“Not a date,” she hastily says. “Just friends hanging out for my birthday. Well, my birthday’s actually this Saturday, but the only day that would work for everyone to get together is next Sunday. It’ll just be me, Charissa, and a handful of other people who work at the bar. We’re going to the beach. I honestly don’t want to go, because I’m not a fan of some of the people who are attending, but Charissa is insisting I need a break from…” She trails off, her eyes widening like she was about to say something she didn’t mean. “But anyway, I could really use a friend there with me. Someone who is actually my friend and doesn’t know me by association through Charissa and who won’t want to get trashed and… Yeah, it’ll be later that day. I have a few things I have to do in the morning.” She stops rambling and laughs at herself. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m so nervous asking you this.”
I would die to find out why she’s nervous asking me. I’m not going to push her to tell me, though.
“So, let me get this straight,” I say carefully. “You want me to go to the beach with you for a late birthday party. Hangout with you for a non-work thing, so we’ll be hanging out somewhere else besides work?”
She shrugs then nods. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
“Okay,” I say breezily. “I’ll go.”
“Okay,” she echoes me then sputters, “But just as friends. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, you said that twice already, so I get the picture.” I kind of enjoy this nervous side of her because it makes her easier to read. Usually, I have no idea what the fuck’s going on in her head.
“Okay, then.” She releases her grip on the door and swings her leg up to get in the car. “I’ll see you next Sunday.”
Her nervousness might seriously be the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. “Well, you’ll see me tonight and almost every other day, too, since we’ll be at work together.”
“Right, yeah, duh.” Her laugh is off-pitch as she hoists herself into the vehicle and plops her ass into the seat. “See you tonight then.”
I close the door for her then scoot back as she revs up the engine. She waves at me before she buckles her seatbelt. Then I watch her as she shakes her head and mutters something under her breath, like she’s giving herself a stern lecture.
I’m smiling like a stupid, high motherfucker by the time I return to work, despite the voice in the back of my head whispering that I’m not good enough for her. The voice can go fuck itself right now because I don’t want to listen to it.
The rest of the day goes by with ease as I continue to think about Avery. It seemed like her nervousness was because she wanted to spend time with me. It’s nice to be wanted and really nice to be wanted by Avery, even if it’s just as friends.
By the time I get back to the motel and get cleaned up for work, I feel content and confused, so much so that I’m pretty sure Nova thinks I’m stoned.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” she asks as I walk out of the bathroom, towel drying my hair.
“Yeah. Why?” I slide my phone out of my pocket then frown at the one missed call and a text message from my mother.
Mom: That Dylan guy came looking for you again. I tried to call you, but apparently you’re too good to answer your phone.
“You just seem… happy,” Nova remarks as I type my mother a text.
Me: Report him to the police for God’s sake. I told you this last time. It’s important that u do.
“Is there something wrong with that?” I ask as I put my phone away. I make a mental note to call my dad tomorrow morning when he’s off work to have a chat with him about reporting Dylan, since my mother’s instability is starting to become more evident.
“No, it’s good.” She slides the handle of her purse over her shoulder. “Actually, it’s really good.” The smallest amount of emotion creeps into her voice, and I swear, if I look close enough, that guilt she carries inside her over me has slightly diminished.
“Yeah, I think so, too,” I agree, oddly relieved that maybe, just maybe, she might not be feeling so guilty anymore.
While we share a moment of understanding, I remember how much I thought I loved her once, to the point that it felt like my entire world would be destroyed if I couldn’t have her. Now, I don’t have her and it feels… well, right.
Nova clears her throat. “But anyway,” she says. “Are you ready to get this show on the road?”
“Yeah, just as long as you’re okay with driving me. It’s been a long day for you.”
She’s giving me a ride to work, then she has to go to work herself, so I feel kind of bad.
Nova beams as she gathers her keys from the table. “Oh, Tristan, don’t be ridiculous. I’m ecstatic to be driving you to your first job for the third day in a row,” she says. “And you look good, by the way.”
I have one of my nicest T-shirts on along with a pair of jeans, and I smell like cologne instead of cigarette smoke. It’s probably the best I’ve looked in a long time because it’s the first time in forever I’ve cared about my appearance.
“Thanks, but it’s not my first job.” I collect my wallet from the top of the television then follow her out the door and into the humid air. “I’ve worked before… Well, I guess this is my first legal job, though.”
Nova throws a glance over her shoulder at me as she steps outside, her blue eyes sparkling in the dwindling pinkish sunlight. “And you should be very proud that you have a real job now.”
I close the door and lock it behind me. “I am, I guess.”
“No guessing.” She sternly points a finger at me. “You are proud.”
“Okay, I am proud.” I tuck my wallet into my back pocket as we start toward the cherry red Chevy Nova in the middle of the gravel parking lot. “Although, I have to give Avery almost all the credit. She got me the job by vouching for me.”
“She’s so nice, although she does seem really stressed out sometimes.” She stops just short of her car and turns to me with her brows dipped. “Do you ever wonder why she needed the home?”
“Yeah, all the time.” I pause. “Why? Do you know something about it?”
She hurriedly shakes her head. “I’d really like to spend some time with her though, and find out, if nothing else, for you.”