WINNING HIS HEART AGAIN

Chapter 6: Friends Again?

Avery POV.

"H-how?...how did you come here?"

I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.  I was still reeling from the shock of his sudden appearance, my mind struggling to process the reality of his presence.

He smirked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"What do you mean how? Didn't we promise we would go to the same university when we got into college?" he said playfully, as if nothing had happened.

I looked at him, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within me.  Despite the shock and confusion, one thing was clear: I missed him.  He was the only man I had ever truly felt comfortable with, the only one I could call a friend.

He smirked again, his gaze holding mine.

"I knew it. You didn't see it coming, did you?" he teased, his fingers gently tousling my hair, just as he used to.  The familiar gesture sent a wave of longing through me.  How long has it been since we last saw each other?  Years, it felt like.  I had missed him so much.  I had thought, after I had rejected him that night, that he wouldn't treat me the same way.  But here he was, acting as if nothing had changed.

"Come on, Ave. Stop looking at me like that, or everyone might think I'm bullying you," he said, his teasing tone laced with a hint of concern. 

How could he act as if nothing had happened?  Had he moved on from me?  Was that it?

"Are we good now?"

I asked, my voice barely a whisper.  My eyes remained fixed on his, desperately trying to decipher the thoughts behind his playful facade.  But there was a distance between us, a gap that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  He looked different, too.  His body was more defined, his frame taller, his voice deeper.  He was a man now, grown and changed.

He chuckled, his hand reaching up to ruffle my hair again. 

"Silly. Of course we are. We will always be best friends, right?" he said, his voice filled with the same jovial tone I remembered from our childhood.  My throat suddenly went dry.

"Best friends?" I echoed, my voice laced with disbelief.  So he had moved on?  Shouldn't I be happy?

"Ahuhh... don't worry, okay. Everything happened before you left. I already moved on. And honestly speaking, I already knew since day one that you and me, we were only meant to be just friends.  And I'm already satisfied with that. Let's just forget I ever confessed, cool?" he said nonchalantly, as if his confession had been a mere trifle.

I should be happy, right?  But something felt wrong.  A nagging sense of unease settled in my stomach.

I nodded, my mind struggling to process his words.

"Anyway, I should go to the bathroom and clean up.  I think I need to change my clothes too, you silly clumsy kid," he said with a grin, his focus shifting to the sauce-stained mess on his uniform.  Right, I had forgotten about that.

"Oh, yeah, yeah... you should," I agreed, snapping back to reality.  As he turned to leave, my gaze followed him, watching as he walked towards the men's bathroom.

Why was my heart aching at the thought of him?  Maybe I still felt sorry for him?  That must be it, right?

 
_
TIME SKIP.

As I walked back to my dorm, my mind replayed the scene from earlier.  How had he gotten here?  I had never thought I would see him again.  I had thought our silly deal to go to the same university was just a joke.  But he had done it.  How?

I sighed heavily, a wave of guilt washing over me.  I remembered how I had rejected him, how his crystal blue eyes had pretended not to care, how he had forced a smile onto his face and acted as if nothing had happened.  And then, the rain had poured down, and he had stood there, letting himself get soaked, like a total idiot.  My heart ached again.  Why was he here?  And why, instead of feeling angry at him, did I feel a strange sense of joy that he had kept his promise?  Was I being selfish again?

I sighed, trying to push away the thoughts of him.

 
___
The next day, I walked to class, feeling like a ghost.  I hadn't slept much, my mind consumed by the thought of Ash.  I had so many questions for him, so many things I needed to understand.  I couldn't relax until I got his answers.

I sighed as I sat down in my designated chair.

"What's wrong?" Sofia asked, her voice laced with concern.  She could sense my low energy.

I rolled my eyes, trying to mask my distress. 

"Come on, you seem down. What happened?" she asked, her tone softening.  At least she cared.

"Nothing," I said nonchalantly, leaning back in my chair and closing my eyes.  What was I feeling?  Why did it feel so heavy, as if I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders?

"Duhh! Stop acting like it's nothing, Avery. We both know you're not fine," she exclaimed.  I pretended not to hear her.

"I can sense something happened, but I won't force you to spill the beans. Just know I'm here, okay," she said, her voice gentle.  I nodded, unable to meet her gaze.

_
TIME SKIP.

Morning classes ended, but I barely absorbed anything.  My mind was lost in a labyrinth of memories, replaying every moment I had shared with Ash.  What the hell was happening to me?  I couldn't shake the thoughts of him.  God! Why did I care so much about his sudden appearance?

"Hey! Are you even listening, Avery?" Sofia snapped her fingers in front of my face, pulling me back to the present.

"You were saying?" I asked, my voice flat and emotionless.  We continued walking out of the classroom.

She rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin. 

"You're spacing out again! I don't know what happened, but I think you need some distraction.  Darren is going to play again, although it's just a normal play time, at least you'll be able to chill a little bit. What do you think?" she said, her voice laced with a desperate hope that I would agree.

I nodded, my mind still a jumble of thoughts.  Before I knew it, we were sitting in our usual spot at the basketball court gymnasium.

I could see Darren's team playing, but I couldn't focus.  My thoughts kept returning to Ash.

Why was he here?
How had he managed to come here?
What about his family back in America?
Where had he gotten the money to come here?
Had his aunt allowed him to come?

"World to Avery!" Someone snapped me out of my thoughts again, and I met Sofia's stern gaze.

"You're making me pissed, Ave. You've been spacing out since forever!" she said, her voice laced with frustration.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, my voice barely audible.  I saw Sofia's reaction, her face a mixture of surprise and concern.  It was as if I had just spoken a foreign language.

"Hell, bitch! Seriously, what's happening to you?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in volume.  I quickly hushed her, desperate to avoid attracting any more attention.  She always had a knack for drawing a crowd.

She looked at me, her expression a mix of worry and annoyance, as if she was waiting for me to confess everything.

I sighed heavily, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in my chest.  I forced myself to focus on the game, hoping that the distraction would be enough to quiet the storm raging inside my mind.