Chapter Twenty-Four
Avery
I knew Maverick’s family had money, but seeing the inside of his home still took me by surprise. It looked like it’d just popped out of one of those fancy home décor magazines—which I knew all too well because I flipped through enough of them when I went to the store. Hardwood floors, large floor to ceiling windows, high archways, and filled with expensive furniture. Not to mention the size of it. The entry way alone was bigger than my kitchen.
Feeling out of place was an understatement. I felt like I was in a different world. A goth alien from another planet.
“Mom?” Maverick called, pocketing his keys with one hand and holding my hand with the other.
“In here, sweet pea,” a woman said from the other room.
Her voice was pleasant, and I relaxed a little more. Surely someone with a kind voice like that couldn’t be mean.
We followed the sound and turned left, entering a huge kitchen. The cream-colored walls were well balanced with the white cabinets and stainless steel refrigerator. The handles on the drawers were gold, and a vase of flowers sat on a small cabinet near the island, bringing life to the room. Thin lights hung from the ceiling, giving it that modern, sleek design. Above the sink sat a window that gave a gorgeous view of the backyard.
I forgot all about the decor, though, when I saw the woman standing at the island. Her brown hair hung in loose curls, and even though casual, her clothes were obviously from an upscale designer.
“Mom, this is Avery,” Maverick said as we walked closer to her. I didn’t want to let go of his hand, so I held on tighter. “Avery, this is Mom, but you can call her Karen. If I call her that, though, I’ll get slapped.”
I grinned, loving his sense of humor and how he always managed to make me smile in moments when I just wanted to disappear.
With no hesitation, Karen came forward and pulled me into a hug. I was still holding onto Mav, so my arm was behind me at a weird angle.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Avery,” she said before pulling back and studying me. “Wow, you really are a looker.” Her hands were still on my shoulders, and then she quickly removed them as shock crossed her face. “Oh, I’m sorry, honey. Mav told me you don’t like to be touched. I forgot.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said, not sure if I was happy Mav had told her or upset that I’d been so weird about the touching thing. If he’d told his mom about it, it must’ve upset him a little. “It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Blake.”
“Please, call me Karen,” she insisted. “Are you hungry? I didn’t know what you liked, so I got a bit of everything.”
Maverick laughed. “Mom, you’re awesome. You didn’t have to go all out.”
“You’re not vegetarian, are you?” Karen asked me. “Don’t want a repeat of last time.”
“Chris was a vegetarian,” Maverick explained with a sheepish expression. His cheeks even darkened a shade. He thought it bothered me to hear about his ex, but it didn’t. Some people might’ve gotten mad, but it helped me get to know him better. “When he met Mom, she cooked a huge steak dinner because I forgot to tell her. And he was kind of a diva about it.”
“Kind of?” Karen asked. “The boy freaked.” She looked at me. “He started citing all of these things about how eating meat is wrong, and he talked to me like I was a criminal.”
“It also led to our first fight,” Mav added, shrugging. “He apologized to Mom a few days later, but anyway. That’s enough of that. Where’s Dad?”
“At work,” Karen answered as her forehead scrunched. I didn’t understand why she looked sad, until I looked at Mav and saw the disappointment on his face. “He should be home soon. He knows how important today is.”
“I’m not gonna hold my breath,” Mav said before clearing his throat. “Let’s eat.”
After we made sandwiches, we took our plates to the table in the dining room—also high-end with the décor. I hadn’t really known the difference between the different types of bread Karen had laid out, so I’d ended up grabbing a bagel looking kind and stuffing it with slices of turkey, tomato, lettuce, and lots of cheese.
It was delicious, and I had to force myself not to scarf the whole thing at once.
Over lunch, Karen asked me questions, but I noticed she kept them pretty simple, instead of prying into deeper topics. She asked about hobbies, things I loved, things I hated, what I wanted to do when I got older, and even some of those ‘if you could have any super power, what would it be?’ type questions. Mav must’ve told her about my reluctance to talk about my personal life.
I met his gaze from across the table and viewed him in a different way.
He wasn’t just handsome, sweet, and smart. He was also patient and considerate. Observant. Someone who put his desires aside, so I’d feel more comfortable.
I knew he wasn’t a virgin, but he’d never once pressured me into anything—other than that one spontaneous kiss, but he hadn’t done that again. There were times I knew he wanted me by the way his eyes would roam down my body and how his chest would rise and fall a bit faster—I wanted him too, even if I had no idea what I was doing—but he’d never crossed that line.
Maverick smiled as I watched him, and something about the way the sides of his eyes creased with the action made my heart soar. He took a bite of his sandwich, getting mustard on the edge of his mouth.
As weird as it was, it made my chest feel tight. Seeing him so carefree and freaking adorable just made me want to close the distance between us and snuggle against him. Do other things too. Things I’d never done with anyone.
