Saving Avery (24 page)

I crumble once I get to the Escalade, pushing my forehead against the cool metal of the door. "Oh God," I whisper, panicked. My breathing is uneven and coming in short pants.

"Who was that Avery?" Max asks.

"A friend of the Mason family." I squeeze my eyes shut. "What if she tells Nathan's parents? Oh God. What if Nathan finds out?" I hold a hand to my stomach. I think I'm going to be sick. We've been so careful, but this all might blow up in our face from just one word out of Barbara's mouth to any of the Masons.

Max grabs my arms and turns me to face him. "Breathe, Avery. Just breathe," he soothes. After my breathing has calmed down a bit, Max says, "She was pretty drunk. She might not say anything."

I nod, wanting to believe him, but still not so sure that I'm that lucky. Max puts his finger under my chin and makes me meet his gaze. "We were having such a great night. I hate that it got ruined."

I take a few minutes to compose myself. I definitely don't want to focus on the
what ifs
. I'm done with that. I just want to live in the moment with Max no matter the consequences. I pull him close and smile up at him. "It's not ruined."

"It's not?"

I shake my head, and he grins. His thumb trails over my bottom lip as he asks, "Did I tell you how incredible you were on stage?"

Laughing, I say, "I think you may have mentioned it once or twice."

He pulls me into my arms and whispers into my ear, "Come home with me, Avery."

Home. Such a simple word, but it holds so much promise for a future with Max. I nod, and he opens the door for me. I slip inside. Once he's in the driver's seat, I lean over and pull him to me again. His lips find mine for a smoldering kiss as our hands start roaming. Our passion quickly ignites as my hand trails down his chest and reaches his belt before he breaks away. "We'll never make it home if you keep doing that," he whispers, panting.

Smiling, I sit back in my seat and put on my seat belt. My hand reaches over, and I squeeze his muscular thigh playfully. "Drive fast," I whisper breathlessly.

Groaning, he puts the SUV into gear and pulls out of the parking lot. We have a hard time keeping our hands to ourselves on the way to his house, and I feel like a teenager again. There was a lot I missed out on in my late teens and early twenties, and I intend to make up for it with Max. He makes me feel like the years with Nathan never were, and what a wonderful feeling that is.

*

MAX

Avery sleeps soundly in my arms. Her dark hair is splayed over my shoulder and arm, and a tiny puddle of drool is on my chest. I crack a smile and kiss the crown of her head. I definitely could get used to this. Waking up with her in my arms is the greatest feeling in the world. She makes me so happy that it's almost like a dream.

My mind drifts to last night, and my cock twitches as I think about how we made hot, passionate love in this bed for hours. I kissed every inch of her body and worshipped her like the goddess she is. We explored and teased and tested our bodies together, and I've never experienced anything like that in my life. Watching her come apart time after time from my fingers, tongue and cock was the sexiest thing I've ever witnessed. An involuntary groan escapes my lips, and Avery stirs beside me.

Her eyes flutter open, and she grins up at me. My heart immediately beats a little faster. "Good morning," she says in that sleepy, sexy voice of hers.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Her eyes travel down my chest and grow wide when she notices the tent in the sheets I made while I was thinking about last night. "I thought maybe it would need a few days rest after last night," she jokes.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. "It will never get tired of being inside of you," I whisper in her hair. She smells so good. I just can't get enough of her.

Avery kisses my chest and trails her lips and tongue down my stomach. My muscles quiver under her touch. "Let me take care of you, Max," she whispers.

*

After an amazing morning in bed, Avery and I take a shower together. We're quiet as we take turns washing each other. I don't want my time with Avery to end, but I don't feel the overwhelming sadness and apprehension that I usually do whenever she has to leave. This time there is hope at the end of our road.

I have a lunch date with my mother today. My mom has a history of dealing with a domestic violence situation involving her best friend, and both of my parents have a lot of contacts with people in the government. If there is a way to get Avery away from Nathan, I will find it.

After reluctantly letting her go home, I hurry up the highway to the burger joint that Avery and I went to on our first date. My mother pulls in a few minutes after I do.

We're eating on the outside deck when my mother says, "You look happy, Max. Tell me. Did you meet someone?"

I can't stop the wide grin from appearing on my face, and I give a nod of the head to my mom. I didn't tell her why I wanted to meet her for lunch. I just felt like talking to her in person might be best, considering the situation.

