by Abigail Cole
My mom and I aren’t poor by any standards, there’s a lot of extremely wealthy folk around here that need my mom’s counselling. But the Hughes are another level of rich, in a class of their own above all others. I didn’t know Wyatt personally, but I’ve lived across town my entire life and the Hughes parading around always drew a crowd. In these instances, I would catch glimpses of the small, brown haired boy in his designer clothes and gold chain. He’s never had to work or fight for anything in life, until Avery came along. I suppose that’s why I was so desperate to believe he could have changed into someone sweet and kind. Someone who might have thought me worthy of his attention.
I still talk to Mike every day, we FaceTime and have lunch together at college sometimes but we will only ever be friends. It’s not because I’m shallow, the spark isn’t there. If he had been upfront with me from the start and I wasn’t led to believe his kind-hearted words had belonged to another, maybe things would have been different.
Garrett places his cutlery down with a clang on his empty plate and rests his hands on his now bloated stomach. That guy is something else entirely, he would seem more at home in a zoo with the way he eats. I’m vaguely aware of everyone’s backstory through Avery, but seeing Garrett gorge on his own food and then everyone else’s was like watching a circus act. I was cringing inside yet I couldn’t look away.
Dax and Axel stand, their chairs scraping back loudly as they begin to collect up the empty plates and champagne glasses. Dax places his hand gently on my shoulder when I attempt to rise and help, offering me a shy smile with a twinkle in his piercing blue eyes that I haven’t noticed before.
The pair carry the crockery towards the sink, before filling it with bubbly water and proceed to wash up. I understand Huxley is injured and Garret might explode if he moves, but I wonder why Wyatt is still sitting at the table examining his fingernails. It’s clear to see who in this room has been raised with manners and who has not. I’m growing disgusted with myself how I could have possibly thought I wasn’t worthy of him, when it’s so blatantly clear that the opposite is true. My mind has been filled with false truths and possibilities, but now I can see him for who he truly is. Still the self-centred, spoilt brat that looked down on me in the crowd with a scoff.
“Thank you ladies, that was incredible.” Huxley smiles kindly between the two of us, causing Avery to frown.
“But you barely ate anything, Garrett had most of yours.” She pouts, although Garret grins widely with no regrets, his dimples drawing my attention as he leans back in his chair and closes his hazel eyes.
“I’m just a bit tired, that’s all. I’m gonna head back to bed for a while.” He grimaces as he stands, the sling on his shoulder holding his arm tightly in place. Avery shoots up beside him, placing a hand around his waist and squeezing her way under his right bicep. She calls that she’ll be right back as they hobble out of the room together, her petite frame clearly struggling beneath the weight of his. Pulling out my phone to see another text from Mike asking how my day is going, I feel those green orbs focussed on me again in my peripheral vision.
“What?” I ask harshly when I can’t take it anymore, his stare unflinching. A snore escapes Garrett as his head lolls onto his shoulder, his fingers still intertwined over the bulge in his abdomen.
“I just wanted to say,” Wyatt speaks in a hushed voice, his eyes flicking between me and the pair washing up behind me, “I’m sorry for the night at the club. I shouldn’t have used you the way I did. Since we’ll probably be spending a lot of time together, I thought I should clear the air.” My eyebrows shoot up while I hunt for the insincerity in his gaze but find none. My phone buzzes in my hand with a text from Avery, telling me to come upstairs so I stand to leave. I don’t know what to think or say, so a stiff head nod will have to suffice.
Glancing over at the two guys laughing at the sink on my way out, I notice a wet handprint trailing down the back of Axel’s shaved head and Dax’s blonde Afro has expanded even further with a mass of bubbles. Smiling to myself, I climb the stairs to Avery’s room and find her flopped across the bed. Moving to join her, I kick off my biker boots and curl into her side.
