Avery Camden thinks she can walk out of her boyfriend, James Grant's, life after cheating on him with his best friend. For her, the conditions that led to their breakup aren't a beautiful memory.
When barely a year later, her family's business is ha...
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"You've had over two weeks, Avery."
I could literally feel the scowl in my mum's voice from the tips of my hair to the sole of my feet. If she were near me, she'd probably have flicked me in the forehead and told me to get my shit together. But what else was I supposed to do?
Now I wasn't just being threatened by my family's business; Adam was also threatening me. I felt like a firefighter caught in a burning house-choked up to the fullest. So I was pretty justified for my current look, which consisted of a jumper with no shirt inside, a makeup-less face, and a tub of ice cream in my lap.
I adjusted my phone in the space between my shoulder and my ear, pressing the two together, so it stayed in place. Then I picked up my spoon and took another large scoop. From the sofa, Kong looked away from what he was watching and sent a concerned look my way.
"It's almost like you couldn't care less if your family went bankrupt."
The spoon dropped from my hands into the large bucket of ice cream, and I inhaled sharply. Kong froze in his seat as well, eyes widening in alarm. Seconds later, however, I sighed. In tow, Kong relaxed.
"I'm doing my best, mum."
"You need to do more," she said sharply. "You said James is running away from you?"
I know. My lie was stupid. But I needed mum off my back for at least a day, so I could breathe fresh air. Since the beginning of all these problems, my mum was the only one breathing down my neck. So I had to cook up a lie that was the direct opposite of the truth; I was the one running away from James.
James is moving into our apartment.
As it seemed, fate was catching up to me.
I took another scoop of ice cream. I liked the almost numbing effect the frozen sugar had on my brain.
"He is," I confirmed my lie in a muffled tone before diving in for another scoop.
Mum's side of the line went silent as she seemed to fall into thought. Then her voice came through again. "You still have to try. I know it's a bother-" it was more than a bother. This was torture. I already had adam to think of. The least my mother could do was solve her problems without putting me in an awkward situation. "-but you and James. . .you had something I've never seen. You both loved each other very much. Surely, one mistake on your part shouldn't completely ruin every chance you have."
I paused, gaze fixed on the pink wildberry-flavored ice cream on my spoon. Placing the filled spoon back in the tub, I straightened my posture and asked, "chance to do what?"
"Chance to save your family," mum clarified, realising an exasperated sigh. "Just do something, Avery, and do it quickly." Before I could come up with another excuse or even drop a reply, I heard a small sound as mum sat down on the other end. "By the way, how's school going."
While I was glad that the conversation had shifted from James, I couldn't shake off the nagging voice that kept telling me I'd have to face him eventually. That has to suck in my dignity and beg him to help me.
I felt spent. It was probably why my mum ended the call quickly with a reminder that our family was our responsibility. I mean, she never really cared for my academics anyways. She had faith in me that I was taking school seriously. And even though I was, it was an excessive faith. One that led to her carelessness.
Dropping the phone unceremoniously onto the tabletop, I picked up my ice cream, eating from where I'd stopped.
"You know," Kong began, making my attention snap to him, ice cream melting on my tongue. Kong turned on the sofa to face me from the small living room. "Eating so much ice cream could give you a-" he paused suddenly when I winced, a sharp pain slicing through my head, right from the back of my teeth and into my brain.
"...Brain freeze," finished Kong.
Fuck, that hurt.
Kong's light laughter echoed through the room, louder than whatever the actor on the screen said. All the while, I glared at him.
"Oh, come on," he said, sobering up but still holding the smile on his face. His blue eyes sparkled, almost like stars. Still glaring at him, I put away the ice cream. It was almost finished anyway.
Kong hopped off the sofa, carelessly tossing the TV remote wherever and hurrying to me with excitement glimmering in his eyes.
"Sitting around and sulking won't do you any good." He pouted, concern thick behind his gaze.
I snorted, trying to come off as calm. Throwing my arms up in the air to make a point, I said, "I'm fine. I've got everything under control. In fact, I think I have a plan."
He shifted to the side, his expression becoming more amused and unbelieving. "Okay then, let's hear it."
I blinked at him dumbly. "Uhh. . . What?"
"What's your plan to talk to James and get Adam off your back?"
"Er..." I scratched the back of my neck, peering up at Kong in all his six-foot-one glory. After taking my brain for something, anything that could sound relatively sensible, and coming up with nothing, I pursed my own lips and reached for my ice cream.
Kong grabbed it before I could even touch it. "Enough of this." I watched him walk over to the sink and, with wide eyes, watched him turn on the tap with my tub under it. And then he flushed the ruined ice cream down the drain, slapped the empty tub onto the countertop, and spun around to face me with a cheeky grin.
"What the hell was that?!" I exclaimed.
"Get ready," he said, completely ignoring me. He walked over to me and, very much to my horror and surprise, grabbed my wrists and yanked me upwards. I almost plummeted into him.
"For what, you ice cream wrecker? That stuff costs a lot of money," I whined childishly.
Kong waved it off. "I'll get you another one when we get back." On receiving a raised eyebrow from me, he elaborated. "Noah Sanchez is hosting a small house party tonight." He grinned. "And guess who got invited."
The words "Noah Sanchez" and small house party" weren't supposed to be used in a sentence. Why? Because Noah Sanchez was only known for the craziest, wildest, and not to mention largest parties in our entire level. Low-key, he was the definition of party animal.
My question was, "how did you get an invite?"
Kong made a face. "I may have exchanged the hat you gave me two years ago for two party invites..."
My jaw hit the ground.
"You know I never liked the hat," whined Kong.
"Yeah, but you don't give presents away, dumbo!" I couldn't actually get angry at him for it. The only reason why I'd gotten him the hat was to mock his hatred for hats. "I also don't do parties."
Kong shook his head. "When do we ever not do what we do not do?"
"Huh?"
"Just get ready." He let go of one of my wrists and pulled me towards my room with the other. When we got there, he opened the door and all but threw me in. I could only stand there with my back to him as the shock of his push washed into me. "And wear something sexy. I think we both need to forget everything for one night."
