From Florida With Love (Embry Call)

04.

Ava

The next morning I met Rachel in the kitchen.
"How did last night go?" I asked.
"It was wonderful," she gushed. "I've never met anyone like him before."
I quirked my eyebrows; that meant a lot considering all the flings we'd both had between the beginning of college to now.
"Really?"
"Yes," she said. "I can't wait to see him again."
"Did y'all make plans yet or?"
"Tomorrow. Today I thought we could go to the store after we get the car."
Jacob was driving us again to pick up our rental, which her dad was paying for out of the goodness of his heart even though Rachel and I had told him we were perfectly capable of paying it ourselves.
"Curtains," I said pointedly. "That bay window is freaking me out at night."
"You're such a baby."
"Maybe so," I rolled my eyes and got up from the counter. "Is there anything else on the agenda?"
"We're going to stop at my house first to get the money."
I nodded and went back into my room, getting dressed.
When I walked back out she was on the phone, facing the back wall where the tv hung.
"Okay, love you," she hung up and turned around, jumping when she saw me. "Ava! You scared me."
I laughed at her. "Sorry boo."
"We have to go to Emily Young's house," she informed and I raised an eyebrow. "She's Sams fiancé."
The big guy from yesterday. I shrugged and pulled my purse over my shoulder indicating I was ready to go. "Okay. Whenever you're ready."
She slipped on her shoes. Jake pulled up and beeped from the driveway. I was beginning to feel bad for him and all the driving he was having to do for us.
We climbed in with our usual hellos and he took off.
The drive wasn't long; a short 15 minutes later we were pulling onto a gravelly driveway, rocks crunching underneath the tires as the house came into view.
It was cute, wooden paneled with a gray roof. It stood cozy and welcoming in the vast forest that surrounded us.
"This is the place," she announced as we pulled up in front of the house. I looked around and took it all in; everything was green and brown, patches of gray sky breaking up the cover of thick trees. Compared to the forest that surrounded us, we were so small.
I got out of the car and followed her to the front door, shuffling behind her.
Rachel knocked lightly, and it wasn't long before Paul opened the door, instantly making googly eyes at Rachel.
I smirked as I took in his expression; Rachel blushed at the sudden attention. I hadn't known he was going to be here and by the looks of it Rachel didn't either.
"I'm looking for my dad," she cleared her throat and looked at him, barely concealing her  happiness.
"He's right in here," he said, his eyes never leaving her. He briefly broke his state to acknowledge me with a smile, stepping back and waving us in.
"Hey Ava."
I smiled back, following Rachel. "Hi Paul."
The house, which was very open and roomy, was fairly quiet which even to me seemed out of place. Jake was still behind us trailing along and jingling his keys.
Billy sat at the large kitchen table with Sam and a woman I didn't know, the three of them talking seriously. Upon seeing us the conversation broke up, smiles erupting on everyone's faces as they started greeting us.
"Hello Rachel, Ava," Billy greeted and gestured to the woman across from him. "This is Emily Young, Sams fiancé. This is Ava, Rachel's best friend from school."
She turned to face us and I masked my surprise at her scarred face, waving to her as she stood up and smiled at me.
"Embry knows her," he added and her face lit up.
"It's nice to meet you," she said, crossing the room and pulling me into a hug, and then Rachel. "And it's good to see you again!"
"Here's your money sweetheart," Billy broke in, pulling a credit card from his pocket. He held it out to her, pausing briefly at the sudden noise.
Boys whooped and hollered in the background and my anxiety spike a little. How may people was that? It sounded like a lot.
A few boys barreled through the front door, some of them shirtless. I felt my eyebrows raise.
They stopped abruptly when they saw me, pausing. We all looked at each other, unsure what to say.
Embry walked in behind everyone, the last one to come in. His eyes lit up when he saw me, making me blush deeply.
He pushed past his friends, weaving in and out of them, his eyes never leaving my face as he approached me.
"Hi," he said finally, coming to a stop in front of me.
"Hi," I answered. A silence fell over us and I realized that no one else was talking. All eyes on us.
My heart beat loudly in my chest and I felt as if everyone could hear it, even thought I knew they couldn't.
Rachel was standing next to Paul, wrapped up in their own world. I glanced at her for moral support but she was staring into Paul's eyes.
Everyone slowly resumed what they were doing, the boys talking amongst themselves as they barreled towards the kitchen. Emily stood up with them, getting up from the table and pulling a plate of muffins off of the counter behind her. She placed them in the table and the boys dug in.
I guess Embry saw me watching, because he said "Don't mind them, they're pigs."
I laughed. "They're not too bad. I've seen worse."
He pushed his eyebrows together. "Oh really?"
"Okay maybe not worse," I admitted. "But definitely similar."
Behind me, a few of the boys started getting up and leaving again through the back door. Sam was one of them, holding the door open for them as they filed out. Embry glanced over my shoulder looking disappointed, before focusing his attention back on me. He seemed to be debating something before he opened his mouth.
"You should come to the bonfire," he blurted out.