“Are you okay? I’m worried about you.” I ask quietly. I know when Avery is putting on a brave face to please others, I’ve seen her do it to Cathy for years because she wanted her new mom to think she was ‘fixed’. But she’s never had to wear that mask with me. I want the real Avery - every thought of self-doubt, nightmare, scar and insecurity. I will love my best friend until she learns to love herself and then some.
“Yeah I’m fine.” She smirks over at me, her fingers winding into mine. Her adopted parents used to offer me all sorts of gifts to spend time with Avery at first, the latest smart phone or fancy clothes, but I refused them all. I don’t need anything except the friendship we share, that in itself is invaluable to me and I will honour it because it’s real, not forced.
“I think you’re distracting yourself with caring for Huxley, but actually you’re using him as much as he is you. Is that why you haven’t slept in here since that night?” I can tell since the covers are the same as my last visit, still tucked neatly beneath the mattress like a hotel room. Her sigh reveals the true weight upon her shoulders, the smile dissolving as tears fill her eyes. Through the glaze of sadness, her bright blue irises shift to a shade of green as she finally lets down her walls, probably for the first time in days.
“It’s okay,” I soothe, stroking her hair and pulling her into me. Sobbing into my shoulder, I blink away my own tears and force my resolve to stay in place. I may be slightly hypocritical, but I refuse to load my emotions onto Avery. She needs someone to absorb her pain and I’ll deal with the lasting effects of that in the solitude of my own room at home.
“I’m scared Mog. Those men have been in my room, I’ve sensed them in here while I’ve slept. I figured they were crazy paparazzi or something, they’ve never tried to hurt me before.” As far as she knows, I think but keep to myself. Maybe Avery has missed some of the signs because she didn’t know to look out for them. “I didn’t want to care for these guys but I do, and now they’re in danger because of me.” She hiccups into my neck.
“Not because of you, you’ve done nothing wrong. You said at the hospital Wyatt thinks this is about money, so stay safe and with someone until a demand is made. I saw the police patrolling outside when I came over, hopefully it’s scared the attackers off.” She nods slowly against my chin, but I know her thoughts haven’t changed. She’ll always blame herself for the actions of others.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket, which I ignore until Avery nudges me to answer it. ‘Mom’ lights up the screen so I slide to answer while my best friend continues to hug me tightly.
“Meg honey, please can you come home?” My mother’s voice sounds with a nervous quiver to it.
“Why? Is something wrong?” I would have been leaving soon to return home anyway, so urgency in her tone makes me sceptical.
“No, nothing’s wrong. I just want you to come home a little earlier.” Agreeing, although still not buying it, I hang up the phone and kiss the top of Avery’s head.
“I have to go, will you be okay?” Sniffing, she lifts her head with the easy fake smile back in place. We spend another few minutes lying together, our foreheads pressed together while I play with a strand of her blonde hair before making a move to get up. After an almost teary goodbye on my part, I slide into my BMW and pull out of the underground garage. Despite having finished my first year at college and the summer break about to commence, I feel like Avery is going to be distracted with Huxley for a while yet. I’m not normally the jealous type but I’ve never had to share her attention before, she’s always been there waiting for me to visit.
Pulling into our designated parking spot, I switch off the engine and take a second to compose myself. Rain thunders heavily against the car roof, smearing the windscreen so everything outside is blurred. Resting my head back against the leather seat
, I focus on breathing deeply until the knot in my chest eases. I’ve had a happy and easy life up to now, something I feel guilty for when amazing people like Avery have suffered so much.
Hopping out of the vehicle and locking it, I sling my denim jacket over my hair and run towards the apartment block. Our place is on the top level, which is a ball buster with six flights of stairs but totally worth it for the rooftop garden we have all to ourselves. From a deck chair on the rectangular turf, surrounded by potted plants of all colours, I get a perfect view of the sunset each night. A small glimpse of bliss above the busy street life below.
Entering the building’s communal hallway, I pass the elevator and begin to jog up the steps, preferring the burn in my calves from staying active. Before reaching our white front door with the brass number 6 hanging above a peep hole, I can already hear scuffling inside. Turning my key in the lock, I slowly open the door to see my mom dragging a suitcase into the hallway.
