Page 23 of Aussie
Sensing Ava’s inner turmoil, Sarah quickly shifted the conversation. “So, what about you and Aussie, huh?” She grinned mischievously. “Any other encounters I should know about?”
Ava rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “No. He’s a great guy, but after putting myself out there with Jarod and getting screwed over, who, by the way, is still trying to apologize, I’m just not sure I’m ready to jump into anything. I’ve got enough on my plate with Christian.”
“Girl, Jarod’s an idiot. Forget him.” Sarah waved her hand dismissively. “And as for Aussie, if he likes Christian, I don’t see a problem there. You’re just scared to open up your heart because you’ve been alone for so long.”
Ava flinched, Sarah’s words striking a nerve.Was that it? Was she just scared?She looked down at her sandwich, no longer hungry. Maybe Sarah had a point. Aussie did make her feel something she hadn’t felt in years. But did she have it in her to risk getting hurt again?
Just then, Ava’s phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up, her pulse quickening as she saw Aussie’s name light up the screen. She hesitated for a second before opening the message.
Aussie:Hey, Ava. You mentioned that you and Christian were going to cook Thanksgiving dinner. However, I wanted to see if the two of you would like to join me at Bear and Jocelyn’s place for dinner. My whole team, along with their families, will be there. Let me know.
Ava’s breath caught in her throat. The message was so genuine, so heartfelt. The thought of spending Thanksgiving with Aussie and his team stirred something deep inside her. But more than that, the idea that Aussie didn’t want her or Christian to be alone on the holiday touched her in a way she hadn’t expected.
“Well, well, well,” Sarah smirked, leaning over to peek at Ava’s phone. “Looks like someone really likes you.”
Ava laughed softly, her face flushing. “He just invited Christian and me to Thanksgiving with his team. He’s just being nice.”
Sarah gave her a knowing look. “Ava, that’s not just being nice. He’s into you. Trust me, guys don’t go out of their way like that unless they really care. And the fact that he’s inviting you to meet his team tells you something. Those guys don’t just bring anyone into their little worlds.”
Sarah was right. SEALs were secretive even outside of their jobs. They kept a low profile and usually stayed close to those within their community.
Ava’s stomach fluttered, her heart racing as she typed out a response.
Ava:Thank you so much for the invite. It was very sweet of you. I’ll talk to Christian about it tonight and get back to you.
She hovered over the send button for a moment, already knowing what Christian’s answer would be.
As she hit send, her mind drifted back to what Sarah had said. Was she really scared to open up? Had she been holding back because she was afraid of being hurt again?
Maybe, just maybe, it was time to let herself feel something again.
???
Christian glanced down at his lunch tray, picking at his sandwich as he sat across from Katy in the bustling school cafeteria. She’d been watching him for a few minutes now, her brown eyes filled with concern, and he knew she wasn’t going to let it go.
“Okay, seriously, what’s going on?” Katy leaned forward, her voice soft but steady so only he could hear. “You’ve barely said a word these past few days. Did something happen?”
Christian shrugged, trying to dodge her question with a half-hearted smile. “Just stuff,” he said, hoping it would be enough to satisfy her.
But Katy wasn’t having it. “Christian, come on. You can talk to me. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” She hesitated, then nudged his arm gently. “I’m just worried, okay?”
Her words hit him harder than he expected. He knew she cared, but he wasn’t sure if he should tell her everything. Barrett and Chase weren’t the kind of people anyone should mess with, especially not someone like Katy. She was good, and he didn’t want her to get mixed up in anything dangerous.
He looked away, swallowing hard. “It’s nothing you need to worry about,” he murmured, but the tension in his voice was too obvious.
Katy tilted her head, her eyebrows knitting together. “Is it Barrett and Chase?”
Christian stiffened, not expecting her to be so direct. He knew she wasn’t clueless; she’d seen them hanging around him a few times. But he hadn’t wanted her to know the whole story. Her worried gaze stayed on him, though, and it was like she was slowly peeling away his defenses with each silent second that passed.
“They want me to join some club,” he finally admitted, keeping his voice low.
“A club?” Katy’s voice was skeptical. “Or something else?”
He let out a defeated sigh, shaking his head. “It’s like a secret club,” he said, hoping the phrase would sound innocent enough, but Katy’s expression only darkened.
“Christian, that doesn’t sound like a club.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I’ve heard about Barrett and Chase. They’re not exactly the kind of people who start school clubs.”
He gave her a wary look.“You think I don’t know that?” He pressed his lips together. “But they’re persistent. And they don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
