AVA
“Call him,” Drake says in my ear and then quickly moves past me.
“Who?”
“You know who.” He smiles, slumping down into the chair in front of me. I came here to spend some time with Layla but ended up with her big brother. My best friend is being her usual self and forgot to tell me about her dentist appointment. Of course, I could have gone home after Drake told me where she was, but I was bored to death there, so it wasn’t an option.
“Actually no, I don’t.” I frown, taking my mug from the table and holding it between my palms. He made me a hot chocolate, as he has a thousand times before. It’s always incredibly good.
“Thompson.”
I bring the mug to my mouth and take a sip, using this moment to buy myself some time. Since fucking when does he know anything about me and Colt? Putting my hot chocolate back on the table, I narrow my eyes. “Why should I call him?”
“Maybe ask him to visit.”
“Why?” I press, and Drake snaps. Driving him crazy is the best way to find out what I want.
“Because you and him have something going on.”
“Who told you that?” I smirk, a lopsided grin on my face. Making assumptions, Drake? I thought you were better than—
“He told me.”
“When?” My voice sounds hoarse. I absolutely didn’t expect that.
He leans back, staring at me with a smile playing on his lips. “Last week.”
I huff, pouting and looking away. Why did he do that? It doesn’t make any sense. “We’re just…um…we’re hooking up. That’s all.”
“Kinda figured that out.” Drake snorts. “You have it bad.”
“Excuse me?” I narrow my eyes.
“Layla told me you were all worked up yesterday. Your itch is strong, and you need your fix. Your best friend’s words, not mine.”
My itch? My fucking itch? Layla fucking Benson. I will strangle her as soon as I see her. “She has no idea what she’s talking about.”
“But I do. I know how you look when you—”
“Another fucking word, and I’m out.” I say through gritted teeth, and he bursts out cackling. These fucking Benson siblings will be the death of me. Why on Earth did my dad think it was a good idea to buy a house near their family?
“Ava, your reaction only proves my point,” Drake mumbles between fits of laughter. “Call him.”
“Do you think I haven’t talked to him since we left for winter break?” We talk. A lot. Texting him takes up a huge amount of my time when I’m not with my dad or Layla. Colton wants to know everything about my day, barely telling me anything about his. It’s frustrating, but he justifies it every time, saying that he is staying at home and doing nothing. Isn’t he hanging out with Clay? The last I heard from his best friend, he was spending almost every night partying.
“You do know he didn’t go home, right?” My jaw drops, and Drake notices it. “He’s by himself in his apartment. I think it’s probably pretty lonely.”
Uneasiness spreads throughout my body. How didn’t I figure that out myself? The answer was there, and I was too self-absorbed to notice. When he said he was staying “home” he meant his apartment.
Dammit, Colt. I thought you’d started opening up to me.
“He told me the only thing he does these days is watch movies,” I mutter under my breath, avoiding looking at Drake. “I assumed he wasn’t in the mood to party with his friends. Fuck.”
“You obviously like him as more than just a hookup.”
“Drake Benson, you are trying to get me to hurt you today,” I hiss. Then I grab my phone from the table and stare at it hopelessly. What can I do? Christmas is in four days, and I’m not going to leave my dad alone. Should I go visit him before that? It could work, but I don’t know.
“You could invite him to stay with us.” I look up from my phone, locking eyes with Drake. A playful smirk illuminates his face, and he arches his eyebrow at me. “Our parents are barely home, and we definitely have spare rooms. They won’t say a word if he comes and stays at our house for a few days.”
The idea of having Colt here is appealing. Even if I have no desire to admit it, I do miss him. I miss our time together, our talks, and the sex. He is the only person who can fix it, because after sex with him, I can’t imagine myself with anyone else.
“Ava?” Drake calls my name, and I collect myself, pushing aside all my dirty and disturbing thoughts. I grab my drink and take a sip. “Do you want me to invite him?”
Yes or no? Simple, right? Unfortunately, not exactly. I need to talk to my dad first, because if Colton’s here, I will be spending way less time at home. “I do.”
“Cool.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket, but then he notices my gaze on him. “What?”