“What are you doing?” I ask, startling her judging by the violent flinch and squeal that leaves her throat. Her brown eyes are wide as she places a hand over her heart. Placing the bag down on our cream carpet, she turns to face me fully in cream linen trousers and a casual white blouse.
“We’re going away for a little while, surprise!” She says weakly, a tremble racing through her body. I cock my eyebrow and cross my arms in the open doorway until she drops the act and lets me see the true concern in her expression. “Okay look, I’m worried about you going over to the Hughes’ house with everything that’s been going on. Now you’ve finished school for the summer, I cancelled my sessions and thought we could get away for a while.”
“This is all very sudden, has something happened? You were fine with me going this morning.” Her eyes dart past me into the hallway before focusing back on mine. After closing the door, I walk over to take my mom’s shaky hands in mine and gaze up at her false smile. “If there’s something I should know, then just tell me. You know I can’t leave Avery if she’s in trouble.”
“There’s been a leak of the case, I heard the details on the news this afternoon. You didn’t tell me someone was shot, Meg.” I look away, knowing I shouldn’t have kept the full truth from her but also knowing she’d react like this. “We were talking about taking a trip this summer anyway, so why not now? I just want to make sure you are safe. What if you are followed home or cornered you just because you were seen at that house?”
Staring at the suitcases on the floor beside my feet, I know she’s right. But I still feel like I’d be abandoning my best friend and would never forgive myself if something happened to her while I was away. My mom takes my face in her hands and forces me to look into her brown eyes, her dark hair flying free around her shoulders.
“Avery has guards and police surrounding the property, as well as those boys with her. I don’t have the money to protect you like that, so please let’s get away until the dust settles. The police are handling it and she will be fine.” Her nerves have calmed and her smile is genuine now, pulling me in for a protective hug. It’s always been just the two of us, my father a mystery that I’ve never bothered to ask about. Mom is all I’ve ever needed, supplying me with more than enough love so I’ve haven’t felt like I’ve missed out on another parent.
“Okay mom, where shall we go?”
Garrett
“Hey Axel, do you want-“ Avery’s voice halts as she opens his bedroom door to find me making out with him on the bed. I’m not sure when this shift in our dynamic happened, but with all the craziness that’s been happening since we arrived here, it seemed natural for me to be drawn to Axel for comfort. To give us both something real to clutch on to. There’s always been a silent understanding between us we will be there for the other anytime of day or night, which is why I’ve been sleeping in here recently. Axel’s night terrors have become unpredictable, to the point where he doesn’t want to close his eyes.
Pulling away from each other, I’m intrigued to see a hint of curiosity in Avery’s blue eyes as well as shock. She fumbles an apology while stepping back into the hallway, but her gaze lingers on our bare chests as the sheet pools at our waists. Reaching to grasp the door handle, I wonder if she needs an escape as much as we do right now.
“Why don’t you stay?” I ask with a raise of my eyebrow. Avery stills with the door half closed, seeming unsure. She looks down the hallway in thought before turning back to us and I gesture for her to come in with my finger. Like a puppet caught by the strings, she steps into the room and closes the door softly behind her. She’s wearing Huxley’s purple sweater over tight lyra leggings, her hair in a messy bun with strands falling out to frame her delicate face.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Huxley will be wondering where I am soon.” She says softly, despite walking further into the room. I can see she wants this, but there’s a veil of guilt covering her beautiful features. Taking the cover with me, even though it will expose Axel, I crawl to the foot of the bed to cup Avery’s cheek with my head.
“We all need to escape reality sometimes. Let us help you lose yourself for a little while.” Her flawless skin is smooth beneath my fingertips, her lips parting as I drag my thumb across them.
“But I’ve never- “ her eyes flick between us, causing me to smile. In all of the time I’ve been here, it has taken huge amounts of effort to see her mask of steel slip. But in this moment, she looks vulnerable and a twisted part of me has never wanted her more. Shifting back, I pull Avery up bed with me until she’s kneeling between us, her gaze switching from Axel’s mesmerizing amber eyes to mine.
