Chapter 17

Damon soon returned with the raspberry cookies. She didn't have any appetite before but when she saw the freshly out of the oven cookies, she immediately dug in.

"I didn't know what was so good about cookies before." He admitted when he had a taste.

"But now you do, right? There's just a special feeling to them." She smiled.

"Yeah." He was not talking about the same thing as her. He only found cookies worth a try, and that they were yummy because he was eating them with her. He picked them out of the same tray as she did and once in a while, their hands would brush against each other and send a jolt down his spine.

"I love them because my nanny used to bake them." She said, but when her smile faded, he didn't ask why her nanny no longer baked them.

"Do you have siblings?" She asked at some point.

He swallowed and shrugged. "None that I know of… yet."

She laughed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"My old man can barely keep his dick in his pants. It's surprising that there haven't been any illegitimate kids showing up, looking like clones of each other." He explained and picked a broken cookie.

"Oh wow. I never thought…" She covered her mouth. "You are always wearing a smile so I thought…"

"That my life is perfect?" He finished her statement. She nodded, and it made him smile. "No one's life is ever perfect, Avery. But when you no longer care about the things that used to hurt you, you just go with the flow."

"Just go with the flow." She repeated his words. They seemed to make her finally see the solution to her problems.

"Yeah." Their gazes locked. Her blue eyes danced with a certain light to them, one he was yet to ever see on them. Her lips slowly curled into a smile. He watched her slight movements as she nervously gripped the napkin in her hands. When her tongue snuck out of her lips to give them a slight lick, he couldn't hold still anymore. He leaned over the table.

Their lips were just about to connect when she looked away nervously. "Thanks for the coffee… and cookies."

He chewed the inside of his lip, inwardly battling his thoughts. Was she about to let him kiss her just now? Chickening out before he could ask, he smiled instead. "You're welcome."

"Do you want to walk back to campus?" He suggested when she reached for her bag.

She paused. "But…"

"Mmh?" He probed when she didn't say a word even after several seconds.

Her fingers were clenched around the zipper of her bag. "Won't your girlfriend be upset or something?"

Her words made his heart slip a sudden beat. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Oh…"

It was uncertain what she was thinking as they walked out the door and made their way down the pavement.

"I mean, I have a girl I'm chasing but I haven't asked her out yet." He cast her a side glance. She's so beautiful… Tall, a figure to kill for, blond hair, aquamarine eyes that look at you as if they could set you on fire, a sharp mouth when it's not needed to be, and do you know what's funny?"

"On second thought…" Her face flushed as she interrupted him.

"She must have figured out that I'm talking about her." He smiled down at her, only for her face to become redder.

She stuttered for a while before finally finding something to say. "In other words, you are still single."

"Yes." He gazed down at her eyes that were looking down. She was so beautiful. "And you don't have a boyfriend, right? I mean, of course. Gabe is not letting anyone near you."

Her eyelids fluttered slightly and she met his gaze. "It's a relief to finally have someone walking next to me. He is crazy. I'll have a word with him so he doesn't bother you anymore."

"I can handle him." He promised. In actual sense, he was uncertain. He had not escaped unscathed the last time Gabe's gang had gone all out on him, and he was certain that the asshole would have an even larger group attack him the next time. He just didn't want Avery to think he was weak.

"I don't want you to get hurt again." She sighed sadly.

His heart melted. He didn't mind getting hurt. Seeing her concerned about him was already good enough. What else could he ever ask for?

"I have an idea." He declared after thinking about it.

"Mmh?"

"It's temporary, but it's easier than trying to stand up to your parents." He said.

"What is it?" She probed.

"Since Gabe is protective of you, I'm guessing he will do anything for you?" He made a guess.

"If it doesn't involve helping me send letters to boys, yes." She affirmed, but he found it odd.

"Whoa… you…" Had she ever used Gabe to send letters to boys?

"Uhm… never mind." On second thought, he didn't want to know. It might just break his heart. "Here's the thing. I'll suggest a plan and you will need his help. If you succeed, you will not have to go to France. The only downside is that if they want to send you somewhere else, we may need a new plan."

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AN

I'm sorry for not updating in the last few days. I was demotivated T_T