Page 87 of Reaching Avery
“Be right with you,” he said before finishing up what he was doing and walking off to the back. He said something else, but I doubted it was directed at me.
Moments later, Maverick appeared, and my stomach dipped.
“Avery?” he asked before his face lit up like the freaking sun.
I couldn’t even respond with a sarcastic remark about it of course being me—no one else pulled emo off so awesome—because he was too endearing.
“Yep. The one and only,” I said, approaching him. Once I was at the counter, I placed my hands on top, and he didn’t hesitate before grabbing one. A lot of guys I’d seen weren’t so affectionate, but Maverick always seemed to reach for me when I was around him. I liked it. “How’s work?”
“Work,” he answered. “But it’s going great. Better now that you’re here.”
Seeing his warm smile—one meant for me—was almost too much to comprehend. How had I snagged someone like him?
“Yeah, I was just going around to places I’ve applied to and checking on my applications,” I said, trying to act like it was no big deal.
I focused on his hand and traced one of his knuckles. His hands were strong, but held mine so gently, as if he were afraid of breaking me. I held his tighter, needing the intimacy for some reason.
“Any luck?” he asked, drawing my attention back up to his face.
“Not yet, but I’m sure something will come eventually.” I checked to make sure no one was behind me, because I didn’t want to hold up the line. “Since that part of town hadn’t worked out, I thought I’d try this one. I’ve been walking for a while, so I came in here to rest.”
“And to see me?” He smirked, and I knew he could see right through my bullcrap.
“Maybe,” I answered, fighting a smile and failing. “It’s not because I like you or anything.”
“Why would you?” Maverick played along, giving me a bewildered look. “I mean, I’m just your boyfriend. No one important.”
It sounded weird hearing that, even though it was true. I’d barely even been anyone’s friend before moving to Port Haven, and now I was someone’s boyfriend.
No, not just someone: Mav. He was unlike anyone else.
“Are you sure you’re cool with the boyfriend thing?” he asked as his face fell. He must’ve taken my silence the wrong way. “Because we can just casually date with no pressure and no commitment for a while, if that’s what you want.”
“It’s not,” I reassured him, squeezing his hand. The idea of someone else being with him made my stomach twist. Pissed me off a little too, which was a sign that we were on the right track. I hadn’t experienced jealousy until I’d found out he’d been dating that Chris guy when we met. I hadn’t experienced true sexual attraction until Mav either. “I want this. You.”
Maverick had been a lot of firsts for me. And I hoped he’d be even more.
“Awesome.” A smile appeared in his eyes in the way only he could do. “I want you too. But you know that already.”
What’s crazy was I did.
As much as logic told me he couldn’t possibly feel that way, his actions—and continued pursuit of me over the past two months—proved otherwise. The way I saw myself wasn’t how he saw me.
When Mav looked at me, especially in that moment, I felt wanted. Desired. And the internal voices that told me I was worthless quieted.
Even though I told him I wasn’t hungry, Maverick wasn’t convinced and insisted on giving me a latte and a blueberry scone. Since he worked there, he got the coffee for free, which helped me not feel so bad.
“Thanks,” I told him after he’d placed the coffee and scone on the serving counter.
“Anytime,” he replied. “Now go sit and enjoy.”
I sat at a corner table to eat and watched as more people shuffled in from the chilly October day. The latte was amazing and had some fancy name like a Caramel Brulée, and I sipped it slowly, wanting to make it last.
One woman and three teens came into the store, and I recognized one of the girls from drama class. That Jennifer girl who’d taken my picture. She looked at me and smiled, and I returned the smile. Her usual thin brown hair had streaks of blonde now, and it was a pretty powerful moment for me. She’d taken charge of her own life in a small, but not so trivial, way.
And I guess I helped her.
I scooted closer to the wall after that, so I wouldn’t be as noticeable as I people watched.
