1. Tate

1

TATE

FOUR AND A HALF YEARS LATER

I was flirting with dangerous territory.

Literally.

It had been difficult not to, especially after ignoring her and the way I felt for three years.

I had no other choice then. She was underage, the same age as my sister. And if some guy two years older than her thought he was going to date my sister when she was sixteen and he was eighteen, he was wrong. I'd have been nothing but a hypocrite if I'd done that very thing with Ava.

But then she turned eighteen. And whether it was the realization of her officially being an adult now or something else, I didn't know. But Ava had gained some confidence around me. She flirted. All the time.

She was always around, always looking at me, and always dropping hints that she had a crush. And now, she was nineteen—a week away from turning twenty—and I no longer had the excuse of her age to steer clear.

But something inside me refused to allow me to give in to the overwhelming attraction I felt for her. Something that, if I allowed myself to think for too long about, would only frustrate me more.

So, I decided if there was no way I could avoid Ava's advances, the least I could do was flirt back. Maybe, with enough time, she might realize that was all it would ever be—all it could be.

We were having a family game night tonight, and as had been the case from the time things had taken that awful turn with her parents, Ava had become part of our family. Nothing had been made official, but whatever was going on in the Westwood family, Ava was always a part of it.

Charades was the game of choice tonight. I found myself sitting beside Ava, something she seemed to orchestrate effortlessly in any scenario when we were seated around a table or on the couches. And while she wasn't obnoxious about any of it, she found ways to touch me frequently. Whether it was simply handing me game pieces or the dice. In a situation like tonight, it involved her excitement mixing with the rest of our team's as we all attempted to guess the answer. Her hands would land on my arm or leg and squeeze, and I often struggled to come up with any guesses, because I was so distracted by her.

It was Ava, Ivy, Marco, and me against Wyatt, Cooper, Liam, and Jules.

We'd just finished a round and our opponents were preparing for their turn when Ava received a phone call. "Oh, hang on. I have to take this call. I'll be quick."

She stood and walked out of the room, and as much as I knew I needed the distance from her—anything to not have the scent of her right beside me or her frequent touch on my body—I also wanted her to come right back.

It was a constant battle.

When she returned not more than two or three minutes later, it was evident she'd just received some monumental news. "Ava, what is it?" Ivy asked her.

Ava seemed unable to focus on anything, her chin tipped down, eyes wide and darting all over the place.

"Ava?"

Slowly, she lifted her head, lips parted slightly, and tears filled her eyes. I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Had she just received horrible news? Was it something about her parents?

"I got it."

My brows drew together. "Got what?" I asked, too eager to understand what was happening.

"I didn't want to say anything in case it didn't work out, but now it seems like I can," she shared. The corners of her mouth curved up into a smile. "I auditioned to be a dancer on a tour, and they want me. I just got the call. The rehearsals are starting next month, and the tour begins in March."

"What? Are you kidding me?" Ivy shrieked.

Ava shook her head. "No."

"That's insane. I'm so excited for you." My sister darted across the room and wrapped Ava in her arms, Jules following closely behind her.

As Ava received a round of congratulations from everyone and shared all the details about the tour, I stopped paying attention. Because the only thought running through my mind was that she was leaving. Ava was going to be leaving next month to start rehearsals. She'd be back for the holiday, then she'd be gone again until the tour was over.

I'd sat here moments ago thinking it was a good thing she'd gotten a call that was giving me a reprieve from all that was pulling me to her like a magnet, and now she was going to be gone for months.

After sharing all the news with the rest of the family, Ava came and sat down beside me so we could return to the game. And as Jules began her attempt to offer clues to her team, I placed my hand on Ava's thigh to get her attention and felt her body tense. When she looked at me, I smiled and said quietly, "Congratulations."

Her face lit up, like I'd done something spectacular by saying that single word. "Thank you, Tate."

My hand squeezed her thigh. "You're welcome. You've worked so hard for this. You should be proud."

She nodded her agreement, her eyes intensely focused on mine. "I am."

Shouts of excitement came from the other side of the room, pulling our attention in that direction. And that was when I removed my hand from Ava's leg and wondered what I was going to do with myself when she was gone for months at a time.

I'd just gotten home from work when my phone buzzed on the counter.

I picked it up, saw the name on the text, and felt the warmth move through me.

Ava had texted me.

Ava

Miss me yet?

TATE

You just left. I saw you last night.

I didn't know who I was fooling. I started missing her before she was even gone. We'd just gotten through the Christmas holiday, and Ava had to return to rehearsals for the tour. Since she'd been gone for a few months before Christmas, I already knew what to expect. It was safe to say I wasn't looking forward to any of it.

My phone vibrated in my hand.

Ava

Wow. That was like a knife to the heart. How long do you think it's going to take for you to start missing me?

If only I could have told her the truth.

TATE

Oh, come on. You act like you're sitting there with tears in your eyes over me.

Ava

I cried myself to sleep last night at the thought of having to leave you.

Sometimes, I never knew if she was telling the truth or if she was being a flirt. Considering she hadn't ever hidden her attraction to me in recent years, it was entirely possible she'd cried herself to sleep.

Tate

The first day on tour, you'll forget all about me.

Ava

I could never!

I hated it when Ava was away. I craved these bits of time, being able to communicate with her. Sometimes, she'd call me, too, and I loved that even more. It was nice to hear her voice.

But I wondered how it would change once the tour began. Would she continue to reach out to me?

Tate

I guess we'll have to wait and see. Rehearsals start again tomorrow?

Ava

Yep.

Tate

What are your plans for tonight?

I'd have been lying if I said I didn't think about what Ava did in her downtime. She had such a bubbly personality and had no problems making friends. It wouldn't have surprised me if she had already rounded up a bunch of dancers for a night of fun.

Ava

I'll probably keep it quiet tonight. Stay in my room, strip out of my clothes, and touch myself while I think about you.

And just like that, she'd turn the conversation into this. I couldn't handle it. She'd flirt with me when she was home, but she never went to this level. Ava was always bolder whenever we texted.

I climbed the stairs, heading straight for the bathroom.

Tate

Jesus. You're trouble.

Ava

Only for you.

She was wild. She was everything I wanted. And yet, it would never work between us.

So, I had no choice but to settle for this. For endless flirting and lots of cold showers.

"Are you home?"

My sister's phone call was unexpected. Feeling slightly alarmed, I answered, "Yeah. I just got back from work. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's the matter. It's just that, Ava and I were out, and we're near your place. I thought we could stop by to say hello. We grabbed some food while we were out, and we're happy to share."

I didn't necessarily care about the food, but I wouldn't turn it down. I was more interested in seeing Ava, because apparently, I enjoyed putting myself through torture and chaos. Plus, she'd never been to my place yet, so at least I could have the vision of that in my mind later.

"Sure. I'm here if you want to stop over."

Ten minutes later, both Ava and my sister had arrived. Ivy came running through the door and said, "I have to pee so bad. Here, take the food and Ava."

Ivy dashed off to the bathroom, and I jerked my head toward the dining area. Ava followed behind me, and when we made it there, I turned to find her with a look of concern on her face as she took in the space surrounding us.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Is this… are you… I thought you moved in a while ago," she said.

"I did."

Ava's eyes darted toward the kitchen and living spaces before returning her attention to me. "Why is it so clean in here?"

"You think I should live in filth?

Shaking her head, she insisted, "Not at all. But you