Chapter 24
My eyes fluttered open, seeing the face of Elliott gazing down at me. I smiled and he smiled back. I was in his arms, warm and comfortable under the covers with him.
"Happy birthday," he said.
"Thanks..." I replied, yawning. Wait, did he just say... Oh crap.
My eyes widened and I sprung up from the bed, leaving the comfort of his arms. "Shit!"
He was up, by my side in seconds. "What? What's wrong Avery?"
"What time is it?" I asked quickly. He looked around his room, then turned back to me.
"Nine fifteen, why?" He sounded worried, but that was the least of my worries.
"My mom said to be home for birthday breakfast," I sighed, falling back down on the comfortable bed. "She's going to kill me."
"Well then we have to get you home," he said regretfully. "Which sucks, because I had something else for you."
I looked up at him. A coy smile was showing across his face. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Elliott, you didn't have to get me anything in the first place. Two things is going a little over, don't you think?"
"It's not a gift," he explained. I resisted sighing with relief. The locket he had given to me meant the world to me, and I didn't want him to think that I only wanted gifts from him. If that's the way he thought it's the only way he can show his love to me, he was wrong.
"Then what is it?" I asked.
"I was going to make you breakfast," he said, giving me his famous half-smile.
"Oh yeah?" I felt bad all of a sudden. Birthday breakfasts were an essential thing in my family. My mom started the tradition a few years back, so instead of having birthday dinners we had birthday breakfasts.
"Yeah, but since you already have breakfast with your family, how about I make it lunch? Or dinner?" he suggested.
"Lunch," I answered. "Chloe said she had something to show me tonight." Which I partly didn't mind. I would've loved to have dinner with Elliott, but I couldn't ditch Chloe for him. She was my best friend.
"The lunch it is. Would you like to order out? I can't really cook anything but eggs, bacon, and pasta," he said.
"Sure," I laughed. "Chinese?"
"I love Chinese, so yes, Chinese it is."
I got up from the bed and looked around for my shirt. Well, technically it was Elliott's shirt. At some point in the night, he took of my shirt and I took off his. I stood there, like an idiot, in my bra, looking for a shirt. Elliott chuckled, but before I could throw anything at him, he'd gone into the bathroom. I finally found my shirt and slipped it on, then put on my jeans.
"Are you taking me home?" I called to him.
"Of course. Unless you're walking ten miles to your house," he called back. "You'll never make it to breakfast if you do that."
I smiled and brushed through my hair with my fingers. When it didn't look any better, I finally just put it up into a bun. Elliott came out of the bathroom in a red t-shirt and jeans. His hair was still a mess, but honestly, liked it like that. It looked good on him.
"Ready to go?" he asked. I nodded and we walked down stairs. He locked the front door after we stepped outside, then got in the car and drove in the direction of my house.
~
"Happy birthday!"
I jumped and spun around, shutting the door behind me. My mom, dad, and Josh all stood in the doorway of the kitchen, smiling at me. I smiled sheepishly, not really liking the attention. My birthday was fun, I'll admit that, but sometimes I hated all of the attention that came with it. "Thanks, guys."
I smelled bacon and sausage and my mouth watered. My dad came up to me and patted me on the back. "You're mom's been cooking all morning," he said. "I hope you're hungry."
I smiled. "Starving."
We all walked into the kitchen and I widened my eyes. The table was filled with any breakfast food there was imaginable. There was no way that a family of four could finish off all of this food today. Pancakes and waffles were stacked on one plate, bacon and sausage covered another, scrambled eggs filled a white and blue bowl, toast was on another platter in the corner, mixed fruit was in another bowl, and a few other food items lined the table. My eyes caught sight of scones, and I dove for them immediately. I took a bite and was immediately filled with bliss.
"Oh my god, these scones are delicious!" I exclaimed.
"Your mother make them," my father informed me. I raced to my mom and gave her a huge hug.
"Thank you so much, mom!" I said. She sounded like she was about to cry as she hugged me. I stepped back and looked at her with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Oh," she said, placing her hands on my cheeks. "My baby is eighteen today. You're growing up so beautifully."
The thought pierced through me. I had totally forgotten. I was eighteen, a legal adult. So if I was eighteen, did that mean my relationship with Elliott was still illegal? I guess it was, considering I was still in high school, and he was my teacher.
I put my free hand over one of hers and smiled. "I love you, mom." She pulled me into another hug and cried. My father came up and hugged us both at the same time. I felt enclosed and suffocated, so I backed up. "Now, let's eat!"
