Page 81 of Lucky Hit

THIRTY-FIVE

OAKLEY

Idon't think I have been this nervous in a long time. The past few days have been torture. With what happened at the party, play-offs coming up, and of course, Ava, my nerves have sky-rocketed. Ava is the only thing that calms me, but I haven't heard from her at all.

I've tried to give her some space and it's worked. If you don't count the several voicemails and text messages that I've left over the past three days, that is. But in my defence, I've never been a patient guy.

I thought that after the first day she would break and pick up the phone—even to dump me and put me out of my misery. But she hasn't and I can't wait anymore. I need to tell her what happened before I lose my damn mind.

Spending these past few days knowing that she's been sitting at home thinking I did anything with another girl is eating away at me. I would be damned to ruin what we have for some casual hookup. She needs to know that she’s it for me—forever. Or as long as she'll have me.

That’s why I've been staring at her door for the past ten minutes. I practiced my speech in the car the entire way here and was confident that I could get my girl back, but that flew out the window the second I stepped inside her building.

My hands are clammy, and my heart is pounding. Do it, I tell myself firmly and rap smartly on the door.

Moments pass and nothing—then I hear hushed voices coming from behind the door. I hear Ava's voice and my breathing starts to slow. That is until a furious Morgan opens the door. She opens her mouth to hurl insults at me, but I look past her into the apartment.

I spot my girl standing with her arms crossed, leaning against the back of their couch biting her nails. She pushes herself off the sofa and walks over to us. She stops a few feet away from me, not maintaining eye contact.

Her hair is thrown into a bun on the top of her head, and her face is makeup-free. Just how I like it. I find it difficult to breathe when I take notice of my Saints hoodie hanging carelessly off of her shoulders. That's a good sign, right?

When our eyes meet, the urge to rush over to her and wrap her up in my arms is overwhelming.

Morgan pulls me inside and slams the door shut behind me. "State your business before I drop-kick your ass to Mexico."

I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the girl I came here for. "I need to talk to you."

Ava scoffs and puts her hands on her hips. "Now you want to talk, Oakley? You didn't have a problem with ignoring me before."

"Okay, I deserved that. Just let me explain. Please?" I beg.

"If she wanted to talk to you, she would have," Morgan jabs, and I glare at her.

To my surprise—and delight, Ava says, "I got this, M. We need some time alone."

Morgan glowers at me on her way to her bedroom. "Just yell if you need me."

Ava sits down on the far side of the couch, crosses her legs and looks up at me expectantly. "Well? Explain."

Do I sit beside her? Did she sit on the far side because she doesn't want me to sit close to her?

I shake my head as if to clear it of these stupid questions and make my way to the couch. I sit in the middle, leaving some space between us for her sake.

"It wasn't my intention to disappear like that. It just happened," I say quietly.

She scoffs at my words and I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from making a sarcastic remark.

"It just happened? It isn't hard to send a damn text message! You could have been lying dead somewhere for all I knew!"

"I know, okay? I'm sorry. I just needed to talk to my mom about something and get away from here for a couple of days," I confess and instantly curse myself.

Ava frowns in bemusement. "What was so important you had to go all the way home for, then? Or do I not get to know that either?"

"It doesn't matter," I grumble. "What does matter is you knowing what happened at that damn party."

She rolls her eyes, unconvinced by my noticeable subject change, but shrugs her shoulders all the same.

I blow out a sigh of relief and lean back against the cushions. "I was only at that party because I wanted to clear my mind and see a couple of friends. Not to get laid by some random girl."

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