Page 98 of Reaching Avery
Chapter Twenty-Five
Maverick
Sitting in biology that following Monday morning, I couldn’t concentrate, which was unheard of for me because it was my favorite class. My attention kept drifting to the massive distraction to my left.
Avery.
Hewas paying attention. As Mrs. Brown lectured, he jotted down notes. I watched the way his brow furrowed as he listened and how he’d quickly write something down before looking back up. When he wasn’t taking notes, he chewed the top of his pen.
And that didn’t really help my focus because I zeroed-in on his mouth, remembering how soft it’d been against mine.
When he’d kissed me Saturday, I don’t think I’d ever been more stunned. Prior to that moment, I’d wondered how I’d approach kissing him again, and then he’d gone and initiated it out of the blue. Honestly, it couldn’t have been more perfect. It made sense for him to be the one to go for it.
As if feeling my eyes on him, Avery looked over at me.
I smiled before looking away, embarrassed. Then, I glanced back up and saw him smiling too, and I wondered if his mind was where mine was—on our date Saturday.
I’d had no destination in mind that afternoon. I had only wanted to get away from my house. Away from my dad. Following the road out of my neighborhood, I had then turned on Boulder Street, which had taken us to his train tracks. I called themhisbecause they were in essence.
They were his safe place.
We’d pulled off the road and had gotten out of my car. The amazing weather had continued, and it was only a little chilly. Hand in hand, we’d sat in his favorite spot in front of the tracks, just talking. Trees were all around us, but there was an opening above where the sun shone through, warming our skin.
About an hour after we’d arrived, a horn had sounded in the distance, and I’d never seen Avery’s face light up so quickly.
The lights at the crossing had flashed in warning, signaling that a train was on its way.
“We need to get back or we’ll get hit,” I’d told him before standing and pulling him up with me.
After getting back a safe distance, I tugged him to me, trying to do one of those awesome spin things that dancers did. But instead of him coming into my arms with ease, he smacked into my chest, which had caused me to stumble a bit too.
We’d laughed once we were steady.
I’d stared down at him, loving his smile. It was a rare sight most days, and I always felt a sense of pride when I caused it. One second passed—then two—as we just stared at each other. That’s when he’d kissed me again. Not as passionate as earlier, but tender and so freaking amazing that my knees had nearly buckled.
As we kissed, the train had whooshed past us. The air from it had ruffled his hair, and he’d broken away to watch the passing compartments. His pale blue eyes met mine and his mouth moved.
The rickety sound of the train on the tracks was so loud that I couldn’t hear what Avery had tried saying. All I’d seen was the expression on his face as he’d said it—so ecstatic. Happy.
I wish I could’ve captured the moment, but it hadn’t occurred to me at the time.
We sat back down in our spot after the train had passed, and I’d put my arm around him. For several seconds, we’d just sat there like that, but then I’d had an idea.
After grabbing my phone and clicking open the camera, I held it up in front of us in selfie-mode and snapped a pic. Avery had tried swatting it away once he realized what I was doing, and he’d buried his face in my neck to hide.
I snapped another pic.
And the second picture was actually my favorite. Enough of his face was showing to see his smile, and I was laughing in it, looking like a goofball. It was better than any posed smile because it was real. The picture immediately became my lock screen on my phone.
Everything about that afternoon was still so vivid in my head as I sat in class.
Mrs. Brown asked a question and Ben raised his hand to answer. I didn’t hear the question or the answer. It was like watching a movie but pressing the mute button. Selective hearing: the classroom edition. I stopped trying to pay attention because it was pointless.
My mind was stuck on the Avery channel and there was no chance at changing it.
After the bell rang, I gathered my things before going up to Avery. He smiled up at me—looking shy as ever.
“Hey, you,” he said, gently bumping my arm with his. “Wanna walk me to my next class?”
