Girls like me didn’t end up with guys like Avery. But I kept thinking back to the library. To the way he’d kissed me, the way he’d touched me. You couldn’t just make up that kind of chemistry, could you? Because I felt it. I felt it every time I locked eyes with him.
It didn’t matter anymore though. The article was done. I’d submitted it earlier. I had no more reasons to be following him or the team around. And Avery had an important season ahead.
Our paths were moving in two different directions.
It didn’t make the pain any less though. I guess this was what heartache felt like.
I’d demolished almost half a tub of ice cream when a knock at the door startled me. Frowning, I slipped off the stool and went to answer the door.
“Avery?” My heart almost leaped out of my chest. “What are you doing here?”
“Can we talk?”
“You want to talk?” I didn’t understand. “Don’t you have somewhere more important to be?”
“Will you just invite me in, so I don’t have to stand out here making a fool of myself?”
“Okay.” I stepped aside, and he slipped past me.
Closing the door, I gave myself a second to compose myself. Avery was here, in my house, and he seemed so serious.
“Did something happen?” I asked, right as he said, “You were at the game?”
“I… yeah, I was at the game.”
“Why?”
“Because Coach invited me, and your sister is really persuasive.”
He chuckled at that. “Yeah, she is. Is that the only reason you came?” Avery watched me intently, his eyes pinning me to the spot.
“I… why are you here again?”
His lip curved. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”
“C-cute? What?”
“I didn’t invite Kendall to Homecoming.”
“You didn’t?”
“No, I didn’t.” He stalked toward me, slipping his fingers into my belt loophole and tugging gently. I stumbled forward, my hands going to his chest to steady myself. He was so close, and I was so confused.
Avery was here, in my house, and he was looking at me like he wanted to kiss me again.
“Avery,” I whispered. “What is happening right now?”
“I’m making a choice,” he said.
“You are?” My mouth went dry.
“Yeah. You, Miley, I choose you.” He leaned down, ghosting his lips over mine. “Is this okay?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
Sliding his hand into my hair, Avery pulled me closer and kissed me. My fingers twisted into his t-shirt as his tongue curled around mine.
“Is this real?” I breathed.
“Does this feel real?” His hand glided down my spine and pushed gently, fitting my body against his. I felt him hard and ready at my stomach.
“Oh…” Heat exploded in my cheeks.
“We don’t have to—”
“No, I want to.” I cupped his face, my heart galloping inside my chest like a band of wild horses. “I want you, Avery Chase.”
“Yeah?” He gulped.
“Yeah.” I smiled, hardly able to believe this was happening. “My mom is out. She won’t be home for a while.”
The air turned thick around us.
“Come on.” I took his hand and led him upstairs to my bedroom. My body hummed with nervous energy. I’d never had a boy inside my bedroom before, let alone a boy like Avery.
“I feel like there’s so much I don’t know about you,” he said, snagging me around the waist and pulling me back into his arms. His chin went to the crook of my neck and he kissed me there. “I want to know you, Miley, all of you.”
My heart soared. He felt it too.
“I want that too, so much.”
“But first, I really, really want to touch you again.” His hand slid up my stomach, taking my t-shirt with it. Warm fingers tickled my skin, moving higher until he grazed the shell of my bra. “You’re so soft,” he whispered, nipping my ear.
A delicious shudder rolled through me. “Avery.” I pressed my lips together, smothering the whimper building in my throat.
“What do you want? Tell me.”
“Touch me, please.”
A wildfire burned through me. I wanted his hands all over me, touching and teasing.
“Patience,” he chuckled.
Avery released me and slowly pulled my t-shirt off. Every time his fingers brushed my skin, I shuddered. Then his hands went to my leggings and pushed them over my hips. I shimmied out of them and he picked me up, my shrieks filling the room.
“Put me down,” I batted his chest. He dropped me on the bed, crawling over me, pulling off his t-shirt as he went. I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders, leaning up to kiss him.
“What made you change your mind?” I asked.
Avery brushed the hair out of my face as he stared down at me. “I’ve spent my entire life going after what I want. And then you came along and knocked me on my ass. I fell hard for you, Miley. I just didn’t know what to do about it. And then I kissed you and you pulled away… When that shit followed with the exposé. I was so fucking angry.”
“I’m so sorry. You have to know—”
“I get it. I think that’s what I hate the most. I know what it’s like to want something so much you’ll do anything to make it happen. We’re the same, Miley. I see that now. And I’m not about to let you slip through my fingers just because I got my feelings hurt.”
“I’m still sorry. By the time I realized how I felt about you… it was too late. I—”
“Shh.” He pressed his thumb to my lips. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is this moment.”
“And Monday when school rolls around?” I hated how insecure I sounded, but he’d said it himself, no one would understand.
“Simple. I’m going to pick you up and we’re going to walk into school together.”
“They won’t understand.”
“They don’t have to. I’m Avery fucking Chase. If I want to date the geek from the school newspaper, then I will.” His lips curved with
