September 2010
“Well?” Avery asked softly as she sat next to Ethan in the car, the car having been silent for ten minutes now which was exactly how much time had passed since Avery had confessed the truth to him. Told him all the dirty secrets about her affair with Paisley.
Afraid of what his silence meant. Wondered if he hated her or was disappointed in her. Even entertained the idea that he’d end their friendship since he was also friends with Sloan and she had hurt Sloan even if Sloan had no clue about things.
Ethan shook his head, though he kept his eyes trained on the road. “I don’t know what to say Avie,” he said with a sigh. “I’m not exactly sure I’m shocked. I should be but I’m not in the end.”
“You’re not?” Avery questioned feeling surprised by his words. Not sure why this didn’t shock him.
How had he somehow expected this to happen? Where there signs there? Was Ethan just a psychic? Did she have it written on her forehead for certain people?
“No, I mean I knew…know how much you love her. I also know if it was Gideon I’d have done the same thing Avery,” Ethan admitted his words shocking Avery yet they shouldn’t.
After all Ethan had been willing to be someone she cheated on Cordelia with. So it wasn’t like he was against affairs.
“So you don’t hate me?” Avery asked him feeling hopeful that he didn’t.
Laughing Ethan finally looked over at her as he gave her a smile, one of his dimples popping out as he did so. “I’m never going to hate you darling,” he spoke as he let his hand that was closest to her reach for her hand.
Avery allowing him to thread their fingers together and just that simple action was enough to calm her. Probably for the first time in days did she feel like she could breathe normally again.
It felt nice if she were honest with herself.
“If this is honesty hour though, can I confess some things to you?” Ethan asked and now it was Avery who had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, despite the calm feeling she had felt just seconds ago.
Nodding her head Avery swallowed hard, “Go ahead,” she said giving him permission to confess whatever he wanted to confess.
“I’ve written an entire albums worth of songs about you…well not all you but mostly you,” Ethan spoke softly. So soft that Avery almost hadn’t heard him but she did hear him.
She heard him confess to writing songs about her and she wasn’t sure why she was surprised. He had once said she was the type of girl people wrote songs about and Cordelia was half sure Carolina was about her. Which made an odd sort of sense because it was the song she felt the most connected too.
“Which songs are about me?” Avery asked after a few minutes as she looked at him curiously. Wondering if he was ready to spill that.
Ethan smiled as he shook his head, “I’m not telling you all of them because I have let a few friends take them for their own stuff but I will say Carolina is about you. I wrote it almost immediately after our New York one night stand per say.”
“Of course you did,” Avery laughed as she squeezed his hand again. “How sweet of you to write a song after just one time of sex with me.”
“You sound cocky right now,” Ethan teased as his smile grew despite the fact that he wasn’t looking at her. He was being a vigilant driver.
“Maybe I am,” Avery told him because in the end she was. It wasn’t every day someone was told they were the subject of songs.
It was kind of nice being someone’s muse. It also helped to lift her spirits after a crappy a few days.
Ethan shook his head, “I knew I shouldn’t have told you. Now you’ll be insufferable to live with,” he teased which made Avery let go of his hand as she playfully hit his arm. Ethan making a oofing sound. “And now you abuse me. You’re just rude Avery Laurel…plain rude.”
“Whatever you say Ethan Archibald Winston,” Avery retorted using his full name on him. “So I was thinking when we get home we could order take-out and just cuddle in my bed watching crappy rom coms.”
“I’m down for watching crappy rom coms in your room,” Ethan agreed as he reached for her hand again. Avery letting him take it as the car fell silent except the music he was playing.
Avery knowing usually she picked the songs but today she was being nice and letting Ethan choose. Especially since he had made the five hour trip to pick her up and embarking on the five hour trip back home.
Getting out of the shower Avery dried off quickly before wrapping a towel around herself. She and Ethan had ate and watched two rom coms. Avery deciding after the second movie that she wanted to shower and then just sleep. Having asked Ethan if he’d stay with her because cuddling with him during the movies had felt nice.
