November 2008
Sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Tulsa, Avery who was working on her laptop which meant just checking emails in between getting birthday texts looked up when she heard someone sit down in front of her. A smile on her face when she came face to face with Ethan.
The boy who ever since New York she had kept in contact with and had invited him out to Tulsa for her birthday. Which usually was a much bigger event but since her girlfriend and her best friend now lived in different states it was much smaller this year.
Her mom planning to throw a bit of a get together with family members tonight, which was why Avery invited Ethan so that she’d at least have one friend there. Someone who she could have fun and spend time with.
Not that she didn’t have that with family but since being back in Tulsa after traveling her family could get boring and maybe a bit suffocating especially her mom who for some reason kept trying to set her up with every single boy she knew from her church.
A fact that Avery was getting tired of and knew she could just end if she came out. Something Cordelia was trying to pressure her to do but again Avery didn’t feel ready. Didn’t feel like it was right and she almost wished Cordelia wouldn’t pressure her but she was afraid to tell her that.
Not wanting to argue not even a month into their relationship.
“You actually came,” Avery spoke as she reached for her coffee to take a drink. “I was a bit scared you wouldn’t come.”
Ethan smiled as he locked eyes with Avery, “Oh Ave I don’t know why you doubted me. Of course I’d come so that I could meet the family of the girl who intrigues me.”
“I’m not that intriguing,” Avery told him as she sat her coffee cup down on the table. “Kind of boring really.”
“Maybe boring to yourself but not to me,” Ethan told her sounding honest. “I mean who sleeps with strangers after first meeting them besides me and you?”
Avery laughed at that as she looked back at her emails briefly, seeing an email from Cordelia with pictures attached and she knew it was probably her sending pictures from their time in Charlotte last month.
She had mentioned on the phone last night that she got the pictures developed and that she’d scan them and send them whenever she got time between her busy hectic college life.
“Well a lot of people do because one night stands exist for a reason there E,” Avery retorted as she looked back at him. “But you weren’t my first stranger I slept with. That’s how I met my ex actually. I slept with her the first day we met and she stayed in my life after that because we continued sleeping together.”
“The one I remind you of?” Ethan questioned but to Avery it sounded more like a statement.
“The one you remind me of,” Avery confirmed with a sad looking smile.
Not even sure why she was sad at the mention of Paisley. After all she had been the one to bring her up and she was sure she was healing.
She had started dating Cordelia and despite her initial doubts she felt happy with Cordelia even if they hadn’t really spent much time in the same state since the brief few days they shared in Charlotte after making it official.
Hell they hadn’t even had sex with each other yet. But Avery wasn’t complaining, knowing they’d get there eventually when they were both ready and in the same state for longer than three days.
“Can I see her?” Ethan questioned and his words made Avery furrow her brow.
“What?”
“Your ex,” Ethan spoke more slowly as if he thought Avery was stupid. “I want to see pictures of her. See what the girl you love looks like.”
Avery shook her head in protest at that, “She isn’t the girl I love anymore,” she told him though even to her own ears her words sounded like a lie. “I’m dating someone else now and anyway I got rid of all my pictures of my ex,” she explained because she had indeed deleted all the pictures of Paisley off of any of her devices.
Though not before printing them out and filing them away in the shoebox that held all of her Paisley memories. A shoebox that she just couldn’t part with.
No matter how much the memories inside of them hurt her.
Ethan let out a chuckle at that, “Then show me her social media profiles,” he spoke like he just suspected that Avery still had her added which maybe she did even after everything.
Just hadn’t found the courage to unfriend her even after knowing she had cheated and Paisley obviously hadn’t unfriended her either.
“How do you know I have her added?” Avery questioned him though she typed in the familiar myspace url. Paisley’s page loading automatically.
“Because you light up whenever you talk about her and that kind of love is hard to cut off all ties,” Ethan told her as if he was speaking from experience and maybe he was. “Now show me her social media profiles,” he said again this time more demanding.
But the smile on his face let her know he was only teasing her.
“Fine,” Avery heaved a sigh as she beckoned Ethan to move his chair closer and once he had she clicked to go to Paisley’s pictures.
Opening the folder for new pictures. Pictures Paisley had taken of herself since she had moved to New York last month.
Pictures that made Avery sad just a bit because there seemed to be some sort of small spark missing in her eyes. Avery wondering just how happy she truly was in New York but also knowing she probably shouldn’t care.
