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“Oh, look at you, working with the government again.”
Avery says it slightly mockingly, but it makes me chuckle. It’s hard to be mad at her. Not now. Not when I know what she sounds like when she moans my name.
Someone clears their throat, and I tear my gaze away from Avery. Everyone is looking at us. Avery giggles, and when I glance at her, she’s got a cute slight blush working. Inwardly, I sigh. I don’t think I will ever not be infatuated with Avery. She just has something that calls to me, even though I know it will probably end in disaster.
Just like her worries about our neighbor had me spending the afternoon doing more digging on the guy. There is nothing there. It might be that he’s a creep, and no matter who lived in my house, he would stare at them. I have no idea, but it’s something that I shouldn’t have been worried about. But Avery was worried, so I worked on it. Of course, after we had lots of fantastic sex.
I needed to remember that this was fun and not anything serious. Otherwise, I would be freaking out. A woman like Avery has the ability to divert my attention with her insanity.
Dinner passes slowly. I want to get her home, in bed, and moaning my name, but my grandmother is a cockblocker. Travis and Nancy are talking about wedding plans, which makes me think she’s doing it on purpose. I mean, she will not shut up about her dress and the bridesmaids’ dresses. Avery seems to be just as irritated by the situation as much as I am.
She’s quiet on the way home, and I frown.
“What’s the matter?”
I feel her glance over at me, but I keep my eyes on the road. There’s always a chance of some kind of wild animal out on this road.
“Nothing. Just thinking about our neighbor. Did you find anything out about him?”
I shake my head just as we’re hitting the city limits of Juniper. “Nothing more than I already had. Norman has lived a normal and very boring life.”
She makes a harrumphing sound but says nothing else. I know she’s working things over in her mind.
“I just don’t think that’s his name. There is something off about him, and when he was at the meeting last night, he seemed completely pissed off at me.”
“Maybe because you’re convinced he’s some kind of stalker?”
“He has no idea. I think he’s a stalker. I’ve only told you and my sister. So don’t even try that with me. I know that something is off about him.”
There’s something weird about the guy. But without proof, there’s not much we can do about it. I glance over at Avery. Again, she’s looking out the window. She’s having second thoughts, I know. She thinks she’s complicated, and she is. Don’t get me wrong on that account. But I have my own issues and don’t usually have to break off relationships. I drive them away with my brooding or distance. At least, that’s what they typically say to me. Sienna was that exception.
I pull into the driveway and put the car in park. I look over at her again.
“Avery?”
She shakes herself and smiles at me. “Sorry.”
I hate that smile she gives everyone to make them think she’s okay. “Stop.”
Her smile fades. “What?”
“You don’t have to smooth things over with me, Avery.”
“I’m not trying to smooth things over. What are you talking about?”
“You don’t think I see how you use your personality to make sure everyone doesn’t know you’re hurting?”
She blinks. “I’m not.”
“Hurting? Yeah, you are. You aren’t sleeping.”
“I have had insomnia since I was in my teens.”
“Before last night, when was the last night you had a full night of sleep?”
She chews on her lip, and I don’t think she will answer. I open my mouth to apologize, but she cuts me to the core.
“I can’t remember. It’s been months.”
