Page 34 of Defend Her Heart

I wonder if Avery is all alone tonight, too. On instinct, I look up to the sky in search of my favorite constellation. I know it will be impossible to find with all the light pollution, but I still find myself looking for it every night.

Moving my focus back to the sidewalk, I turn the corner onto my street. My apartment complex isn’t fancy by any means. As one of the top defenseman in the league, I make more than most, but I’ve never been a huge fan of high-end things. Now, is my apartment still the penthouse? Yes. Iwanted a space big enough for my sister and grandparents to visit whenever they please. And it’s nice not sharing walls with any neighbors. A man needs his privacy after all.

As I approach the entrance of my building, a car with its lights on catches my attention. The street is always packed, so the fact that it’s there isn’t what catches my eye, it’s the Everwood Academy bumper sticker and faded turquoise paint that calls me to it. I’d recognize that car anywhere.

Why is she still driving the same piece of junk she had in high school?

Anger overtakes me at the thought of her ex not buying her a new vehicle. Or, if he did, not allowing her to keep it after the divorce. I know Avery loved this car more than anything growing up, but it’s older than she is.

Slowly, I walk toward the passenger window and dip my head to see that it is indeed occupied by the woman I can’t seem to stop thinking about these days. Avery’s hands are on her steering wheel and her forehead is resting against them, so she doesn’t notice me right away. I’m assuming she’s visiting Katie’s new apartment. She just moved into my building recently. I should walk away and leave her be, which is exactly what I plan to do.

Until Avery lifts her head, and I see the tears streaking down her cheeks.

The walls around my heart begin to crack again at the same sight that caused it to happen outside the hospital a few weeks ago.

Something is wrong.

There is something Avery isn’t telling me, and my body refuses to leave from the spot next to her car. Against my better judgment, I gently knock my knuckles against the window, startling Avery.

She jumps in her seat and brings her hands to her chest. As soon as the recognition sets in, her face goes from surprised to embarrassed in the blink of an eye. Avery’s eyes castdownward and her grip on the steering wheel tightens, her knuckles going visibly white.

I bring my knuckles back up to the window again, knocking softly, trying to gain her attention.

“Are you okay, Avery? Can you let me in, please?”

She looks my way but glances beside me, avoiding eye contact. Her cheeks are flushed pink and she’s gone as still as a statue, still not saying anything.

My pleas go unanswered. So, naturally, I knock again.

“You can’t expect me to just walk away after I find you crying in your car in front of my apartment complex.”

Her eyes finally meet mine when I mention that this is where I live. Reaching over, she cranks the window down, because that’s how old this freaking car is. She still has to manually lower the damn windows.

“What do you mean this is your apartment complex? You own it or something with all that money you make now?”

I chuckle, which is the absolute dumbest thing I could choose to do at this moment.

She shakes her head and reaches again for the window, but before she can roll it up, I stop her.

“Avery, stop. I don’t own this building. I live in it.”

She throws herself back against her seat, her head following suit against the headrest and huffs, exasperated. “Of course you live here. Where one of my only friends lives. You’reeverywhere!” Avery bangs her hands against the steering wheel. Although she appears frustrated, I think she’s just overwhelmed by emotion. My gut is telling me something is wrong.

The last thing I want to do is cause her more stress. But I’m fucking worried about her. This is the second time I’ve run into her with a tear-streaked face. If we’re moving forward as friends, I want to help. That’s what friends do.

She will never be just a friend.

I mentally scold the devil on my shoulder and move my hand to the car door handle.

“Can I sit with you?”

Avery tosses her hands up in the air. “Sure, why not? Might as well stop fighting the bigger forces at play here. The universe clearly wants me to stay in your orbit for some ridiculous reason I haven’t quite figured out yet.”

I ignore everything she said except for her giving me permission to join her. Opening the door, I duck and attempt to squeeze into the passenger seat of her sedan. My knees are nudging the dashboard and the top of my head skims the roof. I reach down for the handle to move the seat backward when I hear Avery break out into laughter.

This isn’t a humorless or a frustrated laugh. This isreal, genuine laughter.

And it’s music to my fucking ears.