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"Nova," I warn and she quickly gives h I do want so to happen A lot to happen actually Have for months Which is why I should stay away But I can’t stop thinking about how easy it is to talk to Avery and how easy hasn’t really been part ofthe stupid decision and go

The Vibe is way less crowded than the last tiet wristbands that night just to enter the place and there was a huge line that filed around the building Tonight, alk straight in without even getting carded

On our way in, Nova points at a Help Wanted sign in the"Look, Tristan, you could apply here and ith Avery"

My brow arches "At a bar?"

Her enthusias"

"No, you’re playing h "I’ll find a job, okay? But it needs to be one I’m fit for" But what as

One look around at the room and my mood crashes It re out there are the older people of the toho look like they’ve spent decades partying too er people are playing pool in the corner If I was at ho, except at the end of the night I’d go back to the party house of the town and get high to escape the depressing reality of my life

"Look, there she is" Nova points at the bar across the roo too much makeup and has overly bleached hair

I put my hand on Nova’s arm and push it down to her side "It’s rude to point at people" I’

"And it’s rude to stare," Quinton re about me since I haven’t been able to take lare at Quinton "Don’t you start on me too I swear to God, I’ll beat your ass"

He rolls his eyes "No, you won’t"

He’s right, but still, the two of theo somewhere else," I propose "The aher than the people"

"We can go," Nova quickly says then pushes me forward "But after you say hi"

"I can’t just say hi It’s not in my nature, especially around hot women" Especially when it comes to Avery I can’t seeo over" Nova shovesa scowl on my part as I trip and bash my shin on a nearby chair "We’ve been spotted"

I turn around and find Avery staring at us from across the room She doesn’t seem happy that we’re here, nor pissed off It’sher curiosity

I huff a breath of aggravationmy way around the tables and toward Avery I try not to do er walk, but it comes too naturally and I can feel it in the way that Ito fking lie, I love that she is

"Hey," I greet her when I arrive at the counter lined with high barstools

"Hey What are you doing here?" She screws the top back on a bottle of bourbon that I desperately want to down to alleviate my jitteriness I don’t kno Avery works at a bar when she used to be an alcoholic I about loseout and thought we’d stop by" I cross et a drink"

"None of you drink though" She ducks to put the bottle of alcohol below the counter and I lean over to check out her ass and the elegant flower tattoo on the back of her thigh

"Yeah, but…" I trail off, trying to figure out what to say to her But it only getswhen she stands back up and stares at eous hazel eyes of hers

"But what?" she finally asks with the s the same purple tank top and jeans she had on at the work site Her hair is down and slightly damp and it looks like she’s scrubbed herbeautiful--that’s all there is to it Way, wayup with

"But nothing" I plant ht?"

"Why? You gonna ask hs like she just told a funny joke "Because need I remind you that you still have"--she looks up at the di as she mentally calculates--"ninety six more brownie points to earn for that prize"

"Oh? So a date with you is a prize, huh?" I crack a joke and a small smile, but don’t find it as comical as she does I’m pretty sure I’ve never asked a woman out on a date before except with Avery and the two tiet that she has the no guy rule, but her as

Rejection

I should just back off She’s not so for a junkie to hook up and score with so ithere? Clearly sohter hushes as she notes my humorless expression Then her lips part in shock "Tristan, you can’t be serious We can’t… date" She seeht the whole brownie point thing for a date was a joke"

Her words burn for a thousand different reasons, but I play it cool "Why would I ever joke about so so awesome?"

"Because" She squir down the counter with a dishrag "Look, Tristan, trust o out with you, you don’t want to agree to go out with ive you a ive you a million reasons why someone would want to date you," I say, unable to stop irl with sexy tattoos and the saddest s down on her shoulders"

She sood But the real question is, do you co you a line," I tell her because I’enuine like I am now "I swear"

She considers what I said then she sets the rag down, props her elbow on the counter, and rests her chin on her hand, staring me down "I’ll tell you what I’ll let you cash in your four brownie points and go on a date with you if you explain to me what coht" She see to

I scratch atwhy I did it is nearly iure the reason out "I don’t know… I just wanted to make sure you were okay after I left"

"That was the only reason?" Her brow arches in the sexiest way and I wonder if irls I flirt with totally absorb it and flirt back in an obvious way Granted they’re in a different, lower league than Avery She does it so naturally that I barely notice before I get caught up in it

Lost

I am lost

And in a different way than I’m used to