13. Avery
Chapter 13
Avery
I drag the towel over my head before tugging on the Henley shirt.
“What are you up to tonight?” Talon asks as he drops onto a bench in the locker room.
I glance at him over my shoulder. Most of my teammates have already left for the day. It was a grueling practice, and we needed it, knowing that tomorrow will be slightly easier before our game this weekend.
I shrug. “You want to grab a bite?” I offer, assuming that’s why he’s inquiring.
Talon furrows his eyebrows. “You’re not going to Valentina’s presentation?”
I rear back, surprised. What presentation? And how the hell does Talon know about it? “What are you talking about, man?”
Something I appreciate about Talon is there’s no judgement in his gaze. Instead, it’s almost as if he expected me not to know about Valentina’s presentation. I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.
My head clears the collar of the shirt, and I drop onto the bench beside him.
“It’s hard to balance football and a relationship,” he admits quietly. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for a marriage.”
“It’s been a whirlwind,” I admit truthfully. “Things happened fast and now, I’m here and she’s busy with work, and it’s like we catch each other at random times when we’re coming or going.”
“Yeah. But you gotta put in the work and show up for her. This is new for both of you and ideally, you’ll both make some compromises. But one of you has to make the first move.”
I clear my throat and tug on the back of my neck, hating that I’m so unsure of my next steps. When I was with Mila, things were easy because there was no pressure. There weren’t real stakes other than the idea of marriage somewhere down the road in the distant future.
With Valentina, she’s my wife. And even though it’s not supposed to be for real, parts of it feel that way. And I miss her. I just don’t know how the hell to tell her that without ruining the agreement we came to.
“The week we spent together was…it was fun,” I say.
“Yeah. Because you were on vacation. You were wrapped up in each other with no distractions, no family, and no real-life commitments. Now, everything has changed, and you need to carve out time and space for her in your busy schedule.”
“Yeah. You’re right.”
“You should go to her presentation. We’re done for the day.”
“I don’t even know where it is.”
“At the university. She’s going to talk about something to do with Ijams,” Talon explains patiently.
“How the hell do you know this?” I wonder, frowning at him.
He smirks. “Leni and Nova ran into Valentina yesterday downtown. They had coffee together.”
“Valentina was downtown,” I mutter, realizing I have no clue how she spends her days. Other than being on campus, I don’t know what she does in her downtime.
Who has she been eating dinner with? Who are her colleagues and classmates? Did her proposal for Ijams get approved? Has she told her family anything else about me, about us, yet?
I know nothing and I’ve been too ashamed to own up to it that I buried myself in football. In the one thing that feels like it’s in my control in a landscape that’s changing too quickly for me to keep up.
“She was going to check with you about the Christmas party,” Talon talks on, his tone gentler than I’ve ever heard it.
Fuck. The fact that Talon is taking pity on me fills my gut with guilt. I’ve done a piss-poor job at honoring my vows. Of honoring my wife.
“We’ll be there,” I confirm.
“I know that. I’m not sure if Valentina does,” Talon says, standing from the bench. He reaches out and grips my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Go to her presentation. Take your wife out tonight. Have some fun, Cap, and then put in some goddamn work.”
I snort and nod, knowing he’s right. “Yeah, I’ll do that.” I shake my head at him. “I never thought I’d take relationship advice from you, Miller.”
Talon smirks. “You should take all the advice you give, Callaway.”
At that, I bark out a laugh. “I’ll walk out with you.”
I leave the Honeycomb with Talon. Then, I slide into my car, point it in the direction of campus, and hope I catch Valentina’s presentation in time.
I slip in the back of the room right as she’s standing from her seat to glide to the front of the space. It’s a small venue but nearly all the chairs are filled. I can’t access one without making a spectacle of myself, so I tuck against the back wall and keep my eyes trained on Valentina.
Christ, she’s gorgeous. She’s wearing a sleek black dress. It has modest, thick straps that go over her shoulders and a high neckline, but it clings to her curves, tightening at her waist, flaring at her hips, and flowing to just above her knees. Her hair is swept back in a low ponytail, diamond studs sparkle in her ears, and her lipstick practically matches her natural lip color. She looks professional and proficient.
And I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Good evening. Thank you so much for coming to tonight’s presentations. My name is Valentina Garcia, and I am a PhD candidate, conducting research under the guidance of Dr. Mendoza.”
An irrational pang cuts through my chest that she used her maiden name. Garcia, not Callaway. But I have no right to feel that way when I’ve done a shitty job of making her feel like part of my family.
“I’m thrilled to join you tonight to discuss some important findings we’re discovering, many of which we plan to implement into outreach sessions at Ijams Nature Center.” Valentina continues to outline the new program, giving details about the conservation concerns regarding the cerulean warbler and the research initiatives to determine its breeding success.
