Don't screw it up now."
"Don't you ever get tired of lecturing me?" he asks.
"Don't you ever get tired of giving me a reason to?" I shoot back.
He laughs. "Piss off, D. I've got this."
I shake my head as he hangs up. Frankly, I have my doubts, but I can only do so much, and there are other things—dark-haired, green eyed things—on my mind.
When I get to the apartment complex, I eye the stairs, and Avery leans out of third floor window. "Move your ass, Guillot! I've got class today."
Flipping her off, I begin climbing.
She's wearing one of Atti's white undershirts and a pair of sweat pants that does very little to diminish her natural beauty. I've got to give it to Atti—the boy has impeccable taste. Nik was centerfold-gorgeous, and Avery isn't far from it. I shake my head and shrug out of my jacket. "What are we doing?"
We move the couches five times before she's happy. I'm ready to chuck her and the damn things out the window, but she looks so pleased with herself, I try to ignore my irritation. I grab my jacket and start for the door.
"You and Scout have plans tomorrow?" she asks. I go still—the sound of my name linked to Scout's is so perfect it makes me nervous.
"No. She's gonna pick up her car, I have work, but that's it."
"Y’all should come by for dinner—I'm inviting Kelly and the boys." I give her a sharp look, and she smirks. "Jeff and Jason, Dad. Relax—I'm not inviting random frat boys to my boyfriend's house."
"You almost did."
She has the grace and good sense to look embarrassed. "I know. My bad. I wasn't thinking."
"That's the problem, Avery. You can't not think. This isn't about just you," I snap.
"I thought we were past this," she says, crossing her arms and pushing her breasts up a little. "You gonna throw coffee on me again?"
I struggle not to wince. "You are never going to let me forget that." Her stony expression is answer enough. "Look, I care about him and his happiness. That includes you—but it doesn't mean you’re what's best for his professional life. I'm not fighting him about you because it's clear that Atticus loves you, and I'm not willing to lose my best friend over a girl. Whatever. But be careful—for god's sake, Avery, you have almost as much to lose as he does."
She nods, some of the defiance slipping out of her. "I know. I get it. I'll be careful."
I walk to the door, shrugging into my jacket. I'm impatient to get home—back to Scout and whatever is going on between us. "Come to dinner. Bring Mel and Scout."
"Mel and I are over," I say without thinking. Avery freezes, her wide brown eyes staring at me. I shouldn't have said that—it's too close to admitting that something is going on with Scout, and I need to figure that out before I go blabbing it to Atticus. "I'll talk to her, see if she wants to come over. I'll call you," I say quickly and escape before Avery has a chance to say anything or demand an explanation about Mel.
God, maybe she isn't the one who should be careful. Maybe I should be listening to myself for once. I shake my head and jog down the stairs. Slip into my Viper and head home.
Chapter 10
Scout
I call Lou, nibbling on a brownie as I wait for her to pick up on the other end, and when I hear her cheerful, but cautious, "Hello?" I almost cry.
"Hey. It’s Scout," I say, dropping the brownie in the baking dish.
"Oh! Hey! How are you?" she asks.
"Not really sure," I answer, surprising both of us with my honesty. "Do you have a little bit of time, maybe to grab lunch?"
She doesn’t hesitate. "Sure. Do you want me to pick something up and meet you at Dane’s house?"
Some of the uneasy tension slips from me and I nod. "Yeah. That would be awesome. Do you know where he lives?"
She laughs. "Yup. I’ll see you soon."
I use the ten minutes it takes her to get here to put on some underwear and brush my hair. Then I start some cinnamon rolls and a pot of coffee—I don’t drink the shit, but I know Lou has always been fond of
"Don't you ever get tired of lecturing me?" he asks.
"Don't you ever get tired of giving me a reason to?" I shoot back.
He laughs. "Piss off, D. I've got this."
I shake my head as he hangs up. Frankly, I have my doubts, but I can only do so much, and there are other things—dark-haired, green eyed things—on my mind.
When I get to the apartment complex, I eye the stairs, and Avery leans out of third floor window. "Move your ass, Guillot! I've got class today."
Flipping her off, I begin climbing.
She's wearing one of Atti's white undershirts and a pair of sweat pants that does very little to diminish her natural beauty. I've got to give it to Atti—the boy has impeccable taste. Nik was centerfold-gorgeous, and Avery isn't far from it. I shake my head and shrug out of my jacket. "What are we doing?"
We move the couches five times before she's happy. I'm ready to chuck her and the damn things out the window, but she looks so pleased with herself, I try to ignore my irritation. I grab my jacket and start for the door.
"You and Scout have plans tomorrow?" she asks. I go still—the sound of my name linked to Scout's is so perfect it makes me nervous.
"No. She's gonna pick up her car, I have work, but that's it."
"Y’all should come by for dinner—I'm inviting Kelly and the boys." I give her a sharp look, and she smirks. "Jeff and Jason, Dad. Relax—I'm not inviting random frat boys to my boyfriend's house."
"You almost did."
She has the grace and good sense to look embarrassed. "I know. My bad. I wasn't thinking."
"That's the problem, Avery. You can't not think. This isn't about just you," I snap.
"I thought we were past this," she says, crossing her arms and pushing her breasts up a little. "You gonna throw coffee on me again?"
I struggle not to wince. "You are never going to let me forget that." Her stony expression is answer enough. "Look, I care about him and his happiness. That includes you—but it doesn't mean you’re what's best for his professional life. I'm not fighting him about you because it's clear that Atticus loves you, and I'm not willing to lose my best friend over a girl. Whatever. But be careful—for god's sake, Avery, you have almost as much to lose as he does."
She nods, some of the defiance slipping out of her. "I know. I get it. I'll be careful."
I walk to the door, shrugging into my jacket. I'm impatient to get home—back to Scout and whatever is going on between us. "Come to dinner. Bring Mel and Scout."
"Mel and I are over," I say without thinking. Avery freezes, her wide brown eyes staring at me. I shouldn't have said that—it's too close to admitting that something is going on with Scout, and I need to figure that out before I go blabbing it to Atticus. "I'll talk to her, see if she wants to come over. I'll call you," I say quickly and escape before Avery has a chance to say anything or demand an explanation about Mel.
God, maybe she isn't the one who should be careful. Maybe I should be listening to myself for once. I shake my head and jog down the stairs. Slip into my Viper and head home.
Chapter 10
Scout
I call Lou, nibbling on a brownie as I wait for her to pick up on the other end, and when I hear her cheerful, but cautious, "Hello?" I almost cry.
"Hey. It’s Scout," I say, dropping the brownie in the baking dish.
"Oh! Hey! How are you?" she asks.
"Not really sure," I answer, surprising both of us with my honesty. "Do you have a little bit of time, maybe to grab lunch?"
She doesn’t hesitate. "Sure. Do you want me to pick something up and meet you at Dane’s house?"
Some of the uneasy tension slips from me and I nod. "Yeah. That would be awesome. Do you know where he lives?"
She laughs. "Yup. I’ll see you soon."
I use the ten minutes it takes her to get here to put on some underwear and brush my hair. Then I start some cinnamon rolls and a pot of coffee—I don’t drink the shit, but I know Lou has always been fond of
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