Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Aaron's POV

For a whole week, Ava and I are basically inseparable. It wasn't like we were always with each other....it was the fact that we were both almost insatiable.

Some days it went like a routine; she would go to help Peyton, and I would go to work, and by the time we were both home, she would come to my room in bra and panties.

Or a lingerie.

Or just a robe.

This one time, she came to my room absolutely naked.

And then we would have sex, sometimes watch the game in between, have more sex.

And then she would go back.

While some other days, it was random...and those were the best. Sometimes we had a quickie on the kitchen counter if we bump into each other, sometimes I would eat her out right on the island...

We had sex on the dining table.

Sex on the dining room chair.

Sex in my walk-in closet.

Undeniably, the sex was good.

Very good.

Amazing.

But Ava still never crossed her boundaries, which included having sex in her room or even going to her room, having sex in the shower, spending nights together and any public display of affection.

The thing is, the more boundaries Ava tells me about, the more I feel even farther from her and not close to her and for some reason, it wasn't enough for me.

The little things that I knew about her already had their special effects on me.

Like the way she loves sports.

The way she teases me.

The way she laughs.

The way she always scents soooo good.

The way her hair bounces when she walks.

The way she looks good in anything.

The way her eyes dazzles when she blushes.

The more she had this effect on me, the more I was craving to know more about her.

I want to know if she cries and what could cause her to cry?

Who consoles her when she cries?

What are her top 3 wishes?

What are those stories about her that she buried deep down?

What is the worst thing that can happen if we cross one boundary?

What is her favourite meal?

What is her guilty pleasure?

I sigh as I slip on my suit jacket and walk out of my room, where I see Ava pacing from my door to the kitchen door as she speaks swiftly on a phone.

"Listen Mister, my best friend's favourite colour is yellow and her wedding colours are champagne gold and white. You asking me to use regular gold coloured balloons instead of champagne gold like I asked for, is like you asking an animal expert to use a cheetah in place of a leopard. If you can't get all the balloons to be champagne gold, atleast mix it!" She says and instantly hangs up the phone.

She hasn't noticed I'm out yet and I take the opportunity to observe her dressing.

She has on this simple, mustard yellow gown and matching heels that complimented her honey brown skin. Her hair curls are more prominent and bouncing with every step.

"Oh! You're ready." She says when she finally spots me and I smile.

"Yeah. Are you? Or you still have a few people you want to bark at?" I tease as we both head for the door and she nudges me.

"Tease me all you want but I'm going to keep cross checking the details for the bridal shower tonight. I can't afford to slip up." She says as we enter the elevator and I turn to her.

"Alright, super girl. But remember, family brunch is now, and bridal shower is tonight." I say to her and she sighs,

"You're right."

Ava's POV

"You're right." I say to Aaron and lock my phone as we head for the car.

Nick had finally arrived and Peyton had been waiting for this day for two weeks now.

It was supposed to be a family dinner until it clashed with the bridal shower and Peyton had a big fit.

She even broke a nail.

I had to suggest a brunch and luckily, it fitted right into everyone's schedule. As the wedding planner and I worked with Peyton during the day, Aaron and I got busy at night.

Real busy.

Sometimes at random and sometimes on schedule.

But I can't begin to think of how much I want to jump his bones or how undeniably attractive he is.

I can't begin to think of how he kisses me by surprise or how he is always willing to listen to me.

I can't afford to be distracted with the way Aaron Knight always affected me.

In a few minutes, we get to the venue and I can see Peyton standing with Nick and his parents. The minute she spots us, she hurries over to me and hugs me.

"Look at you!" She exclaims after the hug as she moves back to observe me.

"Its good to see my brother is taking good care of you, AJ." She says with a pointed stare at Aaron and he laughs.

Then she walks over to him and says,

"Speaking of whom, there's someone I want you to meet." Peyton says to Aaron and then gestures for a lady standing with Nick to come over.

I watch as the lady walks over with an amazing smile, beautiful brown skin and long mane of black hair.

"Aaron, this is Brenda. She's Nick's assistant and I personally invited her. I thought you guys could meet." Peyton says and looks at me excitedly and I just stare back, speechless.

The lady offers her hand to Aaron, smiling.

"I'm Brenda Oaks. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Knight." She says and Aaron shakes her.

"Please, call me Aaron." He says and then Peyton leads me away, squealing silently.

"Can you believe it?! A surprise blind date, finally!" She says to me excitedly and I manage a smile.

How could I have forgotten all of Peyton's rants about setting Aaron up?

"That's great, Pey." I say as we enter the lounge and she turns to me, smiling with excitement.

"Look how beautiful this place is AJ! I owe you a debt of gratitude." She says and hugs me again and I push the unwelcome thoughts of Aaron out of my mind.

I have to be here for Peyton.

Who cares if he's on a blind date?

Aaron and I are the last to arrive and soon enough, everyone is seated. Aaron and Benda are seated between Nick's parents and Peyton's parents, and I'm seated next to Peyton's parents, with Peyton and Nick seated next to me.

