I start to move a little more urgently, Avery eagerly meeting me thrust for thrust. I can tell she’s close again. Hell, I’m close, and there’s no slowing this down now. I pound into her with the intensity of a man heading towards the finish line. I feel her tighten around me, her internal walls gripping me so tightly that I almost lose it right there. Then she starts to moan, my name the only word coming from her lips, and I’m gone. I stare into her eyes as I pump into her a few more times before losing myself to my own release.
I lower myself onto her body, both of us sweaty and beyond satisfied. I lay my forehead against hers, and gently kiss her lips. The urgency in the kiss is gone leaving in its wake a sweet, sensual, gentle kiss.
I roll to my side, taking Avery with me so she’s curled up half on top of me, half on the bed. We are both still breathing heavily, not able to speak. There are no words to even explain what I just felt anyway. I believe Avery felt it too as I feel her reach up and take my hand in hers, linking our fingers together. She lets out a sigh of content. I lay there with her, listening as her breathing slowly evens out as she drifts off to sleep.
I disentangle my body from Avery’s once I know she’s sleep. I throw on my t-shirt and boxers and head into the bathroom to throw out the condom. It’s almost midnight and I want, more than anything, to crawl back into bed with Avery and stay until the morning.
I walk over to Brooklyn’s room and peak in through the crack in the door. She’s snuggled up with the stuffed monkey she won tonight, blond hair fanned out over her pillow. Her face has a peaceful, calm look to it. Her mouth is slightly open as she sleeps. I walk in and kneel at her bed. I lean down and kiss her cheek, pushing back the hair off her forehead.
“I love you, Brooklyn,” I whisper. I watch her sleep for a few more minutes and head back out the way I came.
When I get to Avery’s room, I decide to head out now instead of in the early morning. My truck is in her driveway and curious minds in this town will start asking questions and talking. When I’m completely dressed, I bend down and kiss Avery’s lips. She startles a little but doesn’t wake up. As I gaze down at her sleeping form, I realize I want nothing more than to strip down and climb back in bed with her. I don’t want to go back to my cold, empty house alone. Alone. That’s what I am when I’m not here with her.
I kiss her lips one last time and whisper, “I love you,” before I head out her bedroom door.
After a quick detour into the kitchen to prepare the coffee, I head out to my truck to drive home. As I’m backing out of the driveway in the middle of the night, I decide that I’m going to take the chance on a relationship with Avery. I’m done sneaking in and out of her house during the night or taking her to other towns for dates so no one sees us. This weekend, I’m going to tell Jake about us. I want to be with her, and while that scares the shit out of me, not being with her scares me more.
My chest actually feels lighter at the decision to come clean with Jake. I just hope he’s more forgiving than he’s ever been in the past because if it comes down to choosing between my best friend and the woman I love, I choose her. I will always choose her.
It’s already quarter after eleven on Sunday morning and Holly is very impatiently waiting in the living room with Brooklyn for me to finish getting ready so we can head out. I haven’t heard much from Maddox since I fell asleep Friday night. We shared the most beautiful night together before I woke up alone. I know that’s how it has to be right now so that Jake and the rest of the family doesn’t find out. But, part of me can’t help but want everyone to find out. Then it’ll be out there in the open, and maybe Maddox and I can have an actual, normal relationship.
He’s working this weekend, nine in the morning to nine at night both days, so I haven’t seen him at all. He had made plans to go out with Jake last night so I spent the evening baking cookies and then eating half of them with Brooklyn. He did send me a text message last night when he got off work telling me good night. Though I enjoyed our brief conversation through texts, it was not even close in comparison to having him at my house with me. I didn’t hear from him for the rest of the night which worried me at first. I spent the night feeling guilty that I had that slight lack of trust in him. Maddox has never done anything to show me that I can’t trust him. I do trust him. Sometimes, some of my insecurities rear their ugly heads at the worst time. But, it’s something I’m working on every day.
Holly, Brooklyn, and I get to the mall and set out for the children’s store first. I find some great deals on winter clothes for Brooklyn, and even a few things that I can put back for Christmas.