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Stepping into the kitchen, her mother greets us with a warm embrace, and Finn wastes no time running to jump into Avery’s arms.I know the feeling, buddy.She’s amazing. And I realized how far under her spell I am when she said not to let my father take my dream away, because now that includes her.
“Carter,” Rhett hollers, “you’re here.” His voice is a little bit too shocked considering he’s the one who brought me to Avery at the wedding last night.
Bodie adds to the noisy kitchen as he shouts across the room. Looking to me, he smiles and lifts his chin in greeting. And I’m glad to return his smile. I’d hoped he wouldn’t be bothered by my presence, especially after I saw him with her on the dance floor. For a second, I’d questioned if she was happier without me. It sure had looked like it as she laughed and twirled around the dance floor with Bodie. But I need her. I want her. And it feels like we might have a chance at staying on that track.
Everyone finds a spot at the table, and I sit next to Avery and across from Rhett, who I’m getting strange vibes and looks from. It’s not something that I’m unused to. But I hope he can get used to me dating his sister because I’m not going anywhere.
Looking around the table, I take in the chatter, everyone talking to each other whether they are across the table or across the room, but it’s the best sound ever. The meals I was used to having were alone in my room or at an empty table.
“Hey, you all right?” Avery asks nudging me. “I know they’re a lot to take in.”
“They’re perfect.” I smile, leaning over to place a quick kiss on her cheek as we resume our meal until there’s a knock on the door. Lyle stands, making his way there. Seconds later, I hear my agent’s voice.What the hell?
Rising from the table, I’m met with Joe’s agitated expression as he walks in the room, his phone in hand. “I’ve been trying to call you all morning.”
“A little busy.”
“Yeah, well. Me too. We really need to talk about a damn good plan to get in front of this.”
He slaps his phone against my palm, and I look to the screen. Clicking the button, a video plays. Avery and my father stand in what I recognize as the Whitlock’s feed store, and when the audio starts playing, my father’s voice chills me to the bone. What the hell is he doing talking to her? My eyes flick up to see Avery’s look of shock. I register it but am laser focused on what’s going on in the video.
Next to me, Avery mutters something and explodes out of her chair but remains standing next to me. Raised voices talking over each other surround me, but I zone in on the exchange playing out on Joe’s phone. I watch her tell my father she’ll expose him even if it hurts me if only to keep him away.
“Carter.” Her voice sounds desperate, pleading as she tries to get the phone out of my hand. I release it, having seen enough, but the conversation continues to replay in my mind.
Joe says, “We need a game plan. If you want to spin it in your favor we can. But my source at Channel Twelve said it’s set to air on tomorrow morning’s broadcast.”
“No, no, no,” Avery says, looking at the phone. Her hands shake as she clicks against the phone’s screen. “How did they get this? We were alone. There wasn’t anyone else in the store.” Her body goes rigid, then her glare whips to a confused Bodie. “You were there.”
“You can’t be serious.” He shakes his head, holding up his hands. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Avery.”
“You were the only one there!” she shrieks, waving the phone in the air.
Objectively speaking, Bodie remains way too calm in the face of his best friend’s hysterics. But I can’t say much since I’m watching everything play out in silence while my head grasps the full gravity of what I just saw.
“No, I wasn’t. Your dad was there.”
“Really? You’re gonna accuse my dad?” Avery yells leaning across the table to get in Bodie’s face until Rhett speaks up.
“It’s not his fault,” Rhett says.
“Stay out of this.” Avery moves like lightning out from her spot beside me and around the end of the table, presumably to get to Bodie. But Rhett blocks her, meeting her halfway.
“I did it.” His eyes quickly dart to mine. “I took the video.”
“What?” she breathes, her hand gripping the phone as her arm drops to her side. “Why would you do that? How could you do this?”
“It was an accident. I was excited to see Cash in our store, so I wanted to take a quick video, until I heard what you were saying. I didn’t know it was gonna get leaked. I sent it to a few of my buddies, but they promised not to do anything with it. We just couldn’t believe what a douche Cash really is.” He gives me a pitying look and it makes my stomach roll. I don’t want this out there. But it’s too late.
“Yes. Everyone will know,” Joe retorts. “My source said they dug up a photo of yours at age ten when your arm was in a cast, and it’s not that hard to put two and two together.”
Avery looks to me. “I’m so sorry. I never should’ve said those things.” She rambles apologies to me and threats to her brother as her anger rises until she finally turns to face Rhett. “I’m gonna kill you.” The phone slings out of her hand, whipping across the room to where Rhett has distanced himself. He sidesteps and ducks in time for the phone to shatter against the wall in an impressive show of force, barely missing him. Enraged, whether from missing the intended target or just in general at her brother, she charges. Her hands reach for him, but Bodie holds her back while I still stand stupidly in a disorienting haze.
“That was my phone,” Joe states bluntly, shaking his head way too calmly given all the chaos around us.
All I see is Avery. Her face. Her smile. Her anger. All I hear are her words. Her outrage. Her venom. Finally snapping out of my daze, I step near her, reach forward, grasp her neck in my hand, and bring my mouth to hers. Kissing her fervently, I wedge between her and Bodie, my body pressing against hers, aligning us in our perfect way. She doesn’t respond for a moment, a shocked gasp comes from her lips, then she catches up and kisses me back.
Easing back slightly, I smile against her lips. “Thank you.”