I listen, fascinated, as her whole being comes alive. Dots of pink appear on her cheeks, her hands move in rhythm with her words, her voice layered with the passion she feels for the research and findings.
I note the rapt attention the audience members give her, as if they’re hanging onto her every word. For a moment, a flicker of jealousy shoots through me. Are they interested in her words, or in her?
I’ll be the first to admit that the cerulean warbler isn’t a bird I’ve ever thought about before. In fact, I’d never even heard of it until tonight. But I could listen to Valentina speak about the declining population and habitat all night.
Toward the end of her portion, she spots me, and her eyes widen. She blinks several times, her lips pursing. She finishes her presentation to a round of applause and sits back in her chair. But I note the way she perches on the edge of her seat, her shoulders riddled with tension.
Deep down, I know I’m the cause of her anxiety. And I hate that that’s the role I’m playing in her life. I rest against the wall until the presentations are finished. I clap with the rest of the audience and wait for Valentina to find me.
When she does, a woman is at her side.
“Avery, hi,” Valentina says, her voice laced with surprise and confusion.
“Hi.” I dip my head, smiling at her. I want her to know how wonderful she is, how much I enjoyed listening to her speak and learning from her, how badly I want to spend time with her the way we did in Austin.
“This is my mentor, Dr. Mendoza.” She gestures to the woman beside her.
Dr. Mendoza holds out a hand, her eyes sharp behind her thin-framed glasses.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say, shaking her hand.
Her shake is firm, and her eyes meet mine as she replies, “It’s good of you to come.”
“I’m happy I made it in time. I really enjoyed tonight’s presentations,” I admit.
Dr. Mendoza’s expression softens slightly. “Well, Valentina will be speaking more at Ijams.”
“I’ll be there when she does,” I confirm.
Dr. Mendoza smiles. “Have a lovely evening. See you tomorrow, Valentina.”
“Thank you, Dr. Mendoza.” Valentina waves.
“Have a good night,” I tack on as Dr. Mendoza moves to another group.
Valentina’s eyes find mine. “What are you doing here?”
“I came for you,” I say simply. “I wanted to hear you present and, you were spectacular, Lena.”
She blushes at my words, and warmth sweeps through me. I can still make her blush; I can still make her feel something toward me. That, in itself, is a relief. “Thank you.”
“I’m serious.” I want her to understand how much I truly enjoyed the evening. “I learned a lot and I loved seeing you speak about something you’re passionate about. Although, I had no idea about the field research trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. You’ve gotta fill me in.”
“We have a lot to catch up on,” she replies, her eyes flashing.
“We do,” I agree, somewhat regretfully. “Come on.” I hold out my hand. “Let’s eat dinner and do something…fun.”
“Fun?”
“Spontaneous,” I clarify. I glance at her. “I miss you, Lena. I miss us, the us from Austin.”
She looks up at me, a flare of hope in her Caribbean blue-green eyes. “I miss us too.”
“Then let’s rectify this. Let’s go somewhere, talk, spend time together.”
“Okay. I’d like that.”
We exit the building and walk toward my car in the parking lot. I suck in a breath and feel the weight I’ve been carrying around ease. Being with Valentina is soothing in a way I’ve never experienced before. I want to listen to her thoughts, to know her plans, to fall headfirst into her dazzle.
“I heard you had coffee with Nova and Leni yesterday,” I say, bumping my shoulder against hers.
She smiles. “Is that how you learned about tonight’s presentation?”
“From Talon,” I mutter.
She chuckles. “Did you feel one-upped?”
“It was awful.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t ask.”
Valentina shifts closer to me, and I wrap an arm around her shoulder, wanting her near.
“I spent some time downtown yesterday, just being caught up in the Christmas revelry. It was nice. Fun. It reminded me a bit of home. The entire city of Valencia comes alive in the weeks leading up to Christmas.” She scratches the bridge of her nose and even that, something banal and ordinary, captures my attention. “I didn’t realize how much I’d miss it.”
I squeeze her closer. “Then let’s head downtown and get lost in some Christmas magic.”
“Really, Avery? Don’t you have football?”
I shake my head. “I don’t have anything else I’d like to do more than spend time with you, Lena. But first, we have to talk.” My stomach grumbles loudly, causing her to grin. “And eat.”
“All right. Let’s walk to the downtown. We can grab our cars after.” Valentina stops to gesture back toward the biology department. “Let me swap my heels for flats first.”
“Sure,” I agree. We backtrack, she changes her shoes, and then, we head off campus.
We walk to the downtown area and the conversation between us is easy and light. It flows naturally and organically.
Talon was right. One of us must make the first move and then, compromises will follow. Right now, I’m happy to take the first step. I missed my wife. And spending days away from her, hardly speaking, and living in each other’s space, is not something I’m willing to do again.
Fake marriage or not, I respect Valentina too much to only be her roommate.