what?”
I lean forward and brush my lips against his, pulling back before we get carried away. “That there is something between us. Something I don’t want to ignore anymore. I came back for a few reasons, but mostly, I came back for Hawk and Creed. I stayed for you.”
“So I could help you?”
“You could help me from anywhere. We both know that.”
He looks down at me and smiles, a dimple popping out on his cheek. “You want to date me, Avery?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
He leans forward and drags his nose across mine. “Does this mean I can fuck you?”
I can’t help the shiver that rocks through me. “I think there should be a third date rule.”
“Hmm… What about second base?”
“I’m open to the possibility.” I grin, surprised I have that in me after everything I just found out.
“I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give, Avery.”
We both freeze when we hear Creed’s voice. “Hey, Hawk, I think Ev’s trying to steal our girl.”
“She’s not just our girl anymore,” Hawk replies instantly.
“I know, but why is he out there getting kisses and we’re stuck in here with Oz’s ugly mug?”
We laugh at Oz’s “Hey!”
“Good question. Think we should kidnap her again?” Hawk asks, making Ev burst out laughing and me turn in their direction to see them watching us from the open doors.
“Too soon, asshole.”
With that, they both head our way, and I tense. Hawk sits beside me while Creed moves down a step to sit in front of me. “What are you two talking about?” Creed asks, his tone friendly, but I can tell he’s worried about me by the way his eyes tighten.
“Third date sex and rounding second base,” I answer, surprising everyone, including myself.
