AllFreeNovel
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Monroeville may be a small town, but it has a lot of places like what you’d find in a big city. We’ve got a grocery store, coffee shop, hair salon, and this gym, just to name a few. The place is pretty well empty this late at night on a Wednesday, except for a few moms on treadmills. I tug my gloves off, dropping them on the floor with my duffle bag and pull my water and phone out, checking my notifications.
Ford: Time for an intervention.
Dean: Damn. I was hoping we’d let him suffer for a few more days.
I roll my eyes.
Ford: Nah. It’s time. Jax, meet us at my place tomorrow at seven.
I scoff. Not happening.
Ford: You’ll be there, or I’ll post that picture of you in your retainer in the fourth grade in the town paper.
That bastard. He’s been holding on to that one for years, just waiting to use it.
Dean: See you boys tomorrow.
Fuck.
****
Knocking on the door, I glance around the neighborhood. Ford lives on a quiet, dead end street in Monroeville. Him and his then-wife Zoe bought the place shortly after we graduated from high school. They were high school sweethearts, hellbent on spending the rest of their lives together, but fate had different plans and Zoe died after childbirth. Now Ford is living here with his kids and his girlfriend Lex, who did live next door but has moved in with them.
The door swings open and Aria, his daughter, is standing in its frame.
“Hi Uncle Jax! Did you know boys have penises and girls have vaginas?” She asks and I cough out a laugh.
“Uh, y-yes munchkin, I did know that.”
“How?” She asks, her little brow furrowed. “Daddy told me. Did he tell you that he has a penis?” Jesus Christ.
“Munchkin, please stop saying penis.” I plead with her, shuffling her back and closing the door.
“Daddy says that, too!” She skips off down the hallway and I shake my head, making my way to the kitchen in search of Ford and Dean, whose truck is in the driveway. They’re both out on the patio, so I make my way out after grabbing a beer out of the fridge.
“Gentlemen,” I say, sliding the patio door shut and tipping my beer at the both of them.
“You look like shit,” Dean says, not wasting any time before diving right in. I roll my eyes.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” I drawl, dropping down into the chair next to Ford. “I didn’t come here for the two of you to bust my balls.”
“Shame, because that’s what’s about to happen.” That remark comes from Ford. I sigh.
“Just leave it, man. Whatever we had is over.” Dean scoffs at my comment, shaking his head.
“Bullshit.” He says and I narrow my eyes at him. “Fix it.”
Dean has always been protective of Avery; they’ve been close for years. They were neighbors when she was just a small girl and Dean left town, but they’ve always stayed in touch. Hell, at Christmas time he sold his old ‘Stang that he inherited and paid her rent for the entire year.
“There’s nothing to fix, Anderson. I told her I loved her, and she basically said ‘thanks, but no thanks’.” I drain the rest of my beer, over this conversation already.
“She’s scared,” he says, going on. “She’s never had anyone in her life that actually gave a shit, other than her friends. Her mom never gave her any real affection and her dad was never in the picture. That shit takes a toll on a person.” My heart twists painfully at his comment, knowing that someone as incredible as Avery has spent so many years feeling alone.
“Speaking of that, Dana showed up the other day.” Dean and Ford both go silent.
“Fuck,” Ford says, pulling his phone out of his pocket and firing off a text. “I texted Lex to check on Avery. What the fuck does Dana want?”
“Not sure, but according to Avery this isn’t the first time she’s shown up unannounced.”
