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November 19, 2024 - January 9, 2025
“Name each other’s birthday.” Avery and I sat there in silence, staring at our papers. “February…” I winced. “…fourteenth?” She snorted. “That’s Valentine’s Day.” “You’re supposed to write it down,” Miri reminded us. “It can be both,” I said defensively. “People are born on Valentine’s Day. And you don’t know my birthday. It’s January 27th.”
my birthday
“Everyone likes dogs,” I added, rolling my eyes. The only people who didn’t like dogs were sociopaths. “Unless they’re a sociopath,” she added. I frowned.
“Avery, what’s Emmett’s favorite animal?” Miri asked. She had lost a bit of her enthusiasm. Shit. We needed to save this. Whatever animal Avery said, I’d agree to. Avery was watching me with a funny expression on her face. Her eyes were narrowed, and the corner of her mouth twitched up. “Turtles.” She leveled me with her gaze. “Emmett’s favorite animal is the turtle.”
I will make you pay for this. Revenge, thy name is Avery.
I had to admit as I sat there watching her, she was the perfect person to be my fake girlfriend, not just because of her people skills and an equal desire on her part to make it look real, but because she was beautiful. I knew what I looked like, and the two of us together? People would watch us walk by, my arm draped over her shoulders, and they’d comment on what beautiful kids we’d make. Exactly what I wanted them to think. It helped that I didn’t mind the idea of draping my arm around her, either. Not one bit.
“It’ll be our little secret,” I told her. She gave me a strange look. “Yeah, I know.” I started the car. “I hope you know Queen’s Cove is an incredibly liberal place, and no one would treat you any differently.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “What are you talking about?” I gave her a duh look. “Avery, you’re gay.” She gave me an amused look. “Am I?” There was an inkling of hesitation inside my head. “That’s why you don’t like me. Because you’re gay.” My gaze cut from the road to her. “Right?” She burst out laughing. “Wow.”
The day I got her greenlight on the engagement plan, I paid a visit to Hannah. In the musty little bookstore, Hannah flipped through the pages of a book on vintage jewelry, pointing out the shape and style Avery was drawn to. I drove to Victoria three hours away and scoured jewelry stores for something vintage, something people would believe Avery would want. Did I drop a bit of money on the ring? Sure I did, but the second her eyes lit up, that didn’t matter as much.
She nodded again. Her deep blue eyes were so bright out in the sunlight. “Alright.” She checked the time on her phone. “I have to go, see you later.” “See you.” “This was fun.” She leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before turning, walking to her car, and driving away. I stood there the whole time, watching with a dumb, confused look on my face. I glanced around the empty parking lot. There was no one around to convince of our relationship in that moment. Avery did that because she wanted to. I narrowed my eyes, the feel of her soft lips on my jaw replaying again and again in
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Hannah was the kind of person who was anxious to enter social situations but often had fun once she was there. She just needed a push. That’s where I usually came in. Sometimes I worried if it weren’t for me, Hannah wouldn’t leave her bookstore. She often joked she felt more comfortable around fictional men than real ones.
She rolled her eyes. “Who am I going to tell? I spend my days with Oliver Twist, Harry Potter, and Daisy Buchanan. My second-best friend, besides you, is Jane Austen. Your secret is safe.”
“My girlfriend in high school broke up with me the day before,” he said with a rueful smile while he placed apples in a bag, “and I didn’t want to go to prom and watch her make out with another guy.” I frowned. Inside my chest, my heart twisted for him. “That’s terrible. What a shitty thing to do.” He shrugged. “It’s fine, it was for the best. They’re happily married now so I can’t blame them. And I think he had a crush on her for a while and I didn’t know it.” “I can’t believe you had a girlfriend.” I gave him a little teasing grin. “Thought you weren’t that kind of guy.” He laughed. “Yeah,
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“I have a proposition for you,” I told him as we wandered to the next stand. “Okay.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Let’s go to prom tomorrow night.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him. “We can get all dressed up, rent a limo, awkwardly slow dance amidst the scent of teen lust, it’ll be so fun.”
Another feeling rattled through me—possessiveness. One word came to mind and my hand tensed over Avery’s waist. Mine.
My head spun. Kissing Avery was like a drug I couldn’t have just a taste of, I always needed more.
“I don’t want you seeing other guys while we’re together.” My voice was gravelly and hard. I swallowed but maintained eye contact. She nodded, dazed. “I know. We talked about this.” We talked about it but I needed to make sure she was a hundred percent clear. I took another step closer and my mouth hovered inches from hers. Her dark blue eyes widened. “I’m the only one who touches you. Do you understand?”
“He was looking at you like he wanted that.” She laughed. “Yeah, he’s got a little crush on me.” She shrugged. “So what?” Her mouth dropped open. “Emmett, are you jealous?” “I don’t like it.” Especially not with him living below her, always there. Looking… with his stupid eyes. My gaze slid over to Avery, sitting there with her legs crossed and her arm draped over the door. She had rolled the window down and her hair fluttered in the wind around her shoulders. Her skin looked so soft. “You are. You’re jealous.” Her grin was back and her gaze raked over my form with appreciation.
“Good.” I glanced at her and then back to the road. “If you need an outlet, you call me. I’ll make you come harder than he ever could.”
The urge to feed and provide for my woman. My woman? I sounded like a caveman. I glanced at her again. Mine. The idea of anyone else putting their hands on Avery, even smiling at her like that fucking Carter guy, sent hot rage through my veins and made me furious. Avery was mine. There was no doubt about that. I just didn’t know what to do about it. I was out of my depth here.
“Are you happy with it?” She couldn’t contain her grin and gave a little wiggle of excitement. “Yes. I am. It’s gorgeous. Oh, and I’ll pay you back for it. You shouldn’t have to pay for it, I’m sure you’re already paying enough for the wedding.” “Absolutely not.” I was already shaking my head. Something that made her this excited, this happy? I’d pay for it a thousand times.
Watching the anxiety on her face, the way her mouth pressed into an unhappy line, it broke my goddamn heart.
We got home, and when she paused in front of the door, waiting for me to unlock it, I tilted my chin at her. “Use the keys I gave you.” I watched as she fished her keyring out of her bag and unlocked the door. It was so satisfying to see her do that, but I couldn’t figure out why. It’s because she’s mine. It’s because her living here feels right.
She was everything to me, she was all I thought about, and now I had tasted her and sunk deep inside her, I had changed. I needed this every day, forever. Everything would be second to this.
I didn’t want this to end. I wanted to do this every day with Avery, forever. This feeling, there was only one name for it. I swallowed. The cold spread in my chest as I looked into her eyes. I was in love with her, and I wanted to marry her for real.
