I nod. “Basically.”
“That’s such flawed logic.”
I smile and pour myself another glass.
“You should smile more,” she finally says.
I turn and peer down at her, willing my face to stay relaxed. “I smile.”
“Not enough.”
“Not everything is worth smiling for.”
She grins up at me, the round part of her cheeks bobbing up. “But I am. Don’t you forget that.”
I smirk. “I’ll try not to.”
She presses her lips together, then heads to the fridge and pulls out a can of ginger ale. “Don’t tell my directors.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
I watch as Avery pours part of the can into her glass before placing the remainder back in the fridge. When she closes the door, I notice two strips of paper flapping with the movement. “You decorating the fridge now?”
“What?” She turns to see where I’m pointing.
“The papers.”
“Oh… They’re tickets. Larissa printed them for me. If I don’t put them somewhere obvious, I’ll lose them.” Avery bites her bottom lip, but a little squeal leaks out before she says, “I’m going to aball, Ty. A double date. But I’m mostly just going for the vibes.”
“Thevibes?”
“Yes! It’s an autumnal ball. Masquerade. Already have my costume picked out. Gonna dance the night away! Practicing that waltz might have been a little for youanda little for me.”
“Sounds fun.” My grip tightens around my glass as I imagine Avery doing all the things we just did with someone else.
I prop myself on the island as she finds a barstool on the other side. We both perch, sipping in silence for a few minutes. It’s been a while since I’ve been up this late with a girl that makes me feel… Well, makes me feel the way that Avery does. Comfortable. Like everything is so easy—even dance.
Finally—and not surprisingly—Avery breaks the silence. “Thanks, by the way.”
“For?”
“For… a lot. Taking me in. Making me feel welcomed in a new place, letting me use your kitchen, not screaming at me when I do something stupid like start a small fire.”
“It’s not stupid. It was an accident.”
She sips again. “It was stupid. Preventable. And you were way more chill about that little screw up than you should have been. Half my exes would have lost their minds over it. Called me dumb, at least.”
The idea of some man calling Avery any type of name riles something up in me that I try to only unleash on the field. Channeling every ounce of zen I can muster, I shrug. “Accidents happen.”
She turns to face me, and for the first time, there are daggers in her eyes. “Ty, don't do that. It was a stupid mistake. Preventable. And I’m sorry.”
I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, fine. It was preventable, but don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s fine. I already ordered a new pan.”
She stares out into the living room, shaking her head. Ifollow her sightline. I’m not sure where she’s looking, but something snags my eye. A woven throw blanket. It’s yellow with white daisies stitched all over it.
“What’s that?” I ask, pointing.
She scans the room, starting with the window. “Well, that one that you have there is a Moth Orchid, the one to the left of it is a Lady Slipper orchid, and then on the end there…” Her brow furrows. “I could have sworn you had another?—”