She clasps her hands in front of her and looks positively radiant. "Oh, good!" She wipes her hands on a napkin. "So…when can we meet her?"

My grin falters. "Well…it's kind of complicated, mom." I take a deep breath and then hiss it out through my clenched teeth. "She's married."

"Oh, no," she says softly. "Max, what are you thinking? You know those kinds of relationships never end well. Just look at your cousin, Cynthia, and her ---."

"Mom," I interrupt her. "It's a difficult situation to explain, but I promise you that she doesn't want to be with her husband. And he certainly doesn't deserve her." My jaw ticks as I think about the abuse he puts Avery through. I look my mom dead in the eye and say, "He hits her."

My mom gasps. She knows firsthand about domestic violence. Her best friend Diane was almost killed by her husband. He left her for dead on the side of the road after he lost his temper and beat her within an inch of her life.

Mom reaches across the table and squeezes my hand tightly. "How bad is it, Max?"

I close my eyes for a moment and squeeze her hand back. "It's bad, mom. It's really bad. I think ---. No. I know he would kill her."

She stays quiet for a few moments. Then she nods and says, "Tell me what I can do to help."

*

It's not until Wednesday afternoon that I finally get the call I've been waiting for. My mom's best friend Diane has a horse rescue farm in northern Virginia. After Diane spent years in therapy rehabilitating her battered body, she wanted to help animals who were once broken just like her regain their way of life as well. The large farm is in the middle of nowhere with gated access. There is no direct connection between my mom, Avery or me. Nathan would have no way of finding her. She would be able to file a protection order and get the divorce paperwork started all without him interfering. It's the perfect plan, and I can't wait to tell Avery about it.

As I pull on my suit jacket and straighten my tie, I stare at myself in the mirror. I look happy. I feel happy. I feel like I'm on top of the world right now. I wasn't going to go to her father's fundraiser tonight, but now I can't stay away. I need to tell Avery in person the good news. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her that she can finally be free from the abuse, free of Nathan…and free to be with me.

AVERY

My father's fundraiser for his campaign is tonight. The most prestigious and ridiculously wealthy people will be there, having paid a hefty price for the sit-down dinner's per-plate fee. My heart skips a beat when I think of Max being there. He was on the fence about whether he was going to go or not, but I hope that he'll show up. We won't be able to talk or be next to each other, of course, but just having him in the same room with me is enough to calm my nerves.

Max told me on Monday morning that he has a plan in the works to get me away from Nathan. I just hope his plan comes to fruition soon. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this charade with Nathan.

I stand in front of the mirror in a pink chiffon mermaid style evening gown. The dress is littered with sequins that make me look like I'm sparkling from the chest down. It's strapless and very form fitting through my torso and thighs before flaring out at my knees.

I slip into a pair of nude heels and stare at my reflection. My makeup is perfect. My skin looks flawless. My long hair is silky and shiny with soft waves falling past my shoulders. I look like a living, breathing doll. And Nathan wouldn't want it any other way.

Meticulously, I check every inch of my skin that's showing to make sure I used enough of the tattoo cover-up for the bruises. Since Nathan was gone for the weekend, some of them actually had time to heal. But the fresh ones I received when he got home were particularly difficult to conceal.

I feel hands wrap around my stomach, and I jump. "Easy," Nathan whispers against my neck. I stare at his reflection in the mirror. He's in a designer three-piece suit and looks like a model straight out of a
GQ
magazine. "You look gorgeous," he says before planting a soft kiss on my neck.

I remain calm on the outside, but inside I'm screaming. "T-thank you," I manage to say.

"You're not going to tell me how I look?" he asks, stepping back from me. He holds his hands out and raises a brow for approval.

Turning to face him, I smile and say, "You look very handsome."

He grins. "Everybody is going to envy us tonight." He put his hands on my waist and pulls me close. "Like always," he adds.

Envy
. That is one thing that Nathan prides himself on. He has to have the best of the best. Second best definitely isn't good enough. He always has to one-up the other guy.

He leans in for a kiss, and I force myself not to recoil. His lips press against mine. When he pulls away, he's frowning. "You're not still upset about the other night, are you?"

You mean the other night when you beat me?
I want to scream at him. Instead, I just shake my head. I missed a few of his phone calls while I spent the weekend with Max, and I paid the price dearly when Nathan arrived home.

