There was another pounding before the door swung open. “Everything okay in here?”
Damn it. I needed to fix that lock.
Avery broke away the moment she heard her friend’s voice. “Nina, hey. I was just finishing stitching Liam up.”
Nina looked curiously between Avery and me. “Yeah, I came as soon as I heard. I was sure I’d find you passed out cold on the floor in here.”
“Zayn?” Avery’s eyes bulged as fucking Captain America himself waltzed in behind Nina, sans the shield and tights.
“Hey, Avy. You okay?”
Avy?I scrunched my face.
“Okay? Of course I am. What are you doing here?”
“I invited him,” Nina murmured.
Avery tried to hide her woeful expression.
“I’m sorry, is this your house?” I narrowed my eyes at Nina.
“Nikko said to invite friends.” Nina twisted her mouth.
I was getting annoyed with the growing party in the bathroom and even more annoyed that they were both clearly making Avery uncomfortable.
“Who the fuck is this guy anyway?” I asked, looking up and down at the man standing less than a foot away from me.
“Zayn Westbrooke.” The blond Bible salesman sporting a fucking collared shirt and pressed pants held his hand out.
I just stared at him.
I remembered Danny mentioning his name when Avery had moved in, but even if he hadn’t, I could tell who he was just by the look on Avery’s face.
Seriously?Thiswas the guy who broke Avery’s heart?
Anger bubbled in my chest, and I didn’t know why.
“Hon, why didn’t you come get me? You don’t do well with all of this. I could’ve sewn him up.” I didn’t like the belittlement in Nina’s tone. “I would’ve done his mouth while I was at it too,” she quipped.
Avery fumbled with her suture kit. “You were with Nikko. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re going on about. She did a great job,” I said.
Avery shot me a glance as Nina stepped into the bathroom, looking over my stitches. Pretty boy Zayn never took his eyes off Avery, even as I stared him down.
Nina reached up at my face, as if she thought I’d let her touch me. “Wow. Those look great, Avery.”
“Don’t sound so surprised, Nina.” Avery rolled her eyes.
Nina shook her head. “I didn’t mean—”
“Do you have a staring problem, Steve?” I interrupted, stepping closer to Avery’s ex. I only had him beat by two or three inches, but it was enough.
He blinked, quickly shifting his focus from Avery to me with a tiny step backward. “No, sir. And sorry for the confusion, but it’s Zayn actually.”
Okay, who the fuck is this guy?His mannerisms were annoying, and so was his symmetrical face.
Then, he smiled.He fucking smiled.He was either really fucking confident or really fucking stupid. “Avery used to play me some of your music from time to time. You guys are really talented.”