It was just nice being held while her world once again felt like it was falling apart. Again because of stupid decisions she had made.
Decisions she knew would hurt her and yet she had willingly stepped into them. So in the end she only had her damn idiotic self to blame for this situation.
Taking a deep breath Avery left the bathroom not caring that she was still clad in just a towel. She was too lazy to get her pajamas and change into them. So she’d just sleep in a towel, hoping that Ethan didn’t mind but deep down she was sure he wouldn’t.
It wasn’t like Avery was dumb she knew he probably still on some level had feelings for her. Especially if he was writing songs about her. So he’d be okay with her sleeping beside him in just a towel and nothing else.
The moment she went back into her room, she paused when she saw Ethan laying on her bed propped against a pillow. A book open in his hands, his hair in a messy bun as he was clad in nothing but boxer briefs.
Avery feeling her cheeks getting hot as she looked longer than should be necessary. Reminding herself that they had decided back in July to keep things platonic.
Her vagina was just lonely and turning to Ethan wouldn’t fix things.
“I can feel you staring,” Ethan spoke up and Avery was sure her cheeks got even hotter especially when Ethan looked up from his book at her. Not missing the way he checked her out as well.
His eyes lingering a bit too long at where her towel ended at her thighs.
“Is that all you are going to sleep in?” Ethan asked as he closed his book, laying it on the nightstand beside the bed.
Shrugging Avery walked closer to the bed where she slipped in beside Ethan. “I was too lazy and tired to get my pajamas,” she said through a yawn. The yawn being a little exaggerated even if she was clearly feeling exhausted.
Avery being certain that her days on the road and little sleep where catching up to her now. Almost dreading that she wouldn’t get many days of rest before being thrust back into school and work at the bakery.
Before the year was up she half expected to just be a dead woman walking. Some form of a zombie from those horror movies Zac loved growing up and that Avery hated because they gave her nightmares the nights she watched them.
“Is me sleeping in just a towel a problem?” Avery asked watching as Ethan turned the light off once she was comfortable under the covers.
“No, not at all,” Ethan answered as he moved closer to her after the lights were off. Their gazes somehow connecting in the moonlight coming into the room through the window. “But I can’t say I can be held accountable for what I might do.”
Blushing again Avery let an arm wrap around Ethan’s waist, a shiver running down her spine when his hand rested at the end of the towel. Knowing if he moved his hand up just a bit higher that he’d be touching skin he hadn’t touched in so long and yeah her vagina was really goddamn lonely if the ache there for his touch was anything to go by.
“And what might you do?” Avery asked him innocently but she knew what he meant.
They both knew what he meant.
“I’m going to break the boundaries we made and kiss you,” Ethan confessed and Avery swore she could somehow see a blush on his cheeks now too. “Funny thing is I think you’ll let me too.”
Swallowing hard Avery broke their eye contact. “You thought I’d let you wreck me too back in July. You seem to love making assumptions about me E.”
“You aren’t denying it just like you didn’t deny things back then either,” Ethan retorted softly and before Avery could say anything Ethan’s lips were against her own.
Avery’s eyes falling shut as she kissed him back. A small moan slipping out of her when his hand went under the towel she had on. Somehow working it’s way between her legs were he rubbed at her wet flesh.
A smirk appearing on his lips as he deepened the kiss. Avery knowing his ego probably grew at the knowledge that she was wet and turned on.
Knowledge that she was wet for him.
When Ethan eventually broke the kiss sooner than Avery would have liked she just whined. Hating how much her skin felt like it was on fire and how much she craved his lips back on hers.
“Goodnight Avery,” Ethan spoke softly as he moved his hand away from her too. Avery glaring at him playfully because he was a massive tease.
“Goodnight Ethan,” Avery spoke pointedly with a playful edge. Turning away from him as her eyes fell shut.
Her body feeling content when Ethan let his arm slide around her waist. Making sleep come a little easier for her, though her dreams were anything but G rated.
Ethan being the main star of all of them.