Josh had no problem with that. He raced towards the plates and began filling it up. I did the same thing, letting a little something of everything on the table. Except for the grits; I hated grits. We ate and talked for three hours. Even after we were done eating, we still talked for another hour after that. My father brought up college, and asked me what I planned on doing.
"I still don't know for sure," I told him in all honesty. "I kind of want to be a social worker."
"A social worker?" my mom asked.
"Yeah, or a detective." I mimicked holding a gun like a Charlie's Angels girl, and felt like a complete dork. But my family laughed at it, so it was okay. They knew how dorky I could be sometimes.
"Well, you still have time to decide," Dad said.
"I know."
My phone rang from my pocket, and I dug it out. It was Chloe. I flipped it open and put it to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Happy birthday, Avery!" she shouted into the phone. I winced, bringing the phone away from my ear.
"Thanks," I laughed.
"You're still coming tonight, right?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course!"
"Good, I'll see you then!"
"'Kay."
And then she hung up. I closed the phone and put it back into my pocket.
"Going to Chloe's again tonight?" my mom asked.
"Again?" I hesitated, trying to recall the events from last night. She gazed at me, confused.
"You spend the night over there, right?"
"Oh, yeah," I stuttered. I looked away from her watchful eye, hoping I didn't give anything away. If my mom ever knew what I did last night, she would freak out. But technically, I was eighteen now. She really doesn't have a say in what I do anymore.
"Well," Josh said, breaking the awkward silence. "I'm going to the soccer fields with Brandon. Avery, will you drive me?"
I remembered that I was going to Elliott's anyways, and the soccer fields were in the same direction. I shrugged. "Sure."
"Awesome! Thanks!" He ran out of the kitchen and thumped up the stairs. I got up as well and kissed each of my parents' cheeks.
"Thanks for breakfast guys," I said, giving my mom an extra-long hug. "I love you."
"Love you, too, honey. Be back later so you can open your presents."
I nodded. "Okay."
Josh came back down the stairs, in workout clothes, and a soccer ball under one arm. "I'm ready!"
"So am I." I grabbed the keys off of the counter and proceeded to the door. The a thought struck me. I was still in the same clothes as before. I stopped arubptly and turned towards Josh. "Actually, give me ten minutes."
Before he could protest, I raced up the stairs and into my bathroom. I turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up, and threw off my previously worn clothes and put them into the hamper. When the water began to steam, I got in the shower and cleaned myself off in record time.
"Hurry up, Avery!" I heard Josh yell into my room.
I got out of the shower, dried off my hair, and threw on some clean clothes. Felling better- and cleaner- than earlier, I decided I was ready. I walked back down stairs to see Josh tapping his foot impatiently. "Okay, ready!"
"Finally!" He raced outside and into my car. I got in after him and started the car, then backed out of the drive way and in the direction of the soccer fields- and Elliott's house.
~
I knocked on the door and waited patiently. Seconds later, Elliott opened the door and pulled me inside. I laughed, but was cut short when he pinned me against the wall and kissed me. He closed the door with his foot and continued to kiss me. When he pulled back I smiled up at him.
"Missed me that much, huh?"
"You have no idea." He entwined his fingers with mine and we walked into the living room together. "I already ordered the food, and it should be here soon."
"Okay," I said. "Guess what I realized?"
"What would that be?"
"I'm eighteen," I said proudly. "A legal adult."
"If you think that changes things, it doesn't," he laughed.
I pouted. "So it's still illegal? What we're doing?"
"Of course it is. Teachers who date their students could get into a lot of trouble," he said, half-anxious. I squeezed his hand reassuringly and he looked at me. "But you're worth the risk."
I gave him a small smile, not able to erase the thought of Elliott and I ever being caught. If he did... he could go to jail. I didn't want that to happen. He must've realized what I was thinking about and kissed my head, trying to reassure me this time.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'll never leave you."
I moved closer to him comfortingly. We both looked at the door when the doorbell rang. Elliott kissed my forehead again and patted my hand. He went to get up, but I grabbed his shirt.
"No, I'll get it," I insisted. He stared at me for a moment, but nodded.
"The money is on the table by the door."
"Okay." I got up and moved towards the door. The money, like he said, was resting on the small table next to the door. I picked it up and unlocked the door. At first, I hesitated. This would be the first time I opened the door at Elliott's house. My stomach dropped when the thought of his ex-fience' might be on the other side of the door. I shook my head, clearing it of all thoughts, and put on a brave face as I pried the door open.
"Oh, my god..." I breathed, feeling my whole body freeze. "What are you doing here?"
The one holding the Chinese food for Elliott and I... was Hunter.