Winter Air [H.S.]

Eleven

Ava hung up the phone and ran quickly to the door, opening it before Jacey broke through with her bare fist.

"Seriously woman. What took you so long to get the damn door?" Her voice teasing.

"I was on the phone. Sorry about that." She let her friend in and closed the door, locking it afterwards.

"Oh, with who?" Jacey didn't know about Harry and Ava's growing friendship. It wasn't because Ava was hiding it from her friend. In fact, it was because the conversation never came up. They were open about everything else in life except friendships. There was no story behind it or anything. It was just the way that they were.

"Harry, actually" Jacey furrowed her brows together trying to pinpoint who Harry was.

"Rose's cousin?" Her voice suddenly getting high pitched, as she recalled the curly hair hunk from their night at The Lounge.

"That's the one." Ava's cheeks were slowly heating up as her friend gave her a wide eyed expression.

"Av, you haven't gone out with a guy in years. Why didn't you tell me you were dating Harry? He is a complete and total stud." The heat that was making its way to Ava's cheeks burned brightly as her friend made assumptions of her non-existent love life.

"No! It's not like that. It's not like that at all. We are only friends." She rattled off quickly, hoping her friend would drop the subject.

"Then explain to me why your face looks like a ripen tomato. If you were only friends then you wouldn't be blushing like that." She had a point and Ava knew that. However she wouldn't admit it.

"We are only friends. We've hung out and talked since that night we went out. But he - we, have made it clear that we are only friends. No intentions of it turning into anything more. Besides, he doesn't do love."

"What the heck does that mean?"

"It means what it means!"

"Nobody doesn't just do love. Love is inevitable, whether you admit it or not." Ava knew that her friend had a point, but there was no use trying to explain Harry's twisted views on love and relationships.

"I know that and you know that, but Harry - he has his own opinions on love."

"Are you interested in him?"

That was a question that Ava found herself wondering every day since their outing to the book fair. Before she knew in her heart that she was not, nor did she think she ever would be, ready to open up herself to love another being. Since her last serious relationship and then her parents death, she was not ready to love again. But since Harry came around she couldn't help but feel her heart's longing for companionship. Wasn't it every heart's desire to love? Apparently every heart except Harrys.

"I don't know." She answered her friend honestly. She really didn't know how she felt about Harry. They were friends, he made that clear. He was also the only friend that she made freely since her friendship with Jacey.

"The fact that you are so open to even having a new friend is a big step in itself."

"Do you think?"

Jacey looked at her friend, eyes full of concern. Over the years, she had witnessed her best friend go through the motions. It was as if her walls had slowly become solidified with concrete. It was clear to her that Ava was heart broken from her past. All she wanted was for her friend to let love in. She wanted the bone crushing pain that her past inflicted to disembark. She knew that this was something that would now happen overnight. However, it was something that she wanted to desperately to occur for her friend - no matter how long of a wait it may be. 

"I do, Ava. I really do."

There was a moment of silence between the two girls, both deep in thought. Ava did not realize that her walls were clear for all to see. It had become a part of her. So much so that she didn't realize that those that were around her were beginning to notice. Not even notice but even worry. 

"He's a good guy." It was true. Harry seemed to be almost heaven sent. His heart was pure and genuine, not like many of the other guys that Ava has had the unfortunate displeasure of coming into contact with. It was clear that he too carried baggage, but didn't everyone? Ava has only seen a snippet of Harry's unpleasant side, but it was so small that she hasn't dwelled on it. She knew that she had caused his sudden outburst, but he was so quick with an apology that it didn't alter any remaining opinion that she had of him.