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“No, this is just my face. Call it weird if you want.”
“Funny, Avery”
The sound of Blue Phoenix joins us in the room. “Do you miss Dylan so much that you need to listen to him wailing before you go to bed?”
Bryn spits wine in amusement and wipes his mouth. “No. Avery, you say some funny shit and I think that's why I like you.” He grabs the bottle from the table and tops my glass. “Cute Welsh girl, do you miss Wales much?”
I scowl at his choice of words. “Sometimes. Do you?”
“Sometimes.”
“I’m unsure if I belong anywhere apart from where I grew up. I don't know if I should've left,” I admit.
“You mean you don't think you should've studied? That would be a waste. You're too smart to waste your life in a dead-end job.”
“A dead-end job like waitressing?”
“No, a dead-end job you're capable of doing.” He chuckles.
I poke my tongue out at his poking fun. “I really want to be a teacher but sometimes I don't think I'll be any good at it.”
“How do you know?”
I drain my glass and pass it to Bryn for a refill. “I don't know. I'm not overly confident in case you hadn't noticed.”
“You're young; confidence comes. I was a shy kid and bloody terrified when Blue Phoenix hit the big time. Now look at me.”
“Cocky bugger?”
“I think the word you're looking for is self-assured.”
“Hmm. If you say so.”
“Follow your dreams, Avery. Okay, you left your friends and family behind and you're doing something different to them. So what?”
“I guess.” I gulp more wine and relax back into the soft cushions. “I started separating myself from the past last year when things ended with Martin. I think that was the first step to losing what was holding me back.”
When Bryn doesn't respond, I glance at him. He's peering into his wine glass, mouth tighter.
“Bryn?”
He tips the remaining wine into his mouth. “Yeah. Maybe.”
The sudden shift in mood isn't unnoticed and the sharp edges of Bryn are visible again. “You’re right,” I say lightly. “I'll finish my degree, suck it up, and start my teacher training. If I fail, I fail, but that won't be the end of the world.”
“You won't fail,cariad,” he says. “I think you're more capable than you realise.”
We lapse into silence again, with Bryn disappearing into his own thoughts. I tap the side of the cool wine glass and sit with mine too. Together, we create a strangely peaceful environment, even more enjoyable for me because the room isn't the temperature of a fridge.
The stressful evening and wine conspire to make me sleepy and I stifle a yawn. “I should go soon.”
Bryn breaks his reverie. “Stay?”
“It's fine; call me an uber.”
The expectation hovers—unspoken attempts to gauge what happens next, and read body language cues. Intense brown eyes look into mine and tell me exactly what he’s planning to do. I fight to hide what I want from showing in mine, but I'm damn sure I'm easily readable.
Bryn breaks the moment and sets his empty glass on the table. “I'll be straight with you, Avery. I'm not a nice guy to be around right now. I'm getting over a… thing I had with a girl and I’ve basically spent my time getting drunk and screwing around.”
