Avery: Sensual Desire: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 2) (23 page)

When she’s gone I lock the door and take a shower. I feel exhausted and try to wash away the events of the day, but of course that does not work.

Whenever I close my eyes, Avery’s face appears. I miss him, but I can’t forgive him for what he did to me.

Afterward, I put on an extra big T-shirt and go to bed. I find myself once again wishing for a rewind button for my life again. I try to fall asleep, but for a long time, I lie miserably awake.

Chapter 14

Because Delsin decides to join our girls’ night out, I also invite Sky and Thierry to come along. Some of us meet at the door of the Heat club, and Kurt, the really handsome bouncer, ushers us in the moment he spots Delsin. Avery isn’t with them—they didn’t tell him we're going out. I don’t feel comfortable with this secrecy, but I don’t tell anyone because I have to admit I’m thankful they aren’t forcing me to spend time around him. Once inside the club, my cell phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out, and there’s a text from Thierry.

Hey, darling! Avery is wasted, can’t make it today. Some other time? T.

Great, now my dancing partner can’t come because his brother got drunk
, I think, feeling irritated, but then I type an answer:

It’s okay. Hope he’ll be okay. Definitely some other time. Bye, D.

My foot taps the floor in time with the music while I let my eyes roam the place. I’d really like to dance now, to distract myself.

“
What’s up with you? You look a bit moony,” Sky says.

“
I don’t think I really like this place,” I say. “I prefer fewer people and less noise.”

“
Want to take a walk? I don’t like this type of music either—and this type of people even less.”

“
That would definitely be better than standing around.” I smile and take the hand he offers me.

Without telling the others, we leave Heat and walk in the direction of the beach.

“
Has anyone ever told you that you’re really cute?” Sky suddenly asks.

God, if he goes on like this, it’s going to be a damn awkward night.
“
Uh, yeah, someone told me that, but you’re both wrong,” I reply. “I’m not cute, and I don’t want to be.”

“
Seriously, Dale, you’ve got something about you that attracts men,” he says. “When you entered the club, all eyes were on you.”

I roll my eyes. “Sure, I bet,” I say with a sarcastic smile on my face.

***

As we’re sitting together on the beach, the moon provides the only light, making the surface of the ocean sparkle. It’s chilly, but that comes as no surprise, because it’s already November. I’m only wearing a thin coat, because I didn’t expect to end up on the beach tonight.

“
This Avery guy … Do you have feelings for him?” Sky asks.

I cringe. Avery is the last person I want to talk about right now. “I did have deep feelings for him. We were together for a few weeks, but it’s over.”

“
And now you don’t feel anything anymore?” he prods.

“
Why are you so interested?”

He looks at me. “I’m interested in you, Dale, and I’m curious to know whether anyone already owns your heart before I start hoping you could be interested in me, too.”

I take a deep breath. “I’m keeping my heart to myself. At the moment, I couldn’t start another relationship.”

“
And what about an affair?”

My eyes widen. “What?”

Sky laughs. “That was a joke. I’m only interested in your friendship.”

I shake my head with a smirk.

“
I only wanted to distract you a little more, and I think it worked.”

“
Yes, it did. Thanks, Sky.” Then I lean my head against his shoulder. “Do you think Avery was serious when he apologized earlier? I mean, he didn’t talk to me for three months, and he didn’t answer my calls, messages, anything, and now he suddenly apologizes. I don’t understand it.” I feel somewhat desperate.

“
Was he always honest with you?” he asks.

“
Yes, I think so.”

“
Then I’d assume he was being serious, even though he took a long time to let you know. And though the way he acted before was unforgivable.”

With a deep sigh, I look out across the ocean again. “I’ll admit that it still hurts whenever I think of it. And I’m just confused about why he’s trying to make up now, of all times.”

My cell phone rings, and I take it out of my pocket. It’s Thierry. “I have to take this.”

Sky nods slowly. “Okay.”

I answer with, “What’s up?”

“
Where are you, Dale? Avery’s looking for you, and I think you should be far away from your house, so he won’t find you.”

“
I’m out. Why is he looking for me?” I ask.

“
Because he’s determined to talk things over with you. He marched right out of the house and ran off.”

I heave another sigh. “Well, I’m not at home, and it might be a while before I get back.”

“
It doesn’t sound like you’re at the club. Where are you?”

“
Out with a friend,” I answer.

“
I see. Well, I’ll just direct Avery to the club where the others are. I'll call you back once I’ve caught up with him.”

“
Okay. Bye.”

I hang up and put my phone back into my pocket.

“
Is anything wrong?” Sky asks.

“
No, not really. Someone just warned me that my ex-boyfriend is on the lookout for me, after he got drunk again. He must’ve gone crazy.”

“
Why is he looking for you?”

“
He seems to want to talk, but I don’t want to listen anymore,” I explain.

“
Well, maybe you ought to talk things over with him,” Sky says. “Only then will it really be over. Then you can concentrate on more important things afterwards.”

“
Maybe, but not tonight.”

He gives a brief nod. “Do you think he’s going to want you back, or is he just trying to make you feel bad about it all?”

I shrug. “He can’t make me feel guilty, because I’m through with that. I spent enough time berating myself and moping. And I don’t care whether he wants me back or not. Avery really hurt me, and I’ll just refuse him again. He should think of a far better explanation if he wants me to accept his apology.”

Sky gets up and offers me his hand. “Come on. I’m going to take you home.”

“
But your place is on the way to mine, so I guess I’ll be the one taking you home.” I giggle.

“
Then you’re going to be my first tonight.” He grins.

My eyebrows shoot up.