“I need to talk to Dad first, just to give him the heads-up and see if he’s okay with it.”
“Your dad never says no to you.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Yeah, okay, maybe you’ve heard ‘no’ once in your life. But sure. Ask him and tell me what to do.”
“Thanks, Drake. I appreciate it. A lot.” We smile at each other. The house is quiet, so when the door closes with a bang, we both jump in our seats. My best friend is back.
Drake stands up and edges to the door, lingering in the doorway. I watch him as he shuffles his feet. He obviously wants to say something, and he’s trying to find the right words.
“Yes?” I nudge him.
He rolls his eyes, and a grin tugs at one corner of his mouth. “If Colton does come, I don’t have any problem with you two hooking up here.”
Who the hell does he think he is? I grab a towel off the table and throw it in his face. No luck. He catches it in the air, shaking from laughter. “I hate you, Benson.”
“Nah, babe, you love me.” With that, he winks and walks out. A minute later, I hear him talking to his sister, telling her I’m waiting in the kitchen. I’m blessed to have friends like them, even if they drive me insane sometimes.
I lie on my stomach, reading a book about a younger sister who falls in love with her oldest sister’s husband. It’s a taboo romance with a healthy dose of smut, but everything in this story is exactly how I like it. Characters who are realistic and flawed, a plot that tears my heart to shreds, then repairs it with the happiest ending. The vibe this book gives me is what I’m looking for.
Sometimes I listen to music while I read, but not tonight. I’m waiting for my dad to come home. I want to talk to him about Colton. It’s important.
The sound of a door opening pierces the air, and I squint at Smokey. His ears are perked up, and he slowly lifts his head. It must be Dad.
It’s past midnight, and the house is dark. I slowly tiptoe down the stairs with my cat in tow. Smokey is like my shadow, and I’m sure he misses me when I’m away at college. He barely leaves my side when I’m home.
“Dad?”
“Why are you still up?” His soft voice sounds tired, and a rush of tenderness swirls through my veins. I love this man so much, and it always pains me how exhausted he is after work.
“I was reading,” I confess as he turns on the lights.
“Uh-huh.” Dad walks up and kisses my forehead.
“I left mac and cheese for you. I can heat it up.”
“It’s been a long day, Ava.” He smiles at me affectionately, and I shake my head, grab his hand, and drag him to the kitchen. With how much he works, he needs to eat. “Baby, I’m not hungry.”
“When was the last time you ate?” I cock an eyebrow, pushing him to sit in the chair. Ambling to the fridge, I take the plate I left for him and put it into the microwave. I set the timer, then I wheel around and peer at my father. He’s barely hiding his smile, and I know I won. “When, Dad?”
“Around five?”
“And it’s twelve thirty.” Smokey rubs his head against my ankle and then goes to drink his water. I smile and focus on Dad.
“What would I do without you, huh?”
“You’d probably starve yourself to death,” I joke, and he laughs heartily. “How was your day?”
“Good. Just had too much paperwork to do.” Dad sighs, running his hands over his face. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. I hung out with Drake and Layla at their place.”
The microwave dings, and I take the plate out, set it in front of him, and plop myself down on the chair across from him. He starts to eat, but his eyes are full of suspicion. He knows me too damn well.
“Do you want me to choke on my food?”
“What?” I mutter, and my brows pinch together.
“You’re looking at me so intently, like you’re waiting for me to choke on my mac and cheese.”
“Dad.” I groan, dropping my forehead onto the table.
“As you rightly noticed, it’s already past midnight, and I’m exhausted. Spill, young lady.”
Taking a deep breath, I sit up straight and stare at him. “Do you remember the guy I mentioned a few weeks ago?”
“Drake’s teammate. Thompson.” Why does he always remember everything? “What about him?”
“We are kinda…seeing each other,” I blurt out, suddenly realizing my palms are sweating. Why am I so nervous? I’ve never been like this.
“Okay. So he’s your boyfriend?”
“No,” I say, falling quiet for a moment. “We’re just…having fun.”
Dad puts his fork on the table and narrows his eyes. “Define ‘having fun’.”
