Path To Redemption (Fighter's Den, #1)

Chapter 18 - Emily

I wring my hands together out of nerves, trying to distract myself with whatever was coming on TV and failing miserably. Avery hadn't even arrived yet and I was already acting all kinds of suspicious. She was already going to have a heart attack when I'd confess about the predicament between Jaxon and I. I was only going to make it worse if I acted distraught. The plan was to act as casual as possible about it so that she wouldn't see how hurt I am now that Jaxon has seemingly begun to avoid me and distance himself. I wouldn't count on it, though. Avery could always see right through me.

The sound of knocking on my front door causes me to jump. Jesus. I was acting like I was about to admit to a crime.

Taking in a shaky breath, I get up and walk to the front door to open it. Avery greets me with her signature grin and engulfs me in a tight hug.

"I've missed your ass." She smacks a kiss on my cheek.

"You saw me two weeks ago." I remind her with a smile.

"I'm needy like that." She quips and struts into my apartment.

I've barely clicked the lock when she turns on me, suddenly growing serious.

"What's going on?" She demands.

"Why do you think something is going on?" I try to go for nonchalant, startled that she's on to me before I got so much as ten words out.

"I just know. You seemed nervous when you asked me to come over and you and I both know the last thing we are around each other is nervous." She looks at me knowingly.

I laugh awkwardly. So much for pretending. "Fine. You're right. Can we sit first?"

Avery and I settle on the main couch, sitting cross-legged across each other. She drapes her coat over the back of the coach and gets comfortable, leaning back against the armrest. When we've fixed ourselves in, she raises her eyebrows at me expectantly. Here goes nothing.

"Okay, well. Uh, you see...so I-"

"Emily." Avery stops my stuttering, exasperated. "What up with the hesitation? You know you can tell me anything."

"I know." I groan. "It's just...you probably wouldn't expect this from me."

"Are you gay? Cause I'm totally cool with that." She says seriously.

I roll my eyes because my admission is the total opposite of her assumption. And, like the idiot I am, I blurt out exactly that.

"Kind of hard to swing for the other team when I've been having crazy monkey sex with Jaxon for the past week."

Nice.

The air hangs heavy with pin-drop silence and I cringe from the abruptness of my statement. Okay, not the best way to go. Avery's stricken face and gaping features only confirm as much. I nervously search her face for a reaction but she's still silent and I almost laugh. I was sure she would've screamed bloody murder when-

She screams bloody murder and I throw my hands over my ears. There it is.

"What the hell, Em?! Why wasn't I made aware of this the second he-"

"Yeah, we're close but not that close." I interrupt her.

"Take your sarcasm and avoiding mechanisms elsewhere." She scowls. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because," I throw my hands up in exasperation. " I honestly thought it was going to be a one time thing. Hell, I didn't even see it coming the first time around. And then it happened again. And again. And again. And, oh god, this is a mess." I bury my face in my hands.