“
It’s the first time a girl will walk me home.” He laughs. “Dear God, you get me wrong
all
the time.”

“
It’s your fault, with your constant innuendoes.” I smile, and Sky helps me up.

“
No, I think it’s your fault. You can be somewhat slow on the uptake,” he teases.

I take his arm, and we march through the sand. Sky is nice enough, but totally not my type. Avery is the man who awakens my darkest desires whenever I see him. With a shake of my head I try to chase away that thought. “Do you want to take a taxi or are we walking?”

“
Let’s walk, but then I'll call you a taxi once we’ve reached my house, because it’s not the safest neighborhood,” Sky says. “You shouldn’t be out on your own at night around there.”

“
I grew up in a far more dangerous area, and I always carry Mace in my purse. I can take care of myself,” I assure him. “It takes forever for a taxi to arrive, because those guys don’t like driving short distances.”

“
You could also stay at my place. I don’t think Blake would mind.”

“
Who’s Blake?”

“
My roommate. He’s really nice, but also a little weird. Oh, come to think of it, he owns a car, so he could take you home if you preferred that.”

“
Really, I can walk, but I’d like to meet your roommate one day.”

“
You could come back tomorrow night, we could watch some movies and I’d introduce you to him,” he offers. His gray eyes beam at me when he looks into my face.

“
Maybe. I’d planned to go through the lecture notes you and Kelsey gave me,” I say. “I’m slightly worried about my triple load—my current classes, making up for what I missed, and working a job. If I don’t pass, I’ll have to start over next year,” I prattle. I feel uncomfortable because I don’t like the romantic vibe Sky has going on, so I don’t look at him while I tell him my worries.

“
You’ll manage just fine,” he says. “You are ambitious, aren’t you?”

“
I am, and that’s why I can’t get distracted.”

“
So you want to hole up and study for the entire semester?” he asks, sounding incredulous.

“
I think I have to, if I want to pass this semester.”

“
You’re crazy! You also have to enjoy your freedom, don’t you think? Being young is a once-only gig, Dahlia.”

I laugh out loud. “I enjoy college. It’s everything I ever wished for. I wanted to get out of Liberty City. Now I’m here, and I need to pass my exams so I won’t ever have to go back.” I draw up my shoulders, because the breeze is getting chillier. “How can it be this cold suddenly?”

“
Winter is coming?” Sky answers, sounding amused. “Are you cold?”

“
Well, what do you think? I wouldn’t complain if I wasn’t.” I smile.

He shrugs off his leather jacket and puts it around my shoulders. “Is that better?”

“
But now you don’t have a jacket anymore,” I protest.

“
How about, ‘Thank you, Sky. That is very considerate of you’?”

The words he uses are so different than the ones the rest of my fellow students use. Avery sometimes spoke like this, too. It’s obvious they both come from an upper-class background where their parents took pains to keep them from swearing, maybe made them express themselves in a choice manner. That’s not to say Grandpa didn’t make me watch my language—whenever I used swear words or talked back, he would ground me. To avoid that, I took great care to follow his rules.

“
Thank you, Sky. That is very considerate of you,” I repeat his words with a grateful smile. Then I take his arm again. “I just hope you don’t catch a cold because of me.”

“
If I do, you can nurse me back to health.”

“
I could, yes, but then you’d keep me from studying for my exams, which is why I would appoint Blake as your designated nurse.” I giggle.

He suddenly puts his arm around me and pulls me close. It’s difficult to walk like that. “I admit that it’s a little cold now, but you can warm me.”

“
Okay, I guess,” I concede.

“
Your generosity is staggering,” he teases.

I grin, my gaze meeting his again.

Sky is a really handsome guy, but he’s blonde, and I’m not into blond men at all. It’ll be hard to find a suitable partner after having been Avery Morrison’s girlfriend. I haven’t had a single date since we broke up, not counting dinners with Thierry, which were of a completely platonic nature. He just wanted to take my mind off moping about his brother, but he wasn’t very successful.

Why do I keep thinking about him?
I ask myself. Not a single day passes without me missing Avery. It’s really damned unfair. I want to be free of him so I can find someone else, someone new, and be happy. But I’m beginning to think he ruined men for me. Avery was … well,
is
a great lover, because he’s considerate and tender … Oh, I could list a thousand things in his favor and never be done. He impressed me that much.

“
I hope you can forget him someday,” Sky murmurs.

“
Forget who?”

“
This Avery guy. I can see that he’s always on your mind.”

I sigh. “He helped me get through a really hard time. I’ll never forget that, you know? And he’s my ex-boyfriend, so I guess he’ll always have a special place in my heart.”

“
Your first love?” Sky asks.

“
He could have become so much more than that,” I answer in a suddenly hoarse voice. Once again, I’m transported back to that fateful night.

Get lost, you crack whore
. His words echo in my head and make me cringe.

“
What’s the matter?” Sky asks.

“
Just a shiver down my spine,” I say evasively.

We keep walking.

***

When we reach the dorm Sky lives in, I pull away and go to return his jacket.

“
Keep it ’til Monday,” he says.

I shake my head. “No, thank you. Remember, I already have to haul back your class notes on Monday. The jacket would only mean extra weight.”

He reluctantly takes back his jacket. “Suit yourself. Um … regarding the people around here, please make sure to walk fast, don’t answer when someone addresses you, and maybe talk to someone on the phone. That should get you home safely.”

“
Don’t worry. I’m a grown-up that knows how to defend herself, but if you insist, you can call me when you get upstairs.”

“
I can’t. My cell is off. My parents refused to pay the last bill, so you’d have to call me,” Sky says sheepishly.