Counterfeit

-eighteen--

--eighteen- 

I OFFERED A gentle smile towards MiKinley as I joined the group at the table, trying to act as if I hadn't just walked inside, late, and with Charleston. He didn't respond, and I waited for him to say something expectantly, but he turned away and refused to acknowledge me. 

I didn't even know if he was trying to upset me on purpose, anymore. I wanted to believe that he wasn't, but I felt that I knew less and less about him everyday. He'd been off ever since the Harvest; ever since Charleston arrived. While in some instances I'd wish things could go back to how they were before, I felt a little braver since then, and though it was a small part of me, it wasn't something I was willing to sacrifice. 

I sighed and mustered my best attempts to shelter my hurt from my friends, despite that fact that I knew it would never work with Ava. I expected her to start questioning me about what she saw - explain her reasoning and disapproval of me being anywhere near Charleston, but she surprised me by not having anything to say about it. I knew that there was a great chance that she had a lot to say, and that she was just waiting for the right time before she told me that she didn't like Charleston, either, but I secretly found myself hoping that maybe her curiosity was getting the better of her like it had done to me. 

Ava tilted her head towards me, leaning in to say something as she stared at MiKinley. "Just ignore him." She told me. "It's what I do." 

"Huh?" I felt slightly stupid over the fact that I didn't know what she was talking about. 

"MiKinley." She answered, the name sounding bitter from her mouth. "When he's being like that, it's best just to ignore him. Or most times, if you'd prefer." 

I sighed, playing around with my food on the plate, not really having much of an appetite. I was unsure whether it was because I was anxious over the way MiKinley was acting towards me, or if it had anything to do with my plans for later on in the evening. 

"I just don't understand why he gets so upset with me. Or Charleston for that matter." 

"I think you know why he doesn't like Charleston." Ava reminded me. 

I shook my head at her statement. "No, he was like that before."

I looked over at MiKinley. He also seemed disinterested in his food and he was very much isolated from the conversation, paying very little attention to Patrick who sat behind him. 

"Do you have any other idea why he might not like him? Perhaps he knows him?" 

"No. Charleston doesn't know MiKinley. Charleston would have told me." I shut my eyes when the words had finished spilling out, and I knew that Ava had already picked up on what I had said. 

"Pip..." She was hesitant, and I, nervous to face her. 

Ava looked around at group and over her shoulder in a couple directions to see if anyone was paying attention to us. She lowered her voice into a whisper. "Why would he have told you that?"

I tried to fix what I had said, but it didn't make much use. "I just mean that when I apologized to him for MiKinley's behaviour, he didn't know who I was talking about when I said his name." 

I studied her face nervously, waiting for her to reply, but I don't think she knew what to make of it. "Ava, please, don't start doing it too. It's bad enough that MiKinley disapproves of me being near him, if you try to dictate that too, then I don't know what will happen." 

Although clearly in a state of uncertainty, Ava was quick to assure me that it was not her aim to do so. "Pip, I'd never want to control you. I'm not trying to say who you can and cannot talk to." 

"Thank you-" 

"But..." She interrupted, showing me that she hadn't finished there. "I do think you should be careful around him." I nodded, interested in what she had to say, agreeing with a lot more than I thought I would have done. 

"I don't know what it is that's made Kinley so angry with him, and Heaven knows why you still insist on talking to Charleston...

But if you keep going back to him, then I think you should find out why."  

-eighteen--

The gif is Avaline Gurrier!

Soooo sorry that I haven't updated in a while.

Only two people are commenting though, so if you want more updates, you know what to do. Shoutout to those two by the way!

Remember, you can get the SECOND BOOK NAME + COVER if you just comment!

Slowly falling in love with Conor Maynard.

I have loves you with an everlasting love; I have dawned you with unfailing kindness. 

Jeremiah 31:3 ❤️