Chapter 6
Avery
It appeared Ali was happy to see me, and I was glad I’d waited a week to pull up on him again.
To say I was caught off guard by the kiss would be an understatement.
I didn’t think anything could top him remembering me, but him confirming I wasn’t alone with how I felt for him was like the icing on the cake.
Icing that melted the moment his lips connected with mine.
All week, that kiss haunted me in the best way possible.
Every time I thought about it, my pussy leaked and nipples hardened.
“Did you miss me?” I couldn’t resist asking as he led me through his home.
He looked back at me with a playful expression before his eyes slowly scanned my frame. “I did actually. I thought you’d gone back to Memphis.”
“Nah. I told you I don’t scare easily, and I always get what I want.”
“Spoiled?” he wondered, and I could see why he’d think that was the case.
“Dedicated.”
My response must have surprised or impressed him, because he stopped walking and looked at me.
At the sound of tiny feet shuffling against the floor, I looked down. Gremlin bypassed Ali and made his way straight to me.
“Ah! You’re so stinking cute,” I complimented, lowering myself to pick him up as he tried to climb up my legs.
Gremlin wasted no time sniffing and licking every part of me he could touch, which caused me to burst into a fit of giggles.
I don’t know how long I stood there loving on him, but by the time Gremlin hopped out of my arms, Ali was gone.
He must have heard him because he said, “I’m in the living room. Just follow him to me.”
Doing as I was told, I headed down the hall and found Ali seated on a plush cream sofa. I was tickled at the sight of Gremlin climbing up three stairs and plopping down on the bed that was next to Ali.
“After I order our food, I can give you a tour if you’d like.”
“So . . . are we going to be friends?” I asked, sitting next to Gremlin. “I know I haven’t earned enough of your trust for an interview yet.”
“I guess we will have to be friends. We can’t be more, and you ain’t getting that interview.”
Chuckling, I didn’t bother to respond. He was strong willed, but I was too.
I was pretty confident I’d get my way in the end.
Hell, even if I didn’t, just being in his house and talking to him was a win.
Romantic feelings aside, I had to remind myself not to squeal in delight.
I was literally sitting in my favorite author’s living room.
Before I could stop myself, the squeal came out anyway.
Gremlin jumped and hopped in Ali’s lap, who looked at me like I had three heads.
I was too amused to be embarrassed as I covered my mouth and laughed.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t believe I’m here. If you knew how big of a fan of yours I was, you’d know why I’m so excited right now. You haven’t kicked me out, called the police, or gotten a restraining order against me yet. I feel like I’m in a dream.”
Ali laughed. “Just how many people have restraining orders against you, Avery? Do I need to be worried?”
“Oh! God no! I don’t have any against me personally, but some of my associates do.
When I told my editor I was coming to your house to ask for an interview, she told me you were either going to kick me off your property or call the police on me.
I kind of figured you’d think I was a weird stalker and try to get a restraining order after I came back that second time, but I’m glad you didn’t. ”
For a while, he just stared at me before releasing boisterous laughter. Clearly, Gremlin wasn’t a fan of noise, because he hopped down and left the living room, which made me laugh.
“Yo, I’m starting to think you’re a little crazy, girl, but for some reason I like it.”
“Good, because you’re stuck with me now that we’re friends.” His laughter turned into a smile as he stared at me. When I couldn’t take the pressure of his gaze anymore, I bashfully looked away as I asked, “What?”
“It’s not craziness,” he said, as if he’d just had some kind of revelation.
“You’re just . . .” His pause had me looking at him.
Ali’s head tilted as he stared at me intently.
“Honest. Genuine. Pure.” I wasn’t expecting that to be his response, so when my mouth opened, no words came out. “What do you have a taste for?”
Besides his lips?
I had no clue.
Shrugging, I cleared my throat, hoping that would help me remember how to speak again. “Anything’s fine.”
“Do you have any allergies I should know about?”
“No allergies, but I don’t like mushrooms.”
“Gotcha. I was just gonna order a pizza and wings, but—”
“That’s actually perfect. I don’t need anything fancy.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
We talked a little longer about the toppings for the pizza before he ordered it and the wings, then gave me a tour of his home like he said he would. The two-story, new build was absolutely beautiful. It came as no surprise to either of us that his home library was my favorite room.
“Oh, when I come back, I’m spending all my time in here.”
Ali chuckled. “Now you’re supposed to be my friend, and you’re already planning to abandon me when you come over?”
“You can sit in here with me,” I reasoned, making him laugh again.
“What kind of snacks do you like? I’ma make sure I have them stocked for you.”
At first I thought he was just playing, but when I realized he was serious, I rattled off a list of things I wanted before we went to his home theater.
When he asked me what I was watching back home, I expected him to laugh when I told him Star Wars, but he didn’t.
We ended up having a whole thirty minute conversation about it and Star Trek and how I was just now getting into both.
That led to us talking about other sci-fi shows and movies, then anime, and before I knew it, it was pitch black outside.
Not one movie had been watched, and we had talked for hours.
As I yawned, he asked, “You sure you’re up for driving to your hotel?”
“Mhm.” I agreed, though I wouldn’t lie and say I wasn’t super relaxed and sleepy. “I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” Between his tone and serious expression, I couldn’t deny he seemed to genuinely care, and that made me happy.
“Positive,” I assured him with a tired smile.
“I’ma give you my number. I want you to call or text me and let me know when you’ve made it.”
“Yes, sir,” I said as we walked out of the theater. “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”
“You’re actually asking instead of just popping up?”
With a giggle, I nodded. “Yeah. Since we’re friends now, I don’t have to worry about you ignoring me when I come over.”
His laughter was like music to my ears. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed and smiled this much while talking to someone.
As much as I hate your motive for bombarding your way into my life, I’m glad we were able to reconnect, Avery.
Now I wish I would’ve worked up the courage to talk to you when we were in school. ”
“Wait. You were scared to talk to me?” I asked, grabbing his hand as we neared the door.
“Hell yeah,” he confessed, far easier than I thought he would. “I don’t think scared is the right word. A part of me just thought, damn. She’s beautiful. I didn’t think I had a chance with you, so I just admired you from afar.”
Warmth spread through my heart at the sound of his declaration.
I knew I wasn’t imagining things between us, but when he never talked to me, I doubted myself.
Hearing him say the reason for his silence didn’t just validate fourteen-year-old me, but it made the adult version of me like him a little more too.
My steps toward him were light yet charged.
The courage I had to hug him temporarily lessened, but it didn’t matter.
Ali wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his arms.
Head resting against his chest, I released a soft sigh as my eyes closed. When he placed a kiss on my temple, I bit down on my bottom lip. How in the hell was I going to be okay just being this man’s friend?