Love was too soon. We’d only properly been dating for a little over a week and were still in the hand-holding phase. But my heart remembered all the days before that. And the nights we’d spent at the train tracks: how I’d checked his big lug of a self for a concussion that one night and helped him change his tire, all the scattered conversations since then, melting a little when hearing him sing, and the night he first held my hand by the water.
All of those things added up to something… magical.
Indescribable.
Mav had done the impossible and made me want to take that leap of faith. I was tired of keeping him at a distance.
After we’d eaten, we moved into the living room where Karen continued to ask me questions. She even told me some stories about Maverick that made me laugh so hard I snorted. Apparently, he’d been a mischievous kid who’d gotten into anything and everything he could get his hands on.
The mood changed about an hour later, though, when his dad came home.
Right when a male voice called out from the entryway, Maverick’s smile faltered. A man who looked exactly like Mav walked into the living room. His light brown hair was shorter than Mav’s, but his face-shape and eyes were the same.
Karen stood from the loveseat and approached the man, greeting him with a quick kiss. “How was work?”
“Busy,” he said before looking at me. I couldn’t read his expression, but he didn’t exactly look happy. “Hello.”
“Dad, this is Avery,” Maverick introduced us in a somewhat guarded tone, grabbing my hand. I didn’t know if the comforting touch was more for me or for him.
“I’m William,” he said, walking forward and offering his hand for a shake. I accepted it with my free hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Whether he thought that was good or bad was still to be determined.
His hand was strong and not as rough as I’d imagined. Probably because he was a surgeon and kept them in great shape. I didn’t know. Could hands be in shape? It was a weird question I’d have to ask Mav later, since sometimes we liked to talk about strange, philosophical things.
“I’ve heard about you too,” I said before releasing his hand and automatically going into my usual stance of hunching my shoulders.
Even I got irritated that I did it. Just a habit.
“So, you’re into the goth scene?” William asked, although it didn’t quite sound like a question. More like a statement. A distasteful statement, too, if the slight sneer on his face was anything to go by. His dark blue eyes looked me up and down. Judging me.
“Um, I’m not exactly sure if I’m in a scene per se,” I said, using my fingers to put quotations on scene. “It’s just who I am and there’s nothing wrong with it. Emo kids aren’t some evil that needs to be snuffed out, either. It’s not like we go around putting hexes on people, flashing the satanic bible in everyone’s face, and demanding sacrifices of blood from the innocent.”
A sort of choking sound came from beside me, and I turned to see Mav barely holding it together. His cheeks were red, his eyes were watering, and the muscles in his face twitched as he forced away a laugh. The guy was about to explode.
“I take it you aren’t Christian,” William said, cutting his eyes.
“Dad. Enough.” Mav moved closer and pulled me against his side. All humor was absent from him, and in that moment, I could truly see how much he resembled his dad by his stern expression. “We aren’t exactly super religious either. I mean, when is the last time we actually went to church? And even if we were, I’d still be with him.”
Peering up at Mav, I leaned into him. He’d defended me. I wasn’t used to someone caring so much.
“I wasn’t chastising him for it, Maverick,” William said before rubbing at both eyes with his forefingers. “I just don’t see why you can’t bring someone home—boy or girl—who’s normal. Sometimes I think you do these things just to get under my skin.”
I gaped and had the sudden urge to run out of the room. If Mav’s arm hadn’t come around me, I might have.
“Not everything is about you, Dad,” Mav said, squaring his jaw. “If you can’t accept Avery—and me, for that matter—we’re done here.”
“Honey, wait,” Karen called after us as Maverick steered me from the room.
We didn’t stop, though. I looked over my shoulder and gave a weak smile to Karen before we left the living room.
“I’m sorry,” Mav whispered, and his voice cracked. I realized right then that he was barely holding it together too. “Just when I think he’s getting better, he falls back into his old, judgmental ways. I don’t get it.”
We were outside and standing on the porch, away from his dad but not from the hurt his words had caused. There was no running from that. Not yet. It was still too fresh.
“Don’t be sorry,” I said. “You warned me about him, so it wasn’t a shocker or anything.”
Normally, I’d let go at that time, having had enough contact. But I couldn’t let go of him. Not when I saw the pain in his eyes. I wanted to make him better. To see him smile again. And if I couldn’t do that, then I at least needed him to know he wasn’t alone.
I snuggled more into his chest and wrapped my arms around him, feeling the muscles in his back as I lightly moved my hand up and down his spine.
