Page 24 of Aussie
“Then talk to Ava,” she suggested, her voice gentle. “She would help you. You know she would.”
“I don’t want to get her involved,” he said quietly as his hands fidgeted with the corner of his lunch tray. “Ava has enough on her plate. She doesn’t need to be bothered with my problems.”
Katy’s face softened. She leaned closer to him. “Christian, Ava cares about you. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have offered to take you in. Please talk to her. If something’s going on, I’m sure she’d want to know.”
How could he explain to Katy that he didn’t want to involve Ava because he didn't want anything bad to come her way?
He looked at Katy. “If Barrett and Chase come back around, I’ll tell her.”
Katy smiled, the relief evident on her face, and Christian felt a weight lift off his chest. He didn’t know where things would go from here, but for once, he felt a glimmer of hope.
“Thanks,” he said quietly, meeting her gaze.
She nudged his arm playfully. “Anytime. Now, want to get ice cream after school?”
Christian grinned, his heart skipping a beat. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
CHAPTER TEN
The savory aroma of roasted garlic and herbs filled Ava’s kitchen as she stood by the stove, stirring a pot of creamy mushroom risotto and checking on the chicken breasts roasting in the oven, seasoned with rosemary and thyme. She glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Christian as he carefully laid out the plates and silverware on the dining table. Though he didn’t say much, she noticed the slight frown of concentration on his face. It was a look he’d worn often since that day she’d seen him with those boys outside of school.
Once he finished setting the table, Christian moved over to his backpack, pulling out a stack of papers and notebooks. He settled in one of the spots at the table. With his head down, he focused on his schoolwork. Watching him, Ava felt a mix of pride and unease. Christian had always been responsible, but lately, there was a quiet tension in him, something that felt different. He hadn’t been his usual open self since she’d caught that uneasy look on his face near those boys, and it nagged at her like a splinter under the skin.
Finally, with a satisfied sigh, Ava pulled the chicken from the oven, sliced it into tender pieces, and brought everything over to the table. As she sat down in her spot at the table, Christian looked up and gave her a quick, appreciative grin before digging in.
They ate in comfortable silence, but Ava’s mind kept circling back to her concerns. She decided to ease into it, keeping her tone light.
“So, how’s school going?” she asked, glancing at him over her fork. “Anything interesting happening?”
Christian shrugged, not meeting her gaze. “It’s fine. Math’s kinda boring, but we’re starting a new project in history. We have to make a model of a famous landmark. I got assigned the Statue of Liberty.”
She smiled, encouraging. “That sounds pretty cool. I’d love to see how that turns out. And what about Sea Cadets? Anything interesting coming up?”
He shifted a bit in his seat, his fork slowing as he thought. “Yeah, sorta. There is a community service project the CO is putting together. With the holidays coming up, we are volunteering to wrap presents at one of the community centers. Then, during one of the drills in December, we will be visiting the local Coast Guard Station. I’m really looking forward to that.”
Ava nodded, sensing he was holding back. His replies were short, a little hesitant, as though he was choosing his words carefully. She searched his face, hoping he’d volunteer more, but he kept his gaze trained on his plate. It was like there was a wall between them, one he wasn’t ready to break down just yet.
Deciding to shift the conversation, she took a breath, casually mentioning, “Oh, and speaking of plan…Aussie invited us to spend Thanksgiving with him and his team.”
At this, Christian’s eyes lit up, a spark of excitement breaking through his quiet demeanor. He looked up at her, brows raised. “Wait, seriously? Are we going?”
She smiled at his eagerness, glad to see some of his energy returning. “Well, I told him I’d talk to you first before giving an answer. I wanted us to make that decision together.”
Christian blinked, clearly taken aback. “You wanted to ask me what I thought first?”
“Of course,” she replied, giving him a soft smile. “We’re a team, remember? We make decisions together.”
He nodded, still looking a bit surprised but pleased. His gaze softened as he thought about it, and then he gave a decisive nod. “Yeah, I think we should go. Aussie’s cool, and well, I think it’d be nice, you know? Different than just us.”
“Alright then,” she agreed, feeling a small weight lift off her shoulders. “I’ll let Aussie know we’re in.”
They continued eating, and Ava felt herself relaxing for the first time in days. The tension she’d sensed in Christian seemed to melt away, at least a little. Maybe spending time with Aussie and his friends could help Christian open up. Maybe he’d feel comfortable enough to let go of whatever had been weighing him down.
As they finished dinner, Ava couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope. Maybe sometime around Aussie was exactly what she needed too.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The warm, familiar chaos of Bear and Jocelyn’s house was in full swing as Aussie lounged on the oversized couch with a beer in his hand, his legs stretched out toward the coffee table.
