He Doesn't Do "Love"

Chapter 42

Avery's POV:

The sun was setting over the snowy mountain casting a gorgeous shadow through the trees.

Brett had succeeded in cheering me up and getting my mind off the idiot who had me down.

And after a very bad meal of over cooked Mac and cheese we all decided to go on a peaceful night hike over the small snowy mountain in the backyard. And fine, I admit it's not a mountain but a decently sized hill. I'm trying to be dramatic, sue me. Oh, and when I said peaceful, I meant night tag. That's peaceful right? It's like outdoor later tag with flashlights.

I objected due the the fact there are probably mountain lions out there but it was one to five so I obviously lost.

"Everyone ready?" Violet calls out giddily waving her flashlight into the sky. "Last one with the their light wins! If you get tagged head back to the house and shine your light up on the roof so we know who's left!"

Everyone nods excitedly and we all wait for her to scream "go!" We get 5 minutes to get away and I secretly excited for this. This will hopefully mark the beginning of my sadness free week with my friends.

As soon as I hear Violet scream at the top of her lungs I dart out of the house passing up Reese and Owen. I turn behind a tree cluster and sprint left. I keep looking behind me to make sure no ones following me.

I keep wandering silently keeping my thumb on the flashlight on switch. It's been over 10 minutes and I'm starting to get a little bit anxious and paranoid.

As soon as the sun is fully down and the moon starts to rise he wind picks up and I forgot to wear a thick jacket.

I'm freezing and it's been over 20 minutes and still no ones been tagged.

I walk a little closer to the house to see if I could sneak in and get a jacket.

I get near the clearing by the back door and there he is, Parker being the genius that he is is wait for someone to get close and tag them.

I inch farther back into the forest as soon as I'm about Hal a mile away I hear a twig crunch and I whip around hoping to tag someone but there's no one there. I stare for a little checking because I could have sworn...?

"Looking for me princess?" A deep voice asks from behind me as he snatches my light and wraps me in a hug before I have time to react.

I look up flustered and see Brett smirking down at me.

"Hey princess." He coos as he rocks me back and forth with my head pressed against his chest.

"Just tag me with your flashlight and let me go back to the house." I deadpan reluctantly. And he glares down at me. "What?" I ask offended.

"How dare you think I'd tag you out?" He smirks as he wraps an arm around my shoulder, leading me toward the peak of the hill.

"Why would you not tag me?" I question as we continue to walk.

"Because I'd rather talk." He mumbles nonchalantly and flashes me a quick smile.

"What do you want to talk about than?" I ask a little weary about what he's thinking.

"Anything you want, I just want to talk." He shrugs and I shiver as a gust of wind blows by.

"Are you cold?" He asks looking at my skimpy jacket that does nothing. He begins taking off his jacket.

"Brett stop I'm fine," I argue seeing he's only in a thin white thermal under his coat. "You'll freeze."

"Avery, stop. You're cold, just take the jacket." He talks down to me and I reluctantly take the jacket and slip it on shamefully. I feel so mean for taking his jacket.

"Thank you." I say quietly smiling up at him.

"How many do you think there are?" He asks consumed with the multitude of stars we don't always see at home.

"I don't really know? But doesn't it make you feel so small?" I wonder as I gaze into the infinite amount of stars.

"What do you mean?" He looks down at me confused.

"I mean, we are just a single person on a planet with a billion other people, we are one planet in one galaxy out of infinite galaxies with infinite stars and it just makes all my problems seem so small in comparison." I explain my thoughts without realizing what I was saying.

He looks at me and I can't decider what that looks means. He just looks for a minute and I'm starting to feel like I said something wrong.

I glance around uncomfortably and see the roof in the distance. Three lights on.

"Hey look!" I finally say, ending that awkward moment. We both look over at the house and hear a rustling in the bushes.

With in a second a white light appears just above me and I duck. It follows me and Brett steps in front, saving me.

I look up at him realizing just how good of a friend he really is an smile uncontrollably. But then I'm dropped back into reality by the sound of running and I whip my flashlight on it hits Reese dead in the chest.

"Fuckkk!" I hear him groan as he throws his flashlight down. "Come on Brett lets go." He drags Brett along and leaves me in the woods to find his stupid light.

Brett's POV:

"...all my problems seem so small in comparison." She says whimsically as she gazes at the stars and in that moment I knew she let her walls fall, she let me in her mind with no hesitation.

I couldn't help but be happy, she brings out such a strange side of me.

"Hey look!" She says pointing at the house and I snap out of my daze. There are three lights.

I hear someone move behind us and I instinctively step in front of Avery as a beam of light flashes on my shirt.

She look up at me with a sex smirk that drove me crazy.

She pulled out her light and clicked it on hitting our attacker in the chest.

Of course it was Reese.

He cusses and and drags me along with him.

"What was that about lover boy?" He teases as soon as we're out of earshot.

"What are you even talking about?" I ask innocently even though with Reese it never works.

"Ok, first off why were you two together? Did you not tag her or something? And second, you dove infront of her like you were her boyfriend or some shit. I knew you liked her but Brett, come on..." He interrogates as we walk.

"I don't like her Reese, we're friends." I say but as soon as I say it I realize I'm lying. He looks at me waiting to realize it. God how have I been so blind, "fuck I hate when you're right!"

"So what are you gonna do?" He asks me wanting to know everything like the nosy bastard he is.

"I'm not doing anything." I say flatly looking at him like he's crazy.

"But... But whyyyyy?" He begs like a kid. I chuckle at his childlike stupidity.

"One she just got out of a relationship with a dick head and I don't want to be her rebound, and two, she doesn't even like me like that, trust me." I explain as I begin to clench my jaw at the thought Jase and all the shit he put her through.

"Brett, any fool could see that both of you like each other, just ask her!" He scolds me as we approach the house and I sigh knowing that wouldn't happen anytime soon.