Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
My brows lift in surprise. I wasn’t expecting to have this conversation with Erik sitting here. There’s no confusion on his face, so I assume she told him what happened.
“You don’t have to apologize, and we don’t have to talk about it now.”
She gives another quick glance at her friend before looking back at me. “I want to talk about it. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you did anything wrong. You didn’t.”
Making the decision to pretend Erik isn’t here, I ask, “What happened, then?”
Instantly, she looks uncomfortable again. “I haven’t dated much. I just … I got really nervous.”
“Oh. Okay.” Leaning back in my chair, I replay the scene in my mind for the hundredth time.
Nervousness had crossed my mind as I tried to make sense of what happened, but I dismissed the possibility because Ava is normally a confident woman. Now, as I replay the scene again, a case of nerves fits her response perfectly.
Then the first part of what she said strikes me.
“How has someone like you not dated much?” I blurt out.
Erik smirks at this, not in a smartass kind of way, but like he agrees with my assessment. The man is definitely not gay.
Ava blushes in the cutest way, taking my question as the compliment that it is. She should have guys falling all over her. Maybe she keeps them all in the friend zone, like Erik here, who I’m quickly sensing is very much into her, whether she realizes it or not.
“I had a strict upbringing,” she says, speaking slowly, still glancing at Erik, as if looking for his support. “I wasn’t allowed to date when I lived at home. When I was allowed, it was only with guys from our church.” She shrugs. “I haven’t really dated at all in the past few years … I haven’t done much of anything.”
Strict upbringing. Very few dates. Nervous from a kiss.
Sounds like Ava is a virgin.
Even though she eased me into this realization, it still hits me like a ton of bricks.
I’ve never been with a virgin, not even my first few times having sex, and I never would have guessed that Ava was inexperienced.
The waitress reappears with our drinks, giving me a moment to absorb this information.
Once I’m past the surprise, I realize this doesn’t mean anything. Not to me, anyway. Except that I’ll take things as slow with her as she wants, just as I would with any woman.
“I hope I didn’t come on too strong,” I say, once the two—make that three—of us are alone again. “I had no idea.”
Her hand darts across the table to cover mine. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Brax. It’s really important to me that you know that.”
“Okay.”
“I wanted you to kiss me.” She squeezes my hand, and I can’t bite back my grin, even though I also can’t fully forget that her friend is sitting right next to her.
“I appreciate your honesty in telling me this.” I flip my wrist so that I’m the one holding her hand, but I loosen my grip when her smile falters.
“There’s more I need to tell you, too.”
BRAX
My mind, which has been running on overtime for the past day, instantly imagines all sorts of horrible admissions, most of which involve disturbing past experiences which may have contributed to Ava’s lack of experience with men.
What I don’t think about is the obvious thing, the one sitting right here in front of my face.
“Yesterday, I also … kissed Erik.” Ava is now very purposely not looking at her friend, and she’s not meeting my eyes, either.
I let out a breath and focus on a distant wall across the room.
A slow sip from my mug gives me time to restrain the urge to punch Erik. It’s an irrational impulse. Ava can kiss who she wants. If she were my girl, things would be different, but it doesn’t look like there’s any chance of things getting that far between the two of us now.
“You didn’t have to come out tonight,” I say, careful to keep my voice even. I don’t want Ava to think I’m angry. “You could’ve let me down by text message.”
Of course, I’ve let her hand go, but now she reaches out to touch mine, then pulls back as though she’s not sure her touch is welcome. “I didn’t come here with the intention of letting you down.”
I frown and take another drink of my beer, draining half the glass before wiping my lip with the back of my hand.
“What happened between Erik and me was unexpected,” Ava says. “I had no idea he had feelings for me, and I never admitted to myself that I had feelings for him.”
“Until yesterday,” I say. Apparently, she ran straight from my arms into his. I can almost imagine how it must have gone down.