“We talk a lot. Text all the time. Spend time together when we both have a moment to spare.” Honesty is the fucking holy grail. It’s the foundation of my relationship with my dad. If I ever lie to him, it would be for a very solid reason. “He’s nice to me, and he has never forced me into anything I don’t want to do.”
Dad watches me without saying anything. He’s calm and collected, and it soothes my nerves. “Do you want to invite him here? What about his family?”
“He’s kinda closed off, and it’s hard for him to open up. So I honestly don’t know a lot of stuff about him. Yet.” I weigh my next words carefully. “Drake told me Colton didn’t go home for winter break. Apparently I was too dumb to figure it out myself.”
“You’re not dumb. You often look at things from your own perspective, and that doesn’t always work. That’s all.”
“Maybe.” I sigh, twisting my hair around my finger.
“Do you miss him? Or is this just an act of compassion because you feel bad for him and want to cheer him up?” I feel my cheeks warm. I’m so fucking deep in my shit for this guy. “Ava?”
“I miss him,” I admit. “And I feel sorry for him. No one deserves to be alone on Christmas.”
“You can invite him,” Dad tells me, cupping my cheek with his palm.
“Drake suggested Colt could stay at their place.”
“Good.” He chuckles, eyeing me with a smile on his face. “Something is telling me if I want to see you at home, I’ll need to prep a room for your new guy.”
“He’s not my guy.”
“But I’ll still need to prepare a room,” my father counters with laughter.
“You’re the best dad in the whole world,” I say, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.
“I have a few days off coming up, so if he agrees to come, it would be great to meet him.”
“He’ll say yes. I’m a hundred percent positive.” I jump to my feet, taking Dad’s empty plate from the table and waltzing to the sink. “Go to bed. I’ll take care of the dishes.”
Dad stands up and heads to the living room, glancing at me over his shoulder. “I know no matter what I say, you will find an opportunity to sneak him into your room.”
“Dad.”
“I want you to be careful. That’s all.” He doesn’t wait for a response, just saunters further into the living room. “Night, baby.”
“Night, Dad.” I can’t stop smiling. I’m fucking hopeless.
When I wake up at eleven a.m., the first thing I do is grab my phone to check for new messages. Why was he up at four a.m.? Was he partying? Or clubbing? It doesn’t matter. What is more important is his answer.
ME:
So how about spending some time in my hometown? With me 🙂
CT:
Send me your address?
I fall back on my bed with a big, radiant smile on my face, holding my phone in the air and sending him the details. His reply comes a few minutes later.
CT:
Will be there around two p.m.
I toss my phone aside, grasp my pillow and hide my face in it, yelling at the top of my lungs. Someone needs to slap me upside my head. Something that was just supposed to be fun is turning into something incredibly serious. All these butterflies need to be murdered, or I’m afraid to even think about how I’ll feel at his graduation. I’m setting myself up to be heartbroken.
I’m in the living room, reading a new book, as I already finished the one about the sister’s husband. Rom-coms aren’t usually my thing, but this one is amazing. Plus, it’s a hockey romance with a friends-with-benefits trope—I can kinda relate to it.
“Looks like your guy is punctual.” Dad’s voice rips me from my thoughts. He’s staring out the window, and I stand up from the couch. My heart flutters in my chest. It’s so loud it’s almost painful. The hardest part? Hiding my current state from my dad. I don’t want anyone to know how much I like this guy.
“Let’s go. I’ll introduce you.” I put my book on the couch and stroll to the hallway.
When I open the door, my eyes instantly lock on Colton’s. He smiles, and I’m a fucking puddle already. The guy is too handsome for his own good—or maybe my own misery. I still haven’t decided.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” He steps inside. His scent wafting around him makes my butterflies go crazy. It’s a fucking punk concert in my stomach. I close the door and whirl around, ready to introduce Colton to my dad and—I literally freeze. The look on his face is extremely weird. There’s confusion, and also fear.
My father gazes at him with a tender smile. “Hey, Colt.”
I honestly feel like I’m drowning. Does he know him? It’s the only way to explain this strange reaction.
“Hello, Dax,” Colton mutters. His voice is barely audible.
I step closer, looking at both of them in turn. “You know each other?”