"When you didn't answer your phone, I almost hired a private investigator to follow you for the weekend."

His words make me shiver. He would have so easily found out about Max and me. I never thought he would stoop so low as to have me followed, but I should have learned by now to expect the unexpected when it comes to Nathan.

"Next time I go out of town I'll make sure I have someone looking after you." Deep down in my soul I truly hope there isn't a next time. Nathan then kisses me chastely on the lips and says, "Come on. We're going to be late."

*

The event is quite spectacular. Whoever my father hired to coordinate it did an excellent job. As the valet drives away in our BMW, Nathan holds out his arm. I place my arm in the crook of his elbow, and he leads me down the lit walkway to the back of the mansion. The estate where I grew up was always my most favorite place on earth. I loved riding horses around the property and swimming in the pool that featured a waterfall and slide. I was born into a life of privilege, but I learned something as I got older --- money doesn't buy happiness. And that is truer now than it was even back then.

Nathan stops at the gated entrance to the party and hands over our invitations to a security guard. The guard scrutinizes his guest list and then, with a smile, says, "Enjoy the party, Mr. and Mrs. Mason."

We walk through the gate and pause for pictures. Five photographers snap photos, and I have no doubt the gratuitous media coverage is because of the incident a few weeks ago when my father was shot in the arm. His typical parties usually have one or two photographers present, but I have never witnessed this many before.

When a reporter asks about my father's shooting and if there are any suspects, I freeze up like a deer in the headlights. I'm standing right beside the man responsible for the shooting. My husband. Guilt and shame washes over me, and I suddenly hold up my hand up for the cameras to stop flashing.

Nathan digs his fingers into my arm. "What's wrong?" he hisses.

"I can't do this right now."

I pull away from him, knowing he won't make a scene in front of people, especially not the press. I walk the rest of the way to the party by myself, taking deep breaths as I go. Nothing can be changed about what happened. My father is alive, and he will remain that way as long as I don't do anything brash to upset Nathan.

My steps slow as I gawk in awe of the familiar backyard, which has been completely transformed for the gala. There are several large tents draped in ivory chiffon and miniature lights. Under the tents are hundreds of elegant round tables with ivory linens and extravagant centerpieces on top of them. The chairs have matching covers with each chair bearing a black, elegant bow in the back. The yard is illuminated with lanterns, and there are numerous tables set up with more hors d'oeuvres than I have ever seen in my life.

Nathan catches up with me, hooking his fingers around my arm. "What was that back there?" he asks in a hushed whisper.

I pull out of his grip, and my eyes dart around as people walk past us. "You really want to do this now?" I ask, narrowing my eyes to let him know exactly what I'm talking about.

Nathan clears his throat and offers his arm once again like a gentleman, clearly putting on airs for everyone around us. "Shall we?" he asks with an underlying menacing tone that only I would recognize.

Hesitantly, I wrap my fingers around his arm and allow him to lead me towards the party.

"Your father really outdid himself this time," he remarks. Holding up his finger, he stops one of the many waitstaff walking around. He takes two glasses of champagne from a silver tray and hands me one. We both take a sip at the same time. "Delicious," he says in approval.

I nod in agreement as we walk past the enormous parquet dance floor. A string quartet is playing the most beautiful music, and I can't wait to listen to them for the rest of the night.

We find my father on the large wraparound porch of the house. He's in a serious conversation with an older man in a blue suit. When his eyes drift over to me, he immediately excuses himself. "Sweetheart," he says, walking towards me with open arms.

"Dad," I acknowledge, hugging him.

He pulls back and studies me. "You look beautiful. As always," he says with a wink.

"How are you feeling?"

"Totally fine." He leans and whispers, "But don't tell the reporters that. My campaign manager wants to milk this just a little bit longer." I try my best not to roll my eyes. He looks past me and asks, "Have you seen your sister yet?"

"No, but I'm sure she'll be here."

He nods and turns to Nathan. They shake hands, and my dad claps Nathan on the shoulder. "Nice to see you, Nathan. Your parents are around here somewhere. I was just speaking with them."

"I'll keep an eye out," Nathan says. "So how is the campaign going so far?"

I drown out their conversation and glance around at the crowd milling in from the entrance. I’m anxious to find Max. "I'm going to check out the decorations and tents," I announce.

