July 2010
Avery looked down at her cell phone feeling annoyed. Something that grew each time she read the text from Cordelia where she had canceled their plans to Skype.
The annoyance mainly steemed because she knew if Cordelia had done this to her that she’d never hear the end of it. Just like she knew that Cordelia would also accuse her of cheating, which, maybe was warranted since she had cheated on her once before.
Could possibly be considered to have cheated again by kissing Ethan but it had been just something to shut him up. Not matter what he had said earlier today.
“I fucking hate her,” Avery muttered to herself and truth be told she didn’t hate Cordelia. She just hated that her girlfriend thought it was okay to have dinner with an ex and expect Avery to be fine and then to cancel plans with Avery and not have her be annoyed or even paranoid.
Because right now all Avery could picture was Cordelia and Jane having sex in Tulsa while Avery was here in California trying to be a good girlfriend.
And she really was fucking trying. Though she knew it wouldn’t look that way to some but she was.
“Who do you hate right now?” Ethan asked from where he sat beside her on the couch and Avery blushed because she had almost forgot his presence beside her.
Figured he was too into the book he was reading to even hear her talking to herself.
Looking over at Ethan, Avery sighed as she set her phone down on the coffee table. “Cordelia,” she answered hating that even her tone sounded annoyed.
“Dare I ask what she did?”
“You want to,” Avery told him knowing he was nosy. That and she saw a tiny hint of curiousness pass Ethan’s face. “So just ask and get it over with yeah?” she asked though it was more of a statement than an actual question.
“What did she do?”
“She…we were supposed to Skype after she had dinner with her ex-girlfriend and she canceled on me,” Avery sighed.
Again she hated how annoyed she sounded.
Ethan only shook his head, “You know what you need?” he asked her sounding way too excited that she was sure some of it was a put on.
It was his way of trying to cheer her up and she’d give him credit for that. She just wanted to be moody and upset a bit longer.
“What do I need E?”
“A night out,” Ethan answered as if that would solve everything. “You can get drunk and just forget your girlfriend who you don’t love is a bitch.”
Avery furrowed her eyebrow at Ethan’s words. Surprised that he even would think about going out after as trashed as he had gotten last night.
“You really want to go out after getting as drunk as you did last night?”
“I mean I won’t be the one getting drunk.”
“Oh,” Avery muttered out as a realization hit her. He’d stay sober and just take her out so that she could forget things. So that she could loosen up.
A part of her wanted to kiss him then and there just for that and how sweet it was in such an Ethan way.
“Just you and I?” she asked him with a raised eyebrow. Whenever they went out his friends usually went along so she almost suspected he’d invite some of them.
Nothing was ever the two of them and after last night it shouldn’t ever be the two of them alone with any kind of alcohol in either of them.
Because Avery was afraid if she were drunk that she’d go back on her no kissing rule. Alcohol always changed things for her.
“No,” Ethan answered which made Avery let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding in. “I have this friend, Sloan and she’s been bugging me to go out with her and her fiancee clubbing so I can finally meet the woman she talks so fondly of in our writing sessions.”
Raising her eyebrow again Avery just contemplated everything. Finally nodding her head in agreement. She’d go out with Ethan and try to have fun tonight.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
Ethan grinned at that, his grin so wide that his dimples popped out. Something that did odd things to Avery’s heart and stomach. “Good, now go put on your best little dress and I’ll contact Sloan.”
Rolling her eyes Avery moved from the couch, heading towards her bedroom to change. Knowing when she worked tomorrow she’d probably regret this decision but oh well. Sometimes you just had to throw caution to the wind and forget significant others who weighed you down instead of making you feel weightless, like you should be floating.
Like she had felt once upon a time when she had been seventeen and naive.
“They’re here,” Ethan said as he looked up from his phone which he had been checking ever since they had arrived at the club which was only twenty minutes from their apartment.
Though in Los Angeles traffic it tended to be longer but still.
“They’re late,” Avery reminded him knowing his friend Sloan and whoever the hell her fiancee was, were late. Ethan and Avery had been here for an hour and Avery had already had one drink. Was working on her second now.
Ethan shook his head, “I told you, Sloan said her fiancee’s photo shoot with some clients ran a bit late so they got a late start getting ready,” he said as if he was speaking to a child.
Avery rolling her eyes though she knew she was being a pain in Ethan’s ass. Was still moody but hell she’d only had one drink so far. She doubted this mood would last for long.
Staying silent though she looked down at her drink for a few seconds until she heard a curse word slip out of Ethan’s mouth right as Avery felt the presence of people in front of the booth they had been occupying.
Avery lifting her head about to ask Ethan why he had cursed at the sight of his friend but before she could she felt like all the air had been taken from her body because there in front of her beside some woman she had never met was Paisley.
Her Paisley, and at that thought all the pieces seemed to click as she looked at the woman beside Paisley who seemed to be the only one oblivious to things.
Paisley was with Sloan…Paisley was this woman’s fiancee.
The thought alone making Avery’s stomach turn and not from drinking too much. She was going to be sick at the fact that Paisley had seemingly moved on from her.
Paisley had moved on well enough that she was engaged to someone else and all the dreams Avery had ever had were shattered right in front of her eyes.
A realization that hurt but in the end she only had herself to blame in the end didn’t she? She had chosen Cordelia over Paisley and she really shouldn’t have expected Paisley to wallow in grief or being stuck like she currently was.
“Is that anyway to greet a friend?” Sloan asked almost still oblivious to the way the other three people looked like they were seeing ghosts. “By saying fuck. How rude of you Ethan,” she teased and Avery hated the way she seemed to be so friendly with Ethan.
Sloan had stolen her future did she really have to steal Ethan as well?
Another thought that made her feel sick inside.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Avery muttered as she stood from where she was sitting. Somehow finding a way to push through numerous people quickly so that she could reach the bathroom.
Going into a stall just as quickly once she reached the bathroom and as she dropped to her knees she felt no shame in getting sick in the bathroom of a club.
At least she knew it wasn’t because of alcohol or anything. It was because her whole world had literally been pushed off balance and her life shattered or at least it felt that way for now.
Hearing a soft knock on the stall door, Avery didn’t even ask who it was as she stood up off the floor to open it. Already suspected who it was.
Though once the stall door opened she was surprised because it hadn’t been who she was expecting at all.
“Ethan?” she questioned not even sure how he had wormed his way into the women’s bathroom.
Avery also hoped her disappointment didn’t show because maybe she had thought and hoped it was Paisley.
Then again maybe the days of Paisley chasing after her ended when she chose Cordelia over Paisley. The day she choose to give up her happiness which she was still trying to get back or find again without Paisley in her life.