He rested his cheek on the top of my head and returned my hold. “Sometimes I feel like my life is a carnival ride,” he whispered. “I’m going in one direction, and then it does a sharp turn to the left, putting me on a different course. Like one of those fun houses with all the freaky mirrors and dead ends. Everything seems to be going according to plan, and then the expected becomes the unexpected, and I’m thrown for a loop as the reality I thought shifts into an unpredictable maze of chaos.”
His heart beat beneath my ear, faster than before, and I held him tighter.
“I think that’s just called being a teenager,” I said, smiling when I felt his chest rumble with a light laugh.
“You make it better,” he said before pressing a kiss to my head, but instead of pulling away afterward, he remained that way. His mouth trailed to my forehead and he kissed me there as well. A soft pressure followed by another.
I knew he wanted to kiss me again, but I didn’t know if I was ready for that yet. How did someone know if they were ready? Maybe I was just overthinking it.
I pulled back and looked up at him. His sapphire eyes stared into mine, and my body began to tingle. He was warm and calming. Even with just a glance, he could wash away the bad.
Screw it.
Raising myself up on my tiptoes, I captured his lips.
A small grunt left him as I caught him off guard, but then his mouth softened against mine. Hesitantly, he lifted a hand and tangled his fingers in my hair before deepening the kiss. His taste was exhilarating.
I’d often heard people describe kisses like fireworks going off, and I’d always rolled my eyes at them. I finally understood what they meant.
It honestly felt like a million tiny fireworks were exploding in my chest—in my heart.
My pulse quickened, and I wanted more of Maverick. The taste and feel of him just took everything else over, and if he hadn’t been holding me, I would’ve floated off the porch. An electric sensation trickled through my stomach and shot straight to the tips of my toes.
I gripped the back of his shirt and moved my lips with his, seeking more of whatever this was—the intoxicating feeling. I didn’t know how long the kiss lasted. I didn’t care.
We were on his front porch, in sight of all the neighbors, but it didn’t faze either of us.
Even though I was already pressed right up against Maverick, I still tried to get closer. Needed to. I tugged on his shirt and twisted the material into a tight handful. My body was on fire, and yet, I didn’t want to quench the flames.
He smiled against my mouth before mumbling, “A little eager, are we?”
“Shut up,” I said before crashing my lips back to his.
After he pressed his mouth to mine once more, he broke the kiss. My face must’ve reflected my displeasure at it because he chuckled. His laugh did things to my insides, and I couldn’t help but smile too.
“As much as I’d love to continue,” he said, moving a strand of hair out of my face. “I’ve wanted this for too long, and I can’t guarantee I won’t attack you.”
The way his gaze roamed my face was unlike any look I’d seen from him before. Soft, but also intense. It heated me from the inside out.
“What if I want you to attack me?” I asked, a bit shocked at myself. But right as the words slipped from my lips, I realized I meant them.
For too long, I’d denied myself even the possibility of a relationship because I’d been so worried about my family. Too consumed with my past. Then, Mav came into my life, and emotions—and desires—I’d never felt before started awakening.
One kiss from him had been like a dam breaking open and releasing all the water behind it. And once the water was out, there was no putting it back.
“Dammit, Avery. Don’t tell me that.” Maverick smiled, but there was a tenseness behind it. His eyes seemed darker too. “I have pretty good self-control, but I’m not perfect.” He rested his forehead on mine. “And I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”
His confession made me happy. I didn’t have an issue with Chris… but it might’ve pleased me to know Maverick was more into me. Just a little.
We jumped when the front door opened.
“You boys okay?” Karen asked, walking outside and shutting the door behind her. Her eyes glistened and were rimmed with red.
“Yeah,” Maverick answered, still holding me. “I think we’re going to take off. I’m not in the mood to be around him right now.”
Karen nodded. “Your dad feels awful. He and I had a talk after you left the room.”
“He feels awful?” Maverick asked with a strong sarcastic edge. “Maybe he should come tell me that himself. More importantly, he should tell my boyfriend.”
“I know, sweetie,” Karen said. “But you know how stubborn he is.” She looked at me. “Avery, I hope you know you’re welcome here anytime. William will come around.”
I nodded, not knowing what to say.
“Love you, Mom.” Mav left my side to hug her. “I’ll be home later.”
“Be careful,” she said as we hopped off the porch and went to his car.
“Always am,” Maverick called back to her.
The day hadn’t gone as horrible as I feared. At least his mom liked me. That was better than both parents hating me and chasing me out of the house with crosses and garlic.
“Where are we going?” I asked once we were in the car and backing out of the driveway.
“I don’t know,” he answered, giving me a side-eyed glance and taking my left hand into his right one. “As long as you’re with me, it doesn’t matter.”
I sat back in the seat and smiled.
The unknown should’ve bothered me, but it didn’t. Not when Mav was holding onto me. Like he said, it didn’t matter where the road took us. It wasn’t the destination, but the moments along the way that we’d remember.