Fearless Attraction (Cassie Series) (5 page)

             
I jump up and down with excitement and run towards Avery, who hugs me tight to him. "That was really good Angel. I think you'll do perfect."

             
"Thanks! I'm excited now. But don't be mad if I give up half way through. Thirty-six holes is a lot of swinging."

             
He chuckles softly and holds his lips to my forehead. He keeps giving himself a reason to touch me, or kiss me, making me feel guilty. I love that he keeps touching me, but I know it's because he thinks I'll run away again. I don't want to run away, I don't want to be anywhere else but here, with him.

             
"Ready for this man?" I hear a guy say behind me. I turn towards the blonde haired guy I see Avery walk around with, answering my earlier question if I was right or not.

             
"Hell yeah," Avery answers. He slips away from me to fist bump his friend. "Austin, this is my Angel I told you all about, Cassie. Cassie, this is Austin. And where is Madison?"

             
"Hey," he says to me and nods his head, but doesn't give much of a smile. He looks back towards Avery, and that is when I see his smile creep on his face. "She's coming. Hey man, can I talk to you for a second? Alone." His eyes flicker towards me but not for more than a second.

             
Avery reluctantly agrees and walks away from me with Austin. I watch them talk and feel really uncomfortable. Two girls walk in my direction, and I don't think much of it until I hear Avery's name leave one of their mouths.

             
"Didn't I tell you Avery was so hot?"

             
"Ohmigod, you're so right. I can't even believe you're hooking us up. As if he is even single."

             
"Yeah, his last girlfriend was a bit crazy from what I hear."

             
"What do you mean crazy? Am I going to wake up one morning to slashed tires if I start dating him?"

             
Date him? Whoa. What the hell! What's going on? I look back towards Avery as I listen to the two girls talk. Neither him nor Austin are looking in this direction, and I really don't want to interrupt them, but I'm feeling really uncomfortable right now listening to two people talk about me, when neither of them even know me.

             
"I don't think she's
that
crazy, from what I hear she just led him on for a long time, then left him by text and won't talk to him. And last year she played with him a lot, was sleeping around and stuff."

             
"So she's a slut and crazy? Great. Well, her loss. I'm totes going to do what I can do make him mine."

             
I stare at the two girls again, who still don't seem to even notice me watching them. The one who I assume to be Austin's girlfriend is actually really pretty with auburn hair and light green eyes. The other one, that wants Avery, is skinny, blonde, and her eyes look blue from here but I can't tell for certain. She is pretty as well, but has a large nose and extremely thin lips. I can't see Avery finding her all too attractive, unless you're staring at her chest, which is huge. Like fake huge. What am I saying? He is a guy, of course he is going to stare. Great! Day one of being together again and working through things, and something, well someone, is being tossed into the mix.

             
Just then the guys walk back over and Avery looks highly amused about something, then he stares at the two girls and back to me, giving me an apologetic look. He walks close to me, holds me to him and whispers in my ear so only I can hear. "Apparently Austin was going to make this a double date type thing. I didn't know, I'm sorry. I told him Madison and her friend are more than welcome to play with us, but only if that is okay with you."

             
"Yeah, that's fine with me," I lie. I'm not going to let him know what the girls said, or how I feel about it all, because we need a fresh start. I just want to enjoy my time with Avery, and if Austin, his girlfriend, or fake-boob-blondey doesn't like me, well that is there problem, not mine nor Avery’s.

             
I turn in the direction of where Austin met with the two girls who were just talking about me and I have to lock my lips closed. I can't contain the smile though. They both look like they've just seen a ghost. Avery walks closer to them, which requires me to too since his arm is still around me.

             
"Hey Madison, this is my girlfriend, Cassie." Her face is priceless. As well as blondies. "Cassie, baby, this is Austin's girlfriend Madison, and her friend, um?"

             
"Katie," she answers with a giant, fake smile. "It's so good to meet you Avery." Really? She is going to flirt with him with me standing right here? Wow!

             
I look up at Avery and he bunches his eyebrows together. I don't think he gets it. "Um, thanks, yeah, you too."

             
"Well, let's get going, we have a long day ahead of us," Austin interjects.

             
After signing in with the office we make it to the first hole. I watch the guys go first, then Madison, then I go and do horrible, then lastly it's Katie who does even worse. Madison is just as good as the guys, if not better.

             
I attempt to be polite since she is the girlfriend of one of Avery's new friends. "Wow, Madison, you're really good at this."

             
"Yeah, my dad taught me well," she claims. There isn't even a smile on her face as she takes Katie's hand.

             
"I'm horrible at this," Katie pouts. "Avery, would you be so kind to show me the proper way to hit the ball?" She bats her eyelashes his way. He does this awkward laugh while running his hand through his hair.

             
"I think Madison would be better at showing you," he says and smiles my way. I smile in return and walk in his direction with my rented golf clubs strapped around my shoulder.

             
Together the five us make it a few holes, having light- almost none- conversation. Katie and Madison stand together in their own little group, and I can't help but notice Katie keeps pushing her chest out even more, or flicking her hair over her shoulder, or laughing extra loud, which catches everyone’s attention but Avery’s. Finally at the seventh hole it's my turn and Avery comes up behind me, correcting my stance.

