Chevelle's Story

chapter 20

Chevelle sat up. "Talk?" she repeated. "Isn't that what you just did?"

"She wants to talk in person," he elaborated. "Today."

Chevelle was silent for a while, just staring at Abel. Waiting for him to look at her—willing him to—and when he didn't, her heart broke just a little. Finally, she spoke again. "Abel, don't go," she said. "Avery's married. What could she possibly have to say to you?"

"I don't know," Abel said. "But that's why I have to go and at least see what she wants. I don't expect her to tell me she's leaving her husband or anything, but I at least deserve something. Some kind of reason."

Chevelle was trying not to take any of this personally, but it was really hard not to. The way Abel was talking about this made her feel like, deep down, he wanted his ex to leave her husband. That he would take her back if she did.

She clenched her jaw. "Look at me," she said.

Abel sighed and turned to face Chevelle, a resolve in his eyes that she feared she wouldn't be able to sway. He looked like a different person from the Abel she had been with only five minutes ago. There was a whole new energy surrounding him, and she didn't like it. It felt hostile. Like she didn't belong around it.

Softening her tone, Chevelle said, "Please, Abel, I don't feel good about this."

"And I don't feel good knowing you go home and sleep under the same roof as that dickhead Jared, but there's nothing I can do about that."

"Yes, but there is something you can do about this," Chevelle pressed. "Don't go."

Abel could hear the wavering in Chevelle's voice. How hard she was trying not to cry. He could see in her eyes that he was hurting her, and it made him sick to his stomach. Hurting Chevelle was the last thing he'd ever wanted to do, but he just couldn't stop his mind from racing. He never thought he would hear from Avery again—or at least not for a very long time. He had written that off as a possibility and had been moving forward accordingly.

Avery hadn't reached out to him even once since the breakup, except to tell him about the wedding. To make sure he heard it from her first. She hadn't even sent him a 'happy birthday' text. In fact, she hadn't even sent him a response to the 'happy birthday' text he had sent her a few months ago. Abel had assumed that her radio silence meant they were done. Not just romantically, but completely done. Out of each other's lives for good.

He wasn't even sure if Avery knew he'd been at the wedding.

Abel had hung out at the very back of the reception hall, and he'd left before Avery had a chance to speak to him. He hadn't thought she would even want to see him on a day like that, but maybe she had. Maybe if he'd swallowed his pride and talked to her, things would be different right now.

Just last night, he had been sure that Chevelle was it for him, and now his mind was a mess. He wasn't sure about anything. And the way Avery had sounded on the phone...like she was nervous or something. It worried him.

"Look, I'm sorry." Abel sighed, "I've made up my mind."

His words felt like a slap to the face. Chevelle couldn't hide the hurt from her voice. "I think I should go," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Chevelle, don't do this," he pleaded. "I mean, it's not like you and I are together or anything. Why are you reacting like this?"

Chevelle was the one who had said they should try being friends, not him. She was the one who'd given him a reality check just yesterday, making it clear that whatever this was was just temporary. So why now was she having such a problem with him wanting to go and see Avery? If they were going to do this whole 'just friends' thing, then it was only right that he go and see what Avery wanted. He couldn't put every other prospect in his life on hold just because someday he and Chevelle may or may not decide to pursue this thing they have between them. It wouldn't be fair to himself.