The two of them are busy talking politics and barely notice me walking away. I observe that there are place cards on each table. Nathan and I are at the head table with my father, Allison and her husband and daughter. We are in the biggest and foremost tent that faces all the others along with some immediate family members and the entire Mason family. When I've checked all of the place cards, I frown. Max's name isn't on any of the cards in my tent. Maybe that’s best anyway, because I know I will just be more tempted to stare at him all night.

Maneuvering past the tent, I walk to the edge of the yard and stare out over the grounds. A million fireflies light up the darkness with flashing illumination. I sigh and think about how wonderful it would be to be a little girl again. I would give anything to go back in time. And if I could do just that, I would change a lot. I would have never agreed to date Nathan. I would have gone to college like I always wanted to. I'm twenty-three with nothing to show for myself besides being a trophy wife. The term makes me cringe. I don't know how I let myself become so dependent on Nathan. Part of me knows that this was his plan all along. It would make it difficult for me to leave him, and I'm finding out just how difficult now.

"Hey, beautiful," says a voice.

I turn around and squint into the darkness. A figure steps towards me, his back illuminated by the lights from the yard, but keeping his face in the shadows. When I feel his gentle arms around me and breathe in his scent, I whisper, "Max."

"How are you?"

I don't want to answer him. I don't want to cry and risk the chance of ruining my makeup and then having to explain to Nathan the reason behind it. I just sink deeper into his hug. "I miss you, Max. I can't stop thinking about you."

"Ditto," he says with a sigh. His chin rests on top of my head as his fingers trail down my arms. "You look beautiful. I watched you walk in. You took my breath away."

I close my eyes and lay my head on his chest. We dance slowly to the music flowing faintly through the air around us. "I didn't think you'd show up tonight, but I was hoping that you would."

"I wasn't going to, but I got a phone call today that changed my mind."

My body stills in his arms. "Good news or bad news?"
Please say good news. Please.

"Very good news, Avery." He holds me tighter and whispers in my ear. "Can we meet somewhere private later to talk?"

"Yeah. I know of a place we can go. I'll get a message to you somehow." I hesitate before I say, "But until then…you have to ignore me. Even meeting like this in the shadows is dangerous." He starts to protest, but I put my fingertips to his lips. "Nathan can't find out about us, Max. If he suspects anything…" My voice trails off, because I don't even want to think about what Nathan would do.

Max kisses my fingertips. "Okay. I'll try to ignore you, but you have no idea how hard that's gonna be." He kisses my lips softly. "I miss you already, and you haven't even walked away from me yet."

"Ditto," I whisper. Then I end the conversation with one word, a promise. "Later."

"Later," he agrees.

Reluctantly, I pull away from him. Even though I'm walking out of the darkness and towards the light, I left the only true light in my life behind me in the shadows.

*

I sit at the head table with Nathan, my father, my sister and her husband and daughter. My father is standing and giving a speech into a microphone. His hand sweeps over to us and tears fill his eyes as he raves on and on about his family and how we have been standing by his side ever since the near-miss tragedy that happened weeks ago when he was shot.

Allison leans over to me and whispers into my ear, "Leave it to our father to turn him getting shot into a publicity stunt for his campaign."

I watch her carefully as she sits back and takes a swig of her champagne. That is her fifth glass, and we've only been at the table for a half an hour. Something is going on with her, but I can't put my finger on it.

As she motions to the waiter for a refill, her husband Todd mutters something to her under his breath. Allison's face instantly glazes over with a stony look. She glares at Todd.
If looks could kill.

"Allison, Avery, stand up," my father instructs. We do as he says, and he's beaming at us both. "These young ladies are my breaths of fresh air, my reason for living. As most of you know, I was a single father for years after my wife Olivia died from ovarian cancer. These girls were my sole reason for carrying on." His voice cracks as he speaks, and he quickly clears his throat. "I love you both so much."

The crowd claps, and Allison and I plaster fake smiles on our faces as some of the photographers snap a few pictures. I hate being the center of attention, and these kinds of events always call for that.

"And let's not forget about their wonderful husbands, Nathan and Todd, and my beautiful granddaughter Sophia." We all stand together as the photographers snap pictures.

"One big happy family," Allison mutters sarcastically.

My father scoops down to pick up Sophia. She giggles in his arms, and he beams at her. "I hope to have more grandchildren soon," my father says as he gives a proud look to Nathan and me.