Bind Me To You

Chapter Twenty Five

Avery had finished her cereal in a matter of seconds, leaving milk pooling in the bottom of the bowl as she rushed into her closet to find some clothes.

Within a handful of minutes she had showered and washed her hair, although the amount of time she had spent trying to dry the snarl of blonde knots felt more like an hour.

The thought of finally having a friend over filled her stomach with a swarm of butterflies, and she couldn't shake the smile that crept back onto her cheeks every time she thought about Sadie.

Avery strode back into her room, feeling refreshed and clean after her shower when her eyes caught on her bare mattress. Her blanket and pillows had been strewn across the soft carpet in her sleep. Not wanting to appear messy, she rushed over to her unmade bed, throwing her duvet and pillows back on in a semblance of order.

Her head swung around as she searched for the final pillow, spotting a flash of pale blue fabric on the other side of her bed. She climbed onto the mattress and crawled to the other side, tugging the pillow onto the bed to find the light blue box still sitting lop-sided underneath.

She moved to sit at the edge of the bed and reached down to pick up the box, gently uncreasing the edges and fixing the lid back into place.

A soft smile painted itself on her face as she thought back on her trip with Azrael, how gorgeous she felt when she saw herself in the boutique's mirror.

With the shake of her head she pushed aside the desire to put the dress on again and placed it down on the bed beside her.

I wonder what Sadie will think.

_____

Avery sat at the kitchen island, her phone on the bench in front of her as she waited for Sadie to message her when she arrived. Time seemed to tick by so much slower now that she wasn't rushing around, and as each minute passed, the nervous excitement in her stomach turned from a slow simmer into a low boil.

It wasn't until Avery heard the creak of the wooden floor boards behind her that she realised someone else had entered the kitchen.

Avery startled and spun around, finding the large hazel eyes of the boy that had stared at her with such a strange expression earlier that morning.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you" The boy apologised, holding up a pair of empty beer bottles that he gripped between his fingers.

Avery didn't know what it was but something about the boy made her feel uneasy, especially now that it was just the two of them.

Perhaps it was the fact that he was tall and muscular looking, or that he looked at least two years older than her. Maybe it was just the fact that he was Gwen's friend, and Avery had already decided that any friend of Gwen's wasn't good company.

The boy moved towards the bin, dropping the pair of bottles inside with a loud clink and Avery lowered her gaze, feeling more self conscious than ever in his presence.

"You're Avery, right?" He asked as he opened the fridge and pulled out a new bottle of beer, "Gwen's little sister?".

Avery glanced up at him, bringing her hands together nervously under the bench. His eyes were fixed on her as he closed the fridge door and twisted the cap off to take a short swig.

Avery nodded, averting her eyes away from him again. She couldn't keep eye contact with him, the more that she saw that lop-sided grin, the more uncomfortable she felt.

"I'm Maverick" He introduced, placing the golden bottle cap on the counter beside him and resting against the cupboards.

Perhaps it was the long awkward pause after his introduction, or the way Avery's eyes stayed glued on the black screen of her phone, but Maverick moved to lean against the kitchen island across from Avery.