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“The next time we all met up, it was clear we were in the same boat. None of us wanted to take advantage of you or do anything to make you uncomfortable, so we promised to stay professional with you and to hold each other accountable.”
She leans on the kitchen island like it’s the only thing keeping her upright. “So that’s why you said what you did when you came in here.”
“Yes, but also because I was too jealous to watch my tongue.”
“Jealous? I don’t understand. Why would you be—why would the three of you think that I’m…” Avery shakes her head in disbelief. “It doesn’t make any sense. I’m nothing special. I can barely believe that Wesley was interested in me, and now you’re telling me the three of you… No. I refuse to believe it. This is all some sick joke.”
Her body language shifts again. Before, she had been burning so brightly with anger it felt like the temperature shot up by twenty degrees.
Now, she’s pulled the shutters over her eyes and her face loses every ounce of personality. It’s unnerving to see someone who is usually so expressive look so blank.
Anger still radiates off her, but it’s a frigid sort of burn like the sensation you feel after shoving your bare hand in a snowbank for a few minutes.
“The Academy asked you to do this, didn’t they?” Avery asks. “I’ve seen the way the staff and the other students look at me, especially that Reginald guy. They think I’m scum because I can’t afford to be there on my own.
“So of course, they’re going to take the most attractive men they have and sic them on me to make me feel uncomfortable or guilty or to try to catch me in a compromising position so they can run me out of the university.” She jabs her finger at me. “You tell Reginald that his little honeypot scheme isn’t going to work.”
“Honeypot scheme? You think I’m?—”
It’s too much for me to take, and I can’t keep a straight face a second longer. I burst into laughter even as I feel her icy glare stabbing into me.
“You’re seriously laughing right now? Is my entire future just a joke to you?”
That sobers me up quickly.
“It’s not a joke,” I say seriously. “I promise that’s not what’s going on here.”
Somehow, that upsets her more.
“It has to be. I’m barely educated. I have baggage that could fill the entirety of a transatlantic plane’s cargo hold. My hair’s too thin, my nose is too pointy, and that’s not even accounting for what my clothes cover up. There’s absolutely no reason for any of you to find me appealing. It has to be some kind of joke or trick.”
Her words break my heart. What had happened to this woman for her to think that no one could possibly like her for who she is? Who had hurt her?
I want to make her tell me so Wesley, Jamie, and I can pay them a visit, but I know that’s the least helpful thing I could do in this situation.
Instead, I get to my feet and round the island to get to her. My movements are slow and purposeful. The last thing I want to do right now is to spook her.
My voice is as soft as the time I had to untangle a frightened fox from a mess of chicken wire.
“You are creative, ambitious, and determined to make a better life for you and your son. Then there’s the way you talk about him. You shine brighter than the sun when you talk about him.”
I take her hands in mine. “The only other time you light up like that is when you talk about baking, and it is a sight to behold. That alone is enough to draw the attention of a much more attractive man than I am. And as far as uneducated goes, if you’re uneducated, then I’m an umbrella stand.”
“But I only have a high school diploma,” she protests.
“Having a piece of paper from an institution doesn’t automatically mean you’re a genius. There are plenty of ways to educate yourself beyond the traditional setting, and it’s obvious that you’ve done that. I’ve never had a student nearly beat me at chess the first time we played. The way your mind works fascinates me. You’re incredibly intelligent even if you refuse to believe it.
“Besides, you're on your way to getting three of those fancy pieces of paper in about twelve weeks or so. You won’t be able to make that argument for much longer.”
Her eyes widen as I pull her closer. I shouldn’t be doing this. I need to let her go and walk away.
Just because Wesley broke his end of the agreement doesn’t mean that I should too.
But like death and taxes, some things in life are inevitable.
Her hands come to rest lightly on my chest as I run my hands through her hair.
“Your hair is perfect. It’s light and airy like sunbeams through a window. It’s not too thin. And for the record, I quite admire your nose. It’s aquiline and regal and decidedly one of your best features. I may be biased, though. I think all your features are your best ones.”
