My Church Girl

Chapter 12

The guy who had burst into the kitchen earlier made his way over to Ava. With a confident grin, he plopped down next to her and started chatting her up. "Hey, I'm William. I don't think we've met before."

Ava glanced at him, a bit confused by his sudden appearance. "Hi, I'm Ava."

William leaned in slightly, his tone friendly but with a hint of flirtation. "So, Ava, what brings you to this party?"

Harper watched from a distance, her heart pounding. She hoped Mason would step in and keep William from hitting on Ava. But when she looked at her best friend, she saw that he was lost in his own thoughts, his eyes unfocused and his mind clearly elsewhere, staring off into the distance and completely oblivious to what was happening right next to him.

Ava, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, tried to keep the conversation polite but brief. "I'm here with some friends."

The guy didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "That's cool. You know, you have really beautiful eyes."

Harper's POV:

I couldn't take it anymore and marched over to them, my blood boiling. Ava looked up, relief flooding her face as she saw me reach the sofa. Without a second thought, I squeezed myself between her and that annoying guy, even though there was barely any space. Everyone felt cramped, and people on the couch started to grumble about my actions.

"Sorry, everyone. You're right, there's not enough room here. I guess I misjudged the space a bit," I smirked mischievously, already knowing how to fix this situation, as I picked Ava up and put her on my lap, "I hope this is better?" Everyone went back to their conversations. However, tree people were taken aback by my actions: the obnoxious guy, which I didn't pay attention to; Mason, with whom I was still angry, however his gaze full of melancholy made me think that something was wrong and he needed my support, not judgement; and the last but definitely not the least was Ava.

She looked into my eyes, clearly expecting an explanation. Instead of speaking, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

After a few moments, she finally said, "Harper..."

"What? Are you planning to run away from me again?" I asked sternly, with a hint of irritation.

Her arm rested on my shoulders as she leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I don't want to run from you."

"Good, because I'm not letting you go," I replied firmly.

"I'm okay with it, but please don't be mad at me," she almost pleaded, her voice sounding so vulnerable. I felt an overwhelming urge to pick her up and take her away from this place.

Lifting my head I gently brushed my lips against her cheek. "I'm not mad, it's something else." I said, feeling her heartbeat quicken.

"Please, tell me how I can make it better," she asked, her voice shaking.

Just as I was about to comfort her, assuring that it wasn't her fault, I felt a sharp tug on my shoulder. I turned to see a guy glaring at me, his face flushed with irritation. "Excuse me, we were talking here," he snapped, his voice dripping with annoyance. It seemed he had finally shaken off the shock of my actions and their aftermath, his eyes now burning with a mix of anger and confusion. I felt Ava's grip tighten on my arm as she looked between us, her eyes wide with worry.

"Fuck off, man," I said, frowning as I turned back to Ava, hoping he'd take the hint.

However, it seemed that I overestimated him, as he continued, "It's you fuck off. Last time I saw you, you were hitting on Millie. Maybe you should go back to her instead of bothering us,' he retorted, his voice rising with each word.