Sensing she is about to change her mind and bolt, I lunge forward to trap her face in my hands and mesh my lips against hers. I was aroused before, but now I’m horny as fuck. I’d almost forgotten the softness of her lips as they move against mine, pushing my tongue inside her hot little mouth. Axel’s hand rubs my thigh under the cover, heightening the moment. We’ve shared women many times before, but I can already tell this time will be special.
Keeping the cover between us for now, I move my hands to Avery’s waist and lift her onto my lap. Axel shifts behind her, his hands stroking over mine as he runs them up her curves. Breaking our kiss, I slip my hands beneath the purple sweater and slip it up over her head to reveal a black lacey bra against her creamy skin. Axel’s fingers find her hair tie, freeing the golden sheet around her shoulders before he pulls it over one side. I watch his lips skate across her exposed neck, planting feather light kisses and licking a trail up to her ear.
Her soft moan has me fighting against myself, my fingers twitching to throw her down roughly and bury myself inside to the hilt, but my mind is telling me to savour this. Sliding my hand around Axel’s head, I pull him over her shoulder to kiss me and give Avery a glimpse of how this will go. Her last chance to back out, if I manage to free the bruising grip on her hip with my other hand. She leans in to nibble at my neck as I duel with Axel’s tongue and her fate is sealed.
Arching her back against him, I feel Axel’s knuckles rubbing against my chest as he massages her breasts through the bra. He’s always been able to take his time whereas I have to battle for control against the monster within. I need to devour my women as quickly and savagely as my food, and I already know that one taste of Avery will never be enough. Pulling away from Axel, I push my hands against Avery’s shoulders so she is flush to his chest and I can get a proper look at her. A pink blush has spread across her chest and neck, which she notices me looking at and nibbles her bottom lip nervously. Gripping the straps tightly, Axel quickly flicks his thumb against the clasp between them to release the bra and it falls into my lap.
Feasting my eyes on her perfectly rounded tits, I start to feel myself spiral and by the look in Axel’s eyes, he knows it too. My relaxed charm might draw women in, but once the bedroom door closes, I shift into a predator that thrives on control and punishment. The rush that comes with pushing someone to their limits is a pleasure in itself, and the reason I can
’t release my true sexual nature on Avery. She needs a release right now, not for me to break her further than she already is.
“Avery,” I breathe through clenched teeth. “I’m gonna just watch this time, but we will have our chance soon. I promise.” Her eyes flicker with confusion so I kiss her quickly to show her that the problem is definitely me, before escaping the bed. Sitting back in the armchair by the window, I breathe deeply to ease my shaking, watching the pair’s every move.
Avery glances over with concern in her bright blue eyes, which Axel uses to his advantage, turning her face to capture her lips with his. She reaches back, holding his neck as he grinds against her ass and caresses her breasts. I stroke my aching erection slowly, settling in for the ride. Her nails scrape over his scalp as he pinches and teases her nipples between his forefingers and thumbs. Retracting from Axel’s kiss, Avery shifts off the bed to stand in between us both. Hooking her thumbs into her leggings, she wiggles them down her thighs and steps free from them. A tattoo covers her right hip above lacy panties that matched the bra.
“Come here,” I order, pointing to a spot on the carpet in front of me. Her curves sway as she moves closer and I slide my hand up and down the length of my shaft. The ink on her hip is an intricately decorated flower, filled with tiny swirling patterns and dot work within each petal. A lotus flower dripping with hanging jewels lies under her upper right arm, with a patterned dreamcatcher on her left and tear drop shaped illustrations lining her ribs, clearly all by the same artist. Using my finger to tell her to turn, she slowly moves around to face Axel on the bed so I can feast my eyes on the Phoenix covering her back. The richness of colours and incredible detail astounds me, as does the female who wears it.