Brunch goes on smoothly, everyone involving in small chatter and loving side talks. But I just focus on my food and ordering more mimosas.

I'm surrounded by couples.

A few times the Knights' drew everyone into a general conversation, throwing questions about our jobs and life in Los Angeles, while I tried to participate as much as I could without meeting Aaron's gaze.

I could feel him looking at me.

Like he was expecting a reaction.

It was almost annoying that he would even think that my feelings could be that fragile.

That I would even have feelings!

So for the rest of brunch, I focus my attention on my plate and involving in small talks with Peyton.

Soon enough, Nick's parents give a toast to Peyton and Nick and the bruncheon comes to an end.

"Look at them run. Old people are so impatient." She says, staring out the window as both their their parents drive out of the parking lot.

"Yeah. Impatient." I mutter, grasping the only word I could hear while staring at Aaron and Brenda at the bar.

She's giggling and he's talking...

I suddenly remember all the times he wanted us to talk and I turned him down.

Why am I so concerned about them anyway?

I couldn't care less about their blind date.

"Okay, what has been with you today? Did something happen? Are you okay?" Peyton asks, snapping me back to reality and I look at her.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine." I say as I sit upright and sip my mimosa.

"Yeah right, Mimosa princess. You've been chugging it down all day and you only stress drink when something is on your mind." She says and I just look away.

"There's nothing on my mind, Peyton. Let it go." I say and she holds my hand.

"AJ, if I'm stressing you with the wedding--" she begins and I cut her off.

"No, it's not you." I say and my gaze wanders to Aaron and Brenda.

They're sitting closer.

I look away, but Peyton already turns her side to stare at Aaron and then she turns back to me.

"Did Aaron do something? Is he being a jerk?"

"No, Peyton. Just drop it." I say and her brows shoot up as she moves back a little.

She turns to Aaron and then she turns back to me.

"Wait a minute." She says as she stares at me for a while and back to Aaron.

"Oh my God." She says as she suddenly sits upright in surprise.

"Oh. My. God. You guys are fucking." She says and I look at her in shock, my mouth suddenly dry.

"Oh my God, you are! I know that face! You only get uptight when you're about to lose something you're enjoying badly. Like when you lost that vibrator--"

"Can you keep it down?" I say I'm a hushed whisper to Peyton and she covers mouth with both hands, giggling like a school girl.

"I can't believe you and Aaron are finally hooking up! Why didn't you tell me?! I  thought you hated his guts." She says in a low tone.

"I do hate his guts. But I just....had to get him out of my system."

And out of my mind, thoughts and memories too.

"Plus, I didn't exactly know how to tell you." I add.

Peyton's eyes are still wide with shock and she turns to Aaron and Brenda again before looking back at me.

"I can't believe I set him up for a date right in front of you, I'm so sorry." She says and I shrug.

"What? I'm not offended. Aaron is single..." I say as I look up at them talking at the bar.

"He can go on as many dates as he wants." I add and to my surprise, I watch Aaron say something to Brenda then he gets up and grabs his keys and wallet.

"Wait, he's leaving. He's coming this way." I whisper to Peyton and before she can react, Aaron reaches our table.

"Ladies. I believe you have a bridal shower to attend soon." Aaron says, staring at me and Peyton gets up.

"You're right. I should see if Nick's back from dropping his parents." And with that, she vanishes.

"Ava? Ready to leave? I know you have details you want to go over." He says as I follow him out and I turn back to Brenda.

"What about your date?" I ask as I watch her casually sip her drink.

Then Aaron turns to me and says, "What date?"

And just like that, the matter ends.

He drives me home, and after I've showered and changed into my rose gold gown, Aaron takes me to the hotel where the bridal shower is taking place in a suit.

"Are you coming back tonight?" He asks when I'm about to step out of the car and I turn to him.

"Why? Missing me already?" I tease and he chuckles.

The little act warms me inside in a way I didn't expect.

It's not even supposed to matter.

But in truth, I was elated that after his blind date, he could still preserve this sarcastic part of himself for just us.

"I just want to know if you might need help coming back, considering you'd probably be drunk." He says and I smile at him.

"When I begin to see double, you'll be the first I'll call." I assure him and that seems to do the trick.

In a way, Aaron and I had gone from being just fuck buddies to being fuck buddies that are friends and for some reason, it set off a lot of alarms that I wasn't ready to deal with.

For the rest of the night, I focus my full attention on the bridal shower and making sure Peyton was satisfied, even though she seemed to be enjoying every bit of it.

Eventually, I get carried away with the frenzy and we're all drinking, eating, laughing and playing games.

After a few hours, the shower ends and I'm already in an uber on my way back to the condo, after making sure that Peyton and the other girls had gotten home safely.

The idea of seeing Aaron again made my body hum in response, partly from the alcohol and partly from the effect he had on me.

So when I walk into the condo, I head straight for his room and knock continuously on his door.

