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CHAPTER THIRTY NINE Fairytales ‿︵‿︵‿︵
(PRESENT)
JJ's voice was muffled in her ear.
Feeling his hand moving in hers, Avery knew that this was the moment she had been preparing herself for. She wanted to scold the boy for stepping back and letting her handle it herself, knowing that it was not his place. Even though JJ would stay with her if she asked, in fact, he wanted to stick by her side.
Avery's eyes stayed latched onto his, watching him take little steps back from her. His fingers remained touching hers for as long as he could, only letting go when they fell out of reach. She would usually be reassured by the smile he flashed her, yet, it didn't ease the nauseating feeling whirling in her stomach or her racing heartbeat.
Forcing every bone in her body to move, Avery finally looked away from JJ. He waited until the dancing crowd blocked his view of her to turn around. A hand clapped his shoulder, his gaze flickered up to see Rafe standing in front of him.
"Hey, Dad," Her voice was brittle and delicate. Avery hoped that it won't fail her. She slowly twisted on the balls of her feet to come face to face with the man she loved wholeheartedly, but was afraid of. Her eyes closed and she spoke fast, "look, I know that I have so much explaining to and I–"
Her body was grabbed by two larger hands wrapping around her forearms and tugged her forwards. Feeling the contact, her eyes snapped open just as she was pressed against his body. It took her a long second to register and she fought the urge to cave, to hug him back. But when she did, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head on his shoulder, Avery felt a burst of bliss.
For so long, she had convinced herself of some many things. Avery feared that when she was to face him again, after everything she wouldn't see her father, the man she once knew. Yet, some man that morphed into some monster that made her run and never turn back.
But right then, she was in the arms of her father.
With her head resting on his shoulder, she felt her throat tighten and tears casted over her pupils, making her vision extremely blurry. He felt her body sharply jolt, hearing a snuffle, and carefully tightened his hold around her petite frame. One of his hands lifted and he placed it on the back of her head, like he used to when she was small. This action only made her whimper even more, burying her face into the crock of his neck.
After a prolonged moment, they pulled away from the hug and took a single step back. Avery sniffled and looked up, blinking away her tears as she cautiously wiped under her eyes, not wanting to ruin her makeup a little more. Noah rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head lightly, staring at the girl in front of him.
