Page 13 of Aussie
It wasn’t a long drive, and Aussie found himself wishing her house were farther away. He wasn’t ready to say goodnight. When they pulled up to her place, he got out and walked around to open her door, helping her down from the truck.
For a moment, they stood there. Their bodies were close to each other, and the tension between them was palpable. Aussie wanted to kiss her,reallywanted to, but he held back. It didn’t feel right—not after the night she’d had. Still, as he looked into her dark blue eyes, he could tell she was thinking the same thing.
Instead, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, feeling her surprise as he did. When he pulled back, she was smiling.
“Thanks for saving me tonight,” she said softly. “I really enjoyed the company.”
Aussie grinned, feeling lighter than he had in days. “Anytime.”
Before they parted ways, he mustered the courage to ask, “I know I gave you my number, but would it be alright if I called you sometime?”
Ava blushed, and the sight made his heart skip. “I’d like that.”
They said goodnight, and as Aussie drove back to his apartment, he couldn’t stop smiling.There’s something special about her,he thought. And as he parked and made his way inside, he found himself already looking forward to seeing her again.
Aussie pushed the door open and stepped into the apartment that he shared with his teammate Snow. He tossed his keys onto the small table by the entrance.
He walked further into the living room and found Snow sprawled on the couch in front of the television. A plastic tray was balanced precariously on his knee. He was digging into a clump of cheesy noodles with a plastic fork, his eyes half on the screen. “How was dinner?” he asked, not bothering to look away from the news. “And how’s your sister doing?”
Aussie shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. “Dinner was great. Wren and Ben are doing great. Actually, better than great. And guess what?”
Snow raised an eyebrow, finally glancing over. “What?”
“They’re having a baby. Their first.” Aussie grinned, the pride in his voice unmistakable.
“No kidding? Congrats to them,” Snow said, setting the tray on the coffee table. “That’s big news.”
Aussie flopped into the armchair opposite the couch, his mind drifting back to dinner. “Yeah, they’re over the moon aboutit. Wren’s glowing already. It was good catching up with them. However, I had to cut dinner short.”
“Why is that?”
Aussie then told him about Ava being at the restaurant and on her date with that dickhead. The more he explained to Snow about what all the douchebag said about Christian, he could see Snow’s expression harden.
When he was finished, Snow shook his head.
“At least she seems smart, considering she left the asshole sitting there in the restaurant. Sounds like a jerk,” Snow muttered, stabbing at the remains of his dinner. “Doesn’t sound like he’s good enough for her or Christian.”
Aussie chuckled. “You don’t even know him.”
“Don’t have to,” Snow said firmly. “But you seem pretty invested in her. You interested or what?”
Aussie rubbed the back of his neck, a small smile playing on his lips. “She’s definitely piqued my interest. There’s something about her. She’s just different.”
Snow grinned, leaning back on the couch. “Good for you, man. Sounds like you’ve got your eye on someone worth it.”
Before Aussie could respond, something on the TV caught both of their attention. The newscaster’s voice turned somber as she reported another robbery at a local convenience store.
“This just in—police have confirmed a robbery occurred at a convenience store on Pine and 8th Street late this evening. The cashier was shot but is expected to survive. This marks the fifth such incident in the last two weeks, with suspects continuing to evade authorities. Police believe the robberies may be connected to other violent crimes in the area, including three recent homicides.”
Snow set his fork down, his brow furrowed. “That’s not far from here.”
“Too close,” Aussie agreed, watching the footage of flashing police lights and crime scene tape.
Snow crossed his arms, his jaw tightening. “Word is the cops think it’s a gang setting up shop in town. Could be tied to some kind of organized operation.”
Aussie frowned, his thoughts swirling. “That would explain the pattern—robberies, escalating violence. They’re trying to make a statement.”
“Yeah, well, I hope they’re wrong about the gang part,” Snow said grimly. “The last thing this city needs are more bodies piling up.”
