Strings

Chapter 31

Avery

I have a bad feeling about this. I have a really really bad feeling about this. Why must we even bother trying to keep up with appearances since everyone is just gonna have their own image of you?

"I- I just don't understand so you'll have to explain it to me. Why is us attending this stupid dinner so important? Give me one justifiable reason and I'll shut up."

"Because Avery, this dinner is being thrown to honor us. In your home." Hayden responds, making no efforts to conceal how much he is enjoying the fact that I am not enjoying this at all.

Crap. That is a pretty good reason.

"You do realize what we're looking at, right? We're looking at hours of non-stop, fake pleasantries and forced conversations, handcrafted and presented to you, a Marshall special." I say huffing.

"You're right, the Marshall's do have a tendency to be mind-numbingly boring." he says, shifting gears; looking at me for a brief second while focusing back on the road. I wouldn't mind a couple of wrong turns to be honest.

"Exactl- wait; what did you just say?"

"You heard me." he says winking.

"Yeah no, I heard you alright, care to repeat it once more? What is it that you just said?"

"You know, I haven't had the pleasure to interact with the other Marshall's a lot except for this particular little bean; and boy is she a handful."

"I am not a bean!" I say huffing. He doesn't respond; or rather he can't response; since he is so occupied with laughing, as if he just cracked the most hilarious joke ever. The audacity.

"AND, I am not little!" I defend myself.

"Right." ugh. Stop laughing already.

"Yes, that's right. I am absolutely not little, I am the opposite of little and for you to suggest otherwise is just..... its just preposterous, is what it is; I mean the audacity that you have, to be so blatantly and openly wrong and what is it that you said about being boring? How dare you?
I am the most fun person I know; hell I am even willing to bet that I am fun-er than you, mist-er. That's right I can rhyme! How's that for being fun-"

"We've reached."

"Hell yes, we've reached the end of this conversation; and mind you, it will remain so until you apologize for being such a jack ass.
Y-you Jack ass!"

"No Avery, We've reached." he says smirking, his gorgeous eyes glinting, clearly proud of himself.

"huh?"
I look around only to see us parked by my home. I can't believe he'd rile me up only to have me distracted!

"Why you little-"
I go ahead in an attempt to hit the smug man next to me but he just grabs my hand and pulls me closer.

"Avery, it'll be alright." he whispers. Goosebumps appear on my skin making me aware of our closed proximity which somehow calms me and tenses me at the same time.

"No, you don't understand! Dad's in there! and mom, and Olivia and god I-"

"Shhh, it's going to be fine. I will be right there with you the whole time." he says softly.
I look at him in the eye, his beautiful blue-green eyes looking back at me with concern and sincerity. His eyes glowed and for a second all I could register was him.

I take a deep breath and gently rest my forehead against his.

"Promise?"

"Promise."