Not So Broken (West Coast College Book 3)

Chapter 31

Cameron

"What? That doesn't make any sense." I shake my head, glaring at Mike.

Mike just shrugs his shoulders. "How does it not make sense? Easiest thing to understand-"

"Wait." I hold up my hands, "What the fuck were we talking about?"

We've been arguing for so long that I've honestly forgotten what we were even arguing about to begin with as I wait for Ava by the front door for our date I've planned tonight.

Mike's expression sours. "I'm not actually sure." He slaps my shoulder, heading for the hall. "See y'all later. Don't be out to late or else I'll have to start throwing your goodbye party without you."

I scoff. "Like you would ever stay up past ten. Can barely stay awake during games."

"Hey! That's not fair. I have a very vigorous sleep schedule that I like to stick to." Mike sniffs, giving me the finger before slamming his door shut.

After a few more minutes of me pacing nervously around the kitchen, eyeing her bedroom door like I can magically open it, Ava finally steps out and my breath is immediately knocked away.

She's left her curls free and loose, flowing down her back as she struts out, stopping and smiling when she sees me already looking. Pink Converse to match my Nikes, baggy jeans and-

I chuckle, only laughing harder when she does a twirl, a bright grin on her face. "Do you like it? Found it while I was thrifting."

Closing the gap between us, I run my hand up and down her side, eyes glued to her chest. "I fucking love it."

She's wearing an off shoulder white tee that gives me a hint of her silky skin beneath it but it's my jersey number in bold blue numbers on the front that has me laughing with her.

"How the fuck did you convince your coach to let you have the number sixty-nine on your jersey anyway?" She tilts her head upwards, searching my face with a crinkle in her nose.

"I honestly don't know. It was my number in high school-everyone loved it there-and then when I came here, no one said anything. Noah absolutely hated it but I think Coach Miller finds it hilarious."

"You are definitely the favourite on the team." She says.

"Duh. Someone's got to fill the spot."

Ava lets out another soft laugh, pressing an even softer kiss to my cheek before she slips out her hearing aids, making it obvious to me that she's in pain tonight and that I will gladly have to find another way to communicate with her if the place were going to gets too loud.

"Ready to go?" I ask, opening the door wide and I can't help it. I love staring at her. Her vivid bright eyes, her bow lips. Even the deep scar that runs the length of her cheek to her ear.

Ava nods, practically skipping out of the apartment. "Of course. Do I get any hints about where we're going?"

"Nope."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A paint shop? Oh my god!" Ava squeals, grabbing my arm tightly as she beams up at the building.

"Remember when you told me that your parents used to take down all your drawings?" She nods cautiously and I continue, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "I thought we could each paint a few things and display them at home somewhere in the kitchen. On the counter, above the fridge. Anywhere you want."

Ava's lips part and her brows draw down, blue and green voids filling with tears. I start to panic at the sight of her looking so somber but I stumble back when she collides with my chest, her arms strangling around my neck tightly.

Blinking, I grip her waist just as steady, burying my face into her neck. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Thank you," She whispers, voice thick with tears. "Thank you for thinking about something like this. It-it means so much."

"Of course, Sunshine. Need a second before we go in?" She nods against my chest and I crush her against me tighter. "Okay. As long as you need."

We stand locked together like that for a few minutes before she pulls away, all the tension gone from her shoulders as she wipes at her eyes. "I'm good now. But really, thank you, Cameron. This means... this means the world."

I just dip my head. When we get inside, an employee explains the multiple shelves of paint colours and pottery creations we can choose from before walking back to the front.

"I was thinking I could paint us some matching tea cups? How does that sound? Oh! Or they had this cute giraffe. What do you think?" Ava says as I come up behind her, holding what I want to paint in my hand.

"What about all three?" I suggest and she frowns, looking at the giraffe. Knowing Ava, she will debate this for the rest of the night until she gives up entirely.

She watches my lips carefully. "All three? That's gonna be really expensive-"

I kiss her, grinning when leans into me. "Never said there was a limit, Sunshine. Spend as much as you goddamn want."

She blushes but doesn't argue and I watch as she goes and gets every shade of pink paint she can find before coming and sitting across from me, handing me some paintbrushes.

We don't talk about anything in particular, mostly how the bookstore is doing and how Charlotte and Matthew are, only needing to type out the occasional sentence on our phones here and there.

Her eyes widen a smidge when she realises what I'm painting. "Are you painting a sun?"

"Well, it's actually for you and I think it's one of those book stoppers for the end of the shelves?" I fiddle with it in my palm, "Do you like it?"

That watery smile from earlier is back on her face. She reaches over and grasps my free hand, picking at my fingers as she stares at the bookstopper. "Wow. Who knew hockey star Cameron Wyatt could paint? Like actually paint?"

I laugh. "I can do more impressive things than painting, Ava. You should know that."

She smacks my arm, rose spreading across her cheeks as she stands, glancing around the small space. I raise a brow. "What are you looking for, Sunshine?"

"In high school for ceramics, they used to have these needles so you could paint little lines on the pottery. Do you think they have those here?"

"Needles?" I rasp, heart suddenly pounding, throat dry and vision blurring.

Ava, noting my alarm, comes to my side and gently touches my arm before I cringe away, shoving my chair back. My hands shake in front of me and I this fucking pressure in my chest...fuck.

"Cameron? What can I do? Maybe we could go outside..."

I know she's only trying to help but I push away from her, needing space to try and fucking breath.

Needles. I hate fucking needles. Doesn't matter what they are used for, I hate them. Can't look at one, can't stand the mention of one. Anything about them just makes my throat close.

Fuck, I think I'm about to pass out.