After all Paisley wasn’t hers anymore. She had Cordelia and Cordelia should be the person she cared about being truly happy.
“I guess I can see why I remind you of her,” Ethan told her as he looked at Avery with a curious little smirk. “And her profile said she lives in New York now?” he asked sounding like he had plans already to somehow track Paisley down.
Something she could see him doing and succeeding in doing it because he was that weird and mysterious.
“Yeah but I don’t know where in New York,” Avery told him as she paused on Paisley’s newest picture that she had added at some point today.
A picture of her proudly showing off her left hand, a tattoo inked on her ring finger. The finger one would wear a wedding band on.
Avery’s hand automatically reaching for her necklace with the easel and paintbrush pendants on it. Swallowing hard as she came to the realization that the tattoo was an exact match for the easel pendent that she wore around her neck.
The tattoo being on her ring finger and the fact that it was uploaded on Avery’s birthday of all days. Well maybe it unsettled Avery some.
Avery not being sure if it was a good unsettled or a bad unsettled. Just that she was unsettled by it.
Ethan must have sensed the tension Avery had because soon he chose to speak, “That’s a pretty huge statement,” he told her and Avery tore her eyes away from the picture to see that Ethan too was looking down at her necklace. “Getting that easel tattooed on her wedding ring finger.”
“She probably just liked the way it looked,” Avery told him not even revealing that the necklace she wore had been a gift from Paisley. “I doubt it’s connected to me.”
Ethan remained silent at that, looking at Avery as if she were stupid and maybe she was. That or in denial because there was no way it could be connected to her.
Had to just be a coincidence or something because those still happened in the universe.
“You tell yourself that Ave,” Ethan finally spoke as he shook his head. “But I know what my gut is telling me.”
Avery rolled her eyes as she reached for her coffee which had now gone cold. Taking a drink despite that because she needed more time to find the words she wanted to say.
“And your gut is wrong,” Avery muttered to him with a shake of her head as she quickly left Paisley’s myspace. Closing the tabs on her laptop before shutting it down. “Now come on, let’s head to my place. Though fair warning my family can be a bit much at times.”
Ethan chuckled at that as he stood from his chair, “I can handle crazy families. My ex-boyfriend had a hectic family too,” he told her which made her pause.
Avery wondering if it was the same ex-boyfriend who he had mentioned being a fan of her brother’s band.
Laying next to Paisley hours after they had landed in Paris. Avery giggled still slightly tipsy from the wine they had drank from a bottle that Paisley had bought not long after they had landed.
Almost surprised that she was still tipsy because it had been a few hours and she and Paisley had even made love after.
“I dream about our future you know,” she confessed softly before she could even stop herself. Like her mouth and her brain just weren’t working together right now. One going without the other’s consent.
Paisley turned her head as she looked at Avery, her eyebrows having risen some, “Like actual dreams?”
“No,” Avery clarified with a shake of her head. “Like daydreams. Sometimes I’ll just randomly imagine what it would be like doing life with you,” she smiled feeling almost content at just uttering those words. “How we could spend forever together and maybe have a family one day. With kids and pets or just kids or just pets. But we’d be together forever.”
“Forever is a long time for someone who’s seventeen,” Paisley spoke with a shake of her own head. “You’re young and don’t know know what you want yet.”
Avery sighed softly as she rested her head against Paisley’s chest some, “Maybe I am young,” she agreed giving Paisley that. “But I want a future with you,” she sighed softly knowing that she did want the future she daydreamed about. “Even if they never make gay marriage legal I want to be your life partner some day and raise a little family with you. Have a life where we are content and happy and free.”
“Do we have to get rings?” Paisley asked like she didn’t like the idea of rings. “I think rings are just dumb and useless and I want something more permanent to show the world I’m stuck with you for life.”
Laughing at that Avery left a light kiss above Paisley’s breast, “Something more permanent to show you’re stuck with me for life huh? Like a tattoo maybe?” she asked her because the idea of Paisley getting a tattoo to show the world that was kind of thrilling.
“Yeah, something much more than the moon tattoo on my wrist. I’ll get a tattoo on my ring finger, show the world and your mom just how much you mean to me with a tattoo for life,” Paisley added on almost like she was getting lost in the dreams of their future too. “You can get one as well or you can just wear a ring if you want.”
“I’ll wear a ring but get a tattoo in a place no one but you can see,” Avery whispered before kissing above Paisley’s breast again and this time it earned her a moan from her girlfriend.