"Aaron! Aaaarooonnnn--" he opens the door, cutting me off and making me lose my balance a little.

"You're back." He says as he helps me regain my balance.

"And you didn't call me." He adds and I shrug as I put my arms around his neck.

"I'm not seeing double yet." I say with a giggle and he gives me a side smile.

"You're drunk."

"I know. And I want you." And with that I connect my lips with his.

Aaron kisses me back for a while, then he pulls away a little.

"You taste of champagne." He says with a chuckle and I bite my lip, my body buzzing with the thought of doing things to him.

Wanting him.

Needing him.

Craving him.

"Good. Now let's see how you taste." I say, my hands already trying to take his shorts off as I try to drop to my knees.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He exclaims, laughing as he stops me abruptly and helps me up to my feet.

"Not tonight, Ava. Not while you're drunk." He says and tucks some stray locks of curly hair behind my ear.

"How about a shower first?" He asks and I allow myself to lean on him, resting my head on chest and putting my arms around him.

"Sure...a shower sounds nice." I say.

"Can you walk?" He asks as he leads me to the shower and I nod.

Then I try to take off my shoes and I lose my balance, causing Aaron to catch me.

"Maybe I'll give you that shower myself." He says and I look up at him.

"Only if you'll take one with me."

Aaron's POV

"Only if you'll take one with me." Ava says as she unzips her gown and it pools at her feet.

I draw in a deep breath.

"Look, Ava--"

"No sex, Aaron. Just please....be here." She begs, more with her eyes than with words and for the first time ever, I can see a little vulnerability in them.

She's asking me to cross one of her boundaries.

Silently, I help Ava out of her shoes and underwear and help her into the shower stall.

Then I take off my clothes and join her, shutting the door behind me as the warm water pelts on our skin.

I had seen Ava naked..

But I hadn't really seen her.....truly naked.

Inside and out.

I watch as her wet hair falls against her face, the curls are a little straighter and as I lather her body slowly, her eyes remain on me.

"I've never been in the shower anyone." She says in this soft, quivering voice and I'm almost breathless at how vulnerable she looks.

"Why?" I ask softly as I slowly shampoo her hair and she sighs.

"It's the only place I can cry." She says, the water rinsing away the soap and I clear her hair from her face.

"What makes you cry, Ava?" I ask her and her lip trembles.

"I'm scared." She says and to my surprise, bursts into tears.

I had never seen Ava look so...fragile and by impulse, I pull her close to me.

As I wrap my arms around her, her shoulders tremble as she cries and I'm surprised at how much it hurts me to see her this way.

"I'm so scared, Aaron. I'm scared of ending up alone. I've never really had anyone but Peyton and she's getting married. Everyone is sharing their life with someone special and I just isolate myself because I don't know how." She sobs and I'm at a loss for words.

So this is the reason.

I almost feel guilty, that Ava is telling me this while she is in this state.

I want to tell her so many things.

I want to tell her she doesn't have to be scared.

I want to tell her she is not going to end up alone.

I want to tell her that everyone's life is unique in their own way and so is hers.... but I don't feel it's in my place to say anything. So I keep holding her, tucking her hair and being here for her.

We stay like that for a while, then she wraps her hands around me tightly and pulls me even closer.

"Thank you for being here." She says tearfully as she pulls away a little and even attempts a smile.

"Can I tell you something?" I hear myself ask softly as I caress her cheeks.

"What?" She asks and looks up at me.

"You are a beautiful person, especially on the inside. No matter what." I say and I watch her smile earnestly.

Not a side smile or a shy smile.

No.

A full, cheek to cheek smile that exposes her perfect dentition, and I feel a certain relief that I could make her smile like this.

Especially after the tender moment.

After our shower, I towel dry Ava and lead her back into my room.

"Can you stand?" I ask and she giggles at my question, but she nods.

"Yeah." She says and I head into my closet to get dressed.  In the process, I decide on getting some clothes for her too.

Hopefully, she's still there.

And to my surprise, when I emerge from the closet, Ava is still standing there, wrapped in my towel and toying with the tips of her wet, beautiful, curly hair.

Carefully, I help her into my tshirt and shorts, and by the time she is fully dressed, she looks like a completely different person.

"Should I help you to your room?" I ask and she hesitates for a while, then nods.

But the second we step out of my room, she grabs a hold of my hand.

"Wait." She says and I turn around.

"I was thinking...if you're not sleepy,.....or tired,....or in a hurry..." she says shyly, casting brief glances at me and I get a strong feeling of nostalgia.

She was almost acting like she was 17 again.

"That maybe...." she pauses, and looks up at me.

"Maybe, umm..." she hesitates and I smile.

"It's okay, Ava. You can talk to me. Tell me what you want." I say to her and she bites her lip.

"Maybe we could make s'mores by the fireplace in the patio?" She asks, her voice getting tiny with each word and I chuckle.

S'mores?

Who is she?

"Sure. I'll make some hot chocolate too."