7. Avery
Chapter 7
Avery
My shower is so fucking cold, I’m surprised my dick doesn’t wither away and fall off.
Goddamn Valentina Garcia. The woman could tempt a saint and have no clue while she’s doing it.
I have to be careful with her. Around her. She’s quirky and innocent—how innocent I don’t know, but I haven’t seen a woman turn that red after a harmless joke since I was in high school.
But it didn’t feel harmless. For some reason, it felt dangerous. It felt like she was poking at my insecurities when logically, I know she was trying to make light of the situation.
The trip. The one bed. The fact that we don’t fucking know each other.
And while I can take a joke, I also want to keep shit between Valentina and me clean. We both know where we stand, what needs to happen, what the outcome is. Sure, we can be friendly and laugh together, share some meals. If she begged me to fuck her, I’d comply. I mean, I’d probably give her anything she asks for.
But I can’t give her any more of myself than what I’m capable of. And I’m only capable of the material things. The five-star hotels and business class flights. The green card and two fucking years.
I rinse the soap off my shoulders and turn off the shower.
Valentina and I need to find a middle ground to make this work. We need to trust each other for what we’re about to do without letting our defenses down enough that either of us ends up hurt. After all, this is an arrangement, an understanding.
I want to clean up my reputation and know that I can be a good guy who does the right thing. And she wants a visa.
It should be simple, right?
When I step out of the shower, I note the screen of my phone lighting up with a ton of incoming messages.
Frowning, I pick up the phone.
Cohen
Yo, you fucking dead? What’s going on?
Raia
Are you coming to dinner tonight?
Shit. I wince. I forgot about that. We were supposed to meet at Mom and Dad’s at 6 p.m. to have dinner with our grandparents and closest family members.
Mom
Avery, are you okay? I haven’t heard from you…
Raia
Do you think I should wear white or ivory?
Sorry! That was for Faye.
Where are you?
Grandpa
Avery, pick up your mother’s phone calls.
I note the three missed calls from Mom and swear. I can picture the disappointment in Grandpa’s face. Not that he’d ever tell me but still, I see it, sense it. Hell, some holidays, I can even taste the sourness of it mixed in my beer.
Sinking down to the closed toilet seat, I punch Mom’s name and lift the phone to my ear.
“Where the hell are you?” my sister answers.
“Hey!” I keep my voice sunny. Light.
“Hey?”
I clear my throat. “Sorry about dinner. Something came up.”
“Yeah? What?” Raia presses. “If you’re on your way, you’ll make it in time for Uncle Jim to give Brooks a hard time.”
I snort, knowing how much my uncle loves to rag on my cousin’s boyfriend, especially since he’s Raia’s ex.
“I’m in Austin,” I admit.
“Texas?” she screeches.
I pull in a deep breath and screw my eyes closed. I’m about to do something unforgivable. I’m about to lie to my sister after spending the past year trying to mend our relationship. Not that there was ever truly a rift. It’s more that we grew in two different directions and by the time I realized it, there was a chasm between us. But now, things are good. She and Cohen are happy, and I love my relationship with them both.
I trust them.
And yet… I look at the closed bathroom door. Can I pull out of the agreement I came to with Valentina? After I made the proposal, knocked on her door this morning, and booked the flights to Austin?
I release a deep breath.
“Avery, what’s going on?” my sister asks, concern lining her voice.
But if I convince my family this is real, that this matters, Valentina and I are halfway there to selling our relationship—our marriage.
“I…I met someone,” I say.
Silence.
I close my eyes, hang my head, and wait.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Raia seethes after a beat. “You blew off dinner with Grandma and Grandpa because of some woman you fu?—”
“It’s not like that,” I cut her off.
“Oh really?” she laughs harshly. “What’s it like then, Ave?”
“It’s Valentina Garcia,” I say.
More silence. Then, a peal of laughter. Disbelief. “Avery, what the hell kind of a prank is this?”
“It’s not a prank. Not a joke,” I clarify. “I…I really like her, Rai.” At least that part is true. “We got together last night and…one thing led to another.” I’m inferring sub-context here that doesn’t exist but…still, not an outright lie.
“And you woke up in Austin?”
“No. We just landed. I honestly forgot about dinner and I’m sorry about that. Please tell Mom and Dad. Grandma and Grandpa. I never would have cut out so early if I’d known.”
“Really? You would have brought Valentina to dinner? To meet the family?” Raia’s tone is sarcastic.
“Yes,” I say simply, realizing it’s true. “I would have loved to introduce her to Grandma and Grandpa.”
The honesty in my voice pulls my sister up short. “What the hell is going on, Avery? I heard you thought Valentina was stalking you! She’s Carla’s sister, you know? She would never?—”
“I know. It was a misunderstanding. A hilarious one, if I’m being honest.”
“And now you’re…in Texas with her?”
“Yeah.” I smile, releasing a chuckle. “I’ll be back at the end of the week.”
“You’re staying the entire week?” Raia repeats.
“Rai, you know when something is just right? Like, it doesn’t make any goddamn sense, but it feels right?”
A stretch of silence before Raia mumbles, “Yeah.”
“Well, this feels right, Rai.” Stretching the truth but still, not a bold-faced lie.
“But Avery, I know Valentina and—” Raia cuts herself off, but I hear the words she didn’t say. She’s not for you. She’s good and generous and out of your league.
“She’s not like other women. She’s different,” I supply.
“Yeah,” Raia admits.
“I know,” I agree. “That’s what I’m telling you. This, with her, it’s different.” I hold my breath, hoping my sister infers what I need her to from this conversation.
Eventually, she sighs heavily. “I’ll cover for you with Mom and Dad.”
I press my lips together to keep from grinning. “Thank you, Rai. I owe you.”
She laughs. “Nah, we’re even. Wait till you see all the wedding planning you and Cohen are going to be responsible for. I’m making y’all a binder.”
I snort. “Deal.”
“Have fun in Texas, Ave.”
“Thanks, Rai,” I say gratefully.
“And…” She hesitates.
“Yeah?”
“Go easy on Valentina. She’s…” Raia searches for the right words.
“She’s what?” I narrow my eyes.
“She’s innocent. Sweet. Her family protects her. Has sheltered her. Maybe even too much.”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat, understanding what Raia is saying. Valentina isn’t used to guys with my womanizing ways. Even if she grew up at the center of a family who is celebrated in sports, she’s never been amid the scandals that often ensue. I get it; I wouldn’t want that for her either.
Not with her unfiltered thoughts and her brimming passion. Not with her bold curiosity and quirky demeanor. The woman studies birds and speaks about them the way most people I know rattle off football stats.
She’s special and wholesome and kindhearted. She’s out of my league.
And I’m going to claim her anyway.
“I know,” I continue.
“See you this weekend?”
“See you.” I end the call and hang my head.
On the other side of the door, I hear Valentina puttering around.
This is it, we’re in Austin. We’re about to start day one of our five-day first date. We need to make the most of our time together before I’m sucked back into the season and she’s all in on her research. We need to come to a clear understanding of how things are going to be, to finalize the necessary paperwork, and to draw some boundaries.
Clear-cut lines I won’t cross. No matter how badly I want to.
Because men with my past don’t keep women like Valentina. Instead, we dazzle them for a blink, right before we tarnish them beyond repair.