The Promised

Eight

I drop Leo off at home and head back to my apartment. My exhaustion makes me slow to walk the steps up to my third-floor apartment. As I hit the second-floor landing, Avery exits his apartment holding his guitar case.

Shit!

I've forgotten to respond to his last text, and I have too much on my mind to deal with whatever this thing is Avery and I have going on.

When he sees me, I wish I also had the power of invisibility. Unfortunately, I don't.

His eyes light up when he spots me. Without a word, he's in front of me with his lips pressed against mine.

What the fuuu...

The initial irritation I experience at Avery just up and kissing me, melts away faster than ice in Hell. Without meaning to, my hands curl around his neck and my tongue slips into his mouth. Damn this man. He turns me into an instinctual bag of hormones the second I'm within reach of him.

He removes his gentle lips from mine and rests his head against my forehead. "I missed you."

I can't help but smile. "I missed you too. Sorry, I was so busy today. I didn't have time to text you back."

"It's all right. That kiss was way better than a text." His sultry smile does a number on my lower abdomen.

"You have a gig tonight?" I create some distance and nod towards the guitar case that sits next to him.

"Yeah, I have to run. I'm sorry. I wish I could stay."

There's a weird nervousness coming off of Avery that I've never sensed before when I've seen him heading off to a gig.

"Okay," I say, but I can't help feeling like he isn't telling me the full truth about where he's going. "Break a leg!"

"Thanks, I'll really need it tonight." He swallows hard and quickly kisses me goodbye. He rushes down the stairs and out of the building.

I finally get into my apartment and undress. A shower will have to wait until the morning. I crawl into bed after I set my alarm for work. I lay and ponder Avery's odd behavior for a while.

I'm just looking for something to be off. I decide.

As I silence my raging thoughts using a technique Ann showed me today, I drift off slow to sleep.

☆

My alarm blares and I groan. I sleepily roll out of bed, going straight to the bathroom to shower. After a quick breakfast, I walk the three blocks to The Moon Goddess Emporium.

I arrive at the shop entrance as Raven unlocks the door.

"Hi, beautiful!" she says cheerfully.

"Good morning, Raven." I smile.

Raven is one of those perky, happy, morning people. Me, not so much. I wish I was back in bed.

We enter the shop and Raven flips on the lights. I head to the back to grab boxes of merchandise Leo told me needed to be stocked.

"Can I make you some coffee?" she calls.

"Yes, please," I call back.

I wheel a handcart stacked with a few boxes through the aisles. The first box I open is full of books. I'm careful as I scan them into the system.

Raven shows up beside me with a cup of coffee. "Here you go." She passes me the cup.

"Thanks!" I take a sip.

Raven makes a mean cup of coffee. So good...

I take in Raven's flawless mocha complexion. Her mass of tight curls bounce as she walks through the store. Her honey-colored eyes squint into a smile as she says, "We should really dust these statues."