Page 68 of Camera Shy

“Yeah, I hope not. That love almost destroyed me.”

“Fuck you, Finn. I hate you,” she says through sobs before she abruptly hangs up.

They aren’t crocodile tears. They’re legitimate. Nora’s furious enough to cry when she doesn’t get her way and she loses control of a situation. It used to work on me. I’d see her wet eyes and the tear-stained cheeks on her pretty face and I’d completely forget I wasn’t the one in the wrong. That kind of love is dangerous. Blinding. Manipulative. It will steal a man’s soul. I barely escaped with mine…I’m not risking it again.

One thirty-two a.m. Dammit. I’m up now.

I pull off the covers and swing my legs around, my feet hitting the wood floor with a soft thud. This house always sounds so hollow at night. Every step I take toward the kitchen echoes loudly off the walls.

Opening the fridge, I decide on an Alaskan Amber. I grab the magnetic bottle opener from the fridge door and I’ve barely popped the top on my beer when I hear the faintest knock at the front door. It’s past one in the morning. Either this is Avery or the politest burglar in the world.

Pausing by the security alarm, I disarm the front door and open it to see Avery, her hair in its usual disarray. She’s wearing pajama shorts and a tight tank top that’s so long it hugs the outward curve of her womanly hips. I never thought I had a type before but fuck, do I like her full hourglass figure. I love how she feels in my hands, like her body was made as my personal playground. Why is she so confused about how enticing she is?

Avery holds out my sports coat and speaks before I can. “You’re up.”

I can’t help my smug smile. “I tried to sleep. A call woke me up. Not your call, which was a little disappointing.” I lean against the doorframe and she takes a tiny step backward, still holding my jacket out. “This might be better, though.”

“I’m crazy for bothering you this late, but you forgot your suit jacket. I wasn’t sure if you’d need it tomorrow.”

I cock an eyebrow. “For what?”

She sucks in her lips, her cheeks flushing. “You know…for like meetings or…meetings.” She snorts in laughter at her lame excuse as I take the jacket from her and toss it behind me. It hits the floor with a clank, the metal buttons meeting the hard floor.

“What’s up, Avery? Do you want to come in?” I hold out my hand, but she doesn’t take it. She only shakes her head and shrugs.

“The last time I had sex outside of a relationship is when I was seventeen. It was so awkward, I was happy to leave for college and never see him again.”

I nod along, unsure of where this is going. “Okay.”

“I’m not a hookup kind of girl, so this is new. Everything is new. I thought I was okay, but I couldn’t sleep. Tonight was…”

I raise my brows fully, feeling my forehead crinkle. “How was it?”

“Physically? Spectacular. By far the best I’ve ever had… But my heart feels a little empty right now. I guess I wanted to come by and ask you for more advice.”

“Being?” I scour her eyes, looking for a clue. Is she okay? Is this too much, too soon?

“Does it go away? How many hookups until sex doesn’t feel so…hollow?”

If you’d just take my hand and come upstairs, get under the covers with me, let me hold you, you’d know… It wasn’t just a hookup. “Honestly?” I let out a breathy, humorless chuckle. “I’ll let you know. According to my research so far, it’s a lot.”

She rolls her eyes. “Ah, dammit.”

I want her to come inside, but I know if I close the space between us, she’ll just back farther away. I have to play this carefully. I don’t even know what I’m playing for. Let’s say Avery and I give it a go…we’d be on a timeline. One summer to decide if we’re the real deal. That’s a lot of pressure for two people with broken hearts. Avery’s wounds are fresh. Mine are older, but they never really healed.

“Is that what you’re looking for?”

“Hm?” she asks, lifting her eyes to match my intense stare.

“Hookups? I thought you were a relationship kind of girl. Are you wanting to explore your options when you go back to California?”

Her laugh is bitter, mixed with a scoff like I said something ridiculous. “I just want to have options, Finn.” She points to my chest, then to hers. “We are different. You walk into a bar and you see options. I walk into a bar and just hope I’m even seen. It’s why…” She takes another little step backward as her eyes drop once more.

“Why what?” Don’t stop. Talk to me… Just come inside.

“Why I fell in love with Mason. He was the first guy to ever really see me. He was the only man to ever pick me over Palmer. It’s hard to look past her. She’s stunning, obviously—”

“She’s attractive, I’ll admit,” I interrupt. Avery bobs her head, pretending like my statement doesn’t offend her. How many times has she been passed over while her best friend gobbled up the attention? “But I think you put more stock in that than you should…”

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