Avery: Sensual Desire: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 2) by Drucie Anne Taylor

fight for my dreams,” I answer thoughtfully.
    “ Let’s check whether he has a copy of his will in this binder. We have to find out which solicitor notarized it. Then everything will be lawfully yours.”
    We go through the whole binder, but don’t find my grandfather’s will. What we do find is the business card of a notary, and on the backside it says I should contact him. There’s still so much to do and find out. I’m going to have to call my aunts and uncles to tell them about Grandpa’s death and the funeral details. I’m already dreading that call.
    “ So do you want to stay here or are you coming home with me?” Avery suddenly asks.
    “ Do you want to have me?”
    He smiles. “More than anything.”
    I get up, fetch the old bag from Grandpa’s bedroom, and put my clothes from the hallway closet inside. Everything I own fits into that bag.
    “ Don’t you want to take the photographs?” Avery asks. “You could put them on the nightstand on your side of the bed or on the desk in my room, if you want to.”
    I nod slowly. “Yes … That would be nice.” I turn and walk back into Grandpa’s bedroom. There’s a small desk in here holding some framed photographs. Most of them are pictures of the two of us captured on different occasions that served to always remind him of the happy times. Grandpa and I both look happy in each of these snapshots. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have a lot of money as long as we had each other. I don’t have anyone this close anymore. I have Avery, he would probably tell me, but he’s only a friend. He has quickly become a very good friend, but that’s all.
    ***
    I brought the most important things with me. Avery hauled all the binders and a few boxes to the car while I got the little black address book and the last of the money we kept in a cookie jar. On the way to Avery’s house I bought a prepaid cell phone so people could reach me. I gave the number to the few people that matter, or that I need to be in contact with. I also called the notary and made an appointment for Friday to discuss Grandpa’s will. That was three days ago.
    Tomorrow, I’ll have to see the mortician and organize the funeral. I still have to call my aunts and uncles to tell them about Grandpa’s passing. I hope they’ll attend the funeral, because I don’t want to be on my own. I don’t need their support, but I need to know that they at least want to pay their last respects to Grandpa. I know they don’t want anything to do with me—I’m the bastard of the family, after all, and being seen with me could be a blemish on their reputations. That’s actually the way they think.
    Avery is out getting us dinner, and I’m looking through the newspaper, searching for an apartment so I won’t bother Ave, Delsin, and Cami any longer.
    There’s a sudden knock on the door.
    “ Come in,” I call.
    “ Hey, Dahlia, how are you feeling?” Delsin asks as he and Cami enter.
    I circle the last apartment for rent in the paper and then look up. “I feel a little better. How are you?”
    “ I’m fine,” Delsin says as he drops into an armchair.
    Cami sits down in his lap and studies me. “Can I ask you a question?”
    “ You just did, but go ahead, ask another one,” I say with a half smile.
    “ What’s going on between you and Ave?”
    My jaw drops. “I … I guess he and I are friends, if you can call it that after such a short while,” I answer, perplexed.
    She nods slowly, and Delsin looks unconvinced. “We thought there was something more between the two of you.”
    Why are they suddenly grilling me like this? “You know that my grandfather died, and Avery was there for me, that’s all.”
    Cami looks at the newspaper in front of me. “Are you looking for an apartment?”
    I nod again.
    She looks at Delsin. “Why don’t you let her rent the apartment close to campus? It’s stupid to keep it vacant anyway.”
    He scrutinizes me. “Do you intend to start college any time