             
"Thank you baby," I tell him. He leans in and kisses my ear before backing away. I concentrate extra hard and give the best swing yet, causing the ball to fly through the air. I scream in excitement when it lands on the green, only inches from the hole.

             
Both Avery and Austin give me fives, while Madison smiles and Katie glares. Once we make it down to the green and it's my shot again I make it in, which Avery called a birdie on a par-3 hole. I'm not sure what it means, but it excites me anyways, since no one else got a birdie or a par.

             
While walking to the next hole I look over towards the coast, since the course is over-looking the Pacific Ocean, and see two people parasailing. It's romantically beautiful and I can't help but stare. I've watched people parasail before but with all the cliffs and the still rising sun, it's a whole different view.

             
Avery wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder. "We got to keep walking so the people behind us don't get annoyed, but I promise to take you parasailing soon."

             
I turn my face towards his and kiss his cheek. "You're too nice to me, I don't get it. But thanks. That would be awesome."

             
I go to walk forward but Avery pulls me back while turning me to face him completely. "What do you mean?"

             
"By what? I said that'd be awesome."

             
"You said I'm too nice, and you sounded a little sad about it."

             
I shrug my shoulders, not wanting to discuss this right now. Ever since hearing Madison and Katie I can't help but feel like Avery is way too good for me. Well, I knew that already, but they made me feel guilty about it. And he has obviously said a lot of bad things about me or else Madison wouldn't have known anything about me and my past, and the history of Avery and I. He may not have told Madison directly, but he had to have said stuff to Austin.

             
"I'm fine Avery. I'm having a blast."

             
He stares me in the eyes, internally debating with himself, but he doesn't say anything. He kisses my forehead and together we walk towards the rest of our group, catching up only minutes later.

             
When the first eighteen holes are done I'm ready to give up. Avery, Austin, and Madison all have scores between the fifties and sixties, mine is ninety-seven, which means I did horrible. Of course the first time I get a high score in something recreational is when you should be getting the lowest score. I don't mind though, Katie got a score over a hundred and I want to gloat so badly, yet I don't.

             
Avery suggests us girls get something to eat at the lodge that is right at the golf course. I would prefer not to spend alone time with both girls, but I am starving and tired of walking, so I say okay. Both Madison and Katie seem just as reluctant on the idea but also agree, and the three of us make our way towards the restaurant.

             
Once we're seated on the outdoor patio, we give our waitress our drink orders and sit there in silence. I'm praying the guys give up before the next eighteen holes are done, but knowing Avery he won't just simply quit, regardless to how hot it's starting to get out. I'm glad we left early enough that by the time we're done, it'll be the perfect time and temperature to go swimming at La Jolla shores.

             
"So Cassie, I didn't realize you and Avery were dating again," Madison finally states. Katie perks right up, ready to hear whatever juicy gossip she believes I'll spill. I won't dare give her the pleasure.

             
I smile and try to be as sincere as I can be. I want to get along with Madison for Avery's sake. "Yeah, we worked things out and became official again last night."

             
"Oh, well, that's cool. I thought you guys didn't even talk anymore?"

             
"We hadn't talked in a couple weeks, but it really wasn't anything to do with us, or our relationship, it was more of a family matter. But everything is situated and the two of us couldn't be happier than we are right now. I think this small break did us good, made us appreciate one another so much more." Okay, I'm laying it on a little thick, but I want to make it known, especially to Katie, that he is off the market and will stay that way.

             
Madison smiles but it hardly seems genuine. "That's good I suppose. I don't know him too well yet, but Austin and him have become close, and he seems like such a great guy. He deserves to be treated really well."

             
"He is treated perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern, but I can assure you it's not needed." There is only so long I can bite my tongue. Avery and Austin are away from us and won't be back for a while, and as much as I want to play nice, mostly for Avery, I'm not going to sit and have someone rag on me. She may not have come out and said I wasn't good enough for him, but by the tone in her voice she was clearly insinuating that.

             
She huffs out a snort and rolls her eyes. "I wasn't being rude but whatever. I was just saying."

             
"Right," Katie says, like her opinion actually matters.

             
Maybe I should attempt to fix this, not that I actually care to, but I just finished saying I make Avery plenty happy, yet here I am doing something that would upset him. "Sorry, just a touchy subject right now. I didn't try to be rude either. How long have you and Austin been together?"

             
The waitress comes over and delivers our drinks, interrupting our conversation to take our orders. Thankfully my appetite is back in full force having Avery back in my life, so I order a burger, onion rings, and a side salad. Both Katie and Madison order just salads and give me quite the look when I place my order. And I'm going to enjoy every single bite I take.

             
When she leaves Madison answers my question. "We dated three years in high school, then we broke up for the last year because we attended different colleges our freshman year. Now we're both at USD this year so we rekindled our relationship over this past summer."

             
"Oh, I didn't know you went to USD, too."

             
"I do, too," Katie interrupts. Great, just great. I have a feeling I'll be seeing her around now. Around Avery that is.

             
I still smile, doing my best to play nice. "That's cool. What are you both there for?"