Avery Randolph looked like a typical, small town girl. Smart, pretty, soft. She was anything but, proven by going on joyrides on weekends, smoking pot and drinking when she had the chance.
But her domain is challenged when new girl Ginny Miller move...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
AVERY SHIFTED IN HER seat on Georgia's couch, smiling at the news camera. It was uncomfortable, because Ginny was faking a smile, Georgia was tense, Paul was smiling for real and Austin was silent. The flashes went right into Avery's eyes as they took pictures and then, the interview came along.
"Okay," said the reporter, "the election is tomorrow. Your opponent, Cynthia Fuller, is running her campaign attacking your lack of family values and now you're engaged." Avery let her eyes dart over to Nick, who was standing with his arms crossed. "How would you respond to critics about the timing of your proposal?"
"I am marrying Georgia," began Paul, taking her hand, "because I fell in love with her and her kids. It's as simple as that." Georgia smiled a practiced but happy smile, as Avery felt her lips twitch.
"How did you propose?" asked the reporter, as Avery felt her lungs expand with her big inhale through her nose. "I, um. . ."
"It was so romantic," stated Georgia. "We were working late one night, and he handed me this file and asked me to put it in my desk drawer. And I'm like, 'this file goes in the filing cabinet.'" Georgia lightly rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. "On and on about this desk drawer, until finally, he opens it, and inside is this little velvet box."
Ginny looked like she was tempted to call bullshit and Avery cleared her throat, sending her a look. "That's a very good answer."
Nick, who was also watching, motioned for her to smile. There were still cameras. "Now, Georgia, you're relatively new to Wellsbury. Would you say it's a good fit for you and the children?"
Avery adjusted her white halter neck, making sure it covered her stomach. "Absolutely. It helps that everyone's been so welcoming. Avery, especially." The teen chuckled lightly, flashing her pearly whites, "anything for you, Georgia. And thank you, for loving us back." Georgia smiled at Avery, "any time, honey."
Austin was asked what he liked about Wellsbury, but he didn't answer. Avery took over. "Austin is shy, but he's very lively when you get to know him." Georgia hummed, terse once again, but she was grateful for the save. "Well, what about you, Virginia? What do you like about Wellsbury?"
Ginny's answer was short. "My friends."
MAX AND AVERY WERE sitting at a table at Blue Farm, each with a mug of coffee in front of them. "What is it, Max? What did Marcus do?" Avery was still dressed up from the interview.
The brunette swallowed. This was going to break Avery's heart, it was going to hurt. Badly. How did you tell your best friend, who was dating your brother, that he was a cheater? Max had, in reality, discovered it by accident. She had found Marcus' phone underneath a couch pillow, because the boy had lost it, when she noticed all the notifications from Ginny, which hadn't made sense. Ginny and Marcus weren't friends. At least, to Max's knowledge.
But as she read through their messages, she became enraged. Ginny had slept with her brother, knowing he was Avery's boyfriend. She had acted innocent, knowing that Georgia and Paul dated, knowing that the election was on the line and didn't allow bad behavior. Knowing she was crushing her best friends heart. And she just didn't care.
"Aves, what I'm about to tell you, is bad. Really, really bad."
Avery bit her lower lip. She had an inkling that she knew. But she didn't want to admit it. Marcus had been distant, after his accident. He had been very tired and moody, but Avery had passed it off as the concussion that was terrorizing his head with pain and exhaustion.
"I found Marcus' phone last night. And. . . there were messages between him and another girl." A pause. "It wasn't Padma, was it?"
Max shook her head, feeling the anger and betrayal. She took a shaky breath. "It was Ginny. I think she and Marcus have slept together."
AVERY WAS SITTING IN the car, feeling the tears rolling down her cheeks, but not having the energy to wipe them away. Marcus, the perfect boyfriend, had been cheating on her. Max had said, from what Avery vaguely recalled, that there wasn't expressed any guilt, by either of them.
It hurt, a lot. To think that the first guy Avery had let into her heart, had ruined it. He'd told her he loved her, that he'd never hurt her, but he did. For god's sake, she gave him her body and trusted him to take care of her fragile heart, but it was like he took a sledge hammer to it, shattering it to pieces.
What the hell was wrong with her for him to do something like that? Was she not attentive enough? Did she coddle him too much? Was she simply not good enough anymore?
The thoughts were swarming and the breath Avery let out was choked. The blonde wiped her tears away and then sniffled softly. Heartbreak was a bitch. And Ginny was, too. Avery licked her lips, tasting the salt as she grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and then got out of the car, making her way into the house. She had remembered to lock the car, thankfully and then dropped the keys on the counter. Paul, who had been on the phone with Chris, looked out into the hall, just as Avery passed him with hasty steps, grabbing a wooden basket from their hall closet and heading upstairs to her room.
"Let me call you back."
Paul went upstairs, heading for Avery's room, to see her raiding through her closet, grabbing the hoodies she had borrowed from Marcus and his sketches of her and the pictures of them on her desk and throwing them into the basket, not even flinching when the glass in one of the frames cracked and splintered from the impact.
The blonde threw her jacket off and then pushed the basket to the side, before spotting the picture of her and Marcus stuck in the mirror frame on her closet door. She snatched it and tore it up, right down the middle and then a few more times.
"Avery, what happened?"
The blonde broke, crying softly and then sat down on the floor, leaning against her bed. "It's. . . it's over. Marcus cheated. It's so over." Paul sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. He was still in the shirt from the interview and his pants, but there was a rug, right by the side of Avery's bed.
"I'm sorry, honey."
Avery wrapped an arm around Paul, sobbing over the realization that her relationship really was over. Neither of them were perfect, but Marcus hadn't cared about her baggage, nor had she cared about his.
But they had been sweet together, sticking to each other like paper and glue.
The glue was gone, now, dissolved by Ginny, who had come in from the sidelines. And all there was left was torn paper mache and shreds on the floor.
Denial had finally let Avery's senses go and the blonde was paying for it in tears and snot.