“So you’ll get a tattoo on your pussy?” Paisley asked through a delighted giggle which made Avery blush, knowing that of course Paisley’s mind would have went to the gutter.
“No, not my pussy,” Avery told her as she shook her head playfully. “But maybe on my hip bone where you’ll be the only one who sees it half the time,” she smiled watching as Paisley grinned too like she was imagining Avery with a tattoo on her hip bone in the future.
A tattoo that proved their commitment to each other.
“You know,” Paisley sighed as she pulled Avery closer to her. “I think I could fall in love with the idea of a future with you. You and me and a maybe family. Our own little place to just be us.”
Avery who had snuck away outside to sit by the pool after cake and ice cream, came out of her thoughts when she heard her phone ringing. Almost expecting to see Ethan’s name on the id calling her inside to ask for help because she had left him alone with her family.
A family who had seemed to like him or her mom did anyway. Looked like she almost expected Ethan to be her son in law one day.
Zoe too seemed to like Ethan and if Avery wasn’t crazy she thought maybe her ten year old sister may have had a slight crush on the boy.
Which wouldn’t shock Avery as Ethan wasn’t bad looking.
But when she looked at the id she was greeted with the name of her girlfriend and she answered it, holding the phone to her ear.
“Cordy,” Avery smiled though it was forced. “Was beginning to think my own girlfriend had forgotten my birthday.”
Cordelia let out a laugh, “Didn’t forget just had a hectic day of classes this afternoon then I went out for drinks with some girls in my last class of the day.”
“Oh I see how it is, leaving your girlfriend hanging for your platonic gal pals,” Avery teased her with a shake of her head. “No girlfriend of the year awards for you Cordy.”
“Haha funny Avie. But if you want I’ll make it up to you when I’m in town for Thanksgiving.”
“And just how do you plan to do that Cordelia Marie?”
“Well I was thinking we could have sex,” Cordelia suggested her words making Avery blush. “I could make it up to you with sex.”
“Sex sounds like a deal,” Avery smirked and after that she and Cordelia talked a bit longer before Cordelia mentioned having to go because she had an early class tomorrow and she wanted to get some rest before having to wake up early.
Avery bidding her goodbye and after she hung up she stood from the seat she was sitting in, nearly jumping when she saw Ethan behind her.
“How long were you there?” Avery asked him curiously with a raised eyebrow.
“Long enough to know that was your girlfriend on the phone,” Ethan answered. “A girl who you don’t seem to glow when you speak to her. Not like you do when talking about your ex.”
Narrowing her eyes playfully Avery sighed, “I think you’ve overstayed your welcome E,” she muttered as she walked to where he was. “Time to say goodbye to my family and get out of the house.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ethan smirked as he walked with her back inside. “We still going to go to that tattoo parlor tomorrow?” he asked her bringing up a suggestion she had made to him in private before slipping outside.
That she wanted to go and get a tattoo tomorrow and she wanted him to come with her. As moral support or something like that.
Avery nodded her head as she gave him a smile, “Yeah,” she told him as they made it to the back door in the kitchen.
Though before they could head inside her phone rang again and Avery looked down at it, hearing Ethan tell her he’d just see himself out.
Avery not protesting as she moved to answer the phone much faster than she had when her own girlfriend had called.
Though after she answered the phone and held it to her ear she stayed silent. Minus her breathing of course.
“I know you’re there Hanson,” Paisley’s voice slurred letting Avery know she was drunk. “Just…I’m just calling to say happy birthday and I hope it’s nice being a legal adult now.”
“It’s not so bad Chambers,” Avery finally spoke smiling sadly. “Thanks for calling though,” she told her honestly because maybe she had been hoping all day that Paisley would call.
“Had to have some liquid courage to do it,” Paisley muttered out confirming what Avery knew. That she was drunk.
Avery laughed at that but just like her smile it was sad, “You don’t need to be drunk to call me Pai.”
“I do when I know you have a girlfriend and a part of me..” she started but stopped leaving Avery wondering what she was going to say.
“When a part of you what?” Avery asked chewing on her lip.
“Nothing. Just I’m going to go now,” Paisley mumbled as she hung up before Avery could protest otherwise.
Hating that she wanted just a bit longer to listen to Paisley talk.
“Goodbye Chambers,” Avery whispered to herself as she turned her phone off and went inside.
Knowing she too needed to try to sleep or at least lay down in bed before going out and getting a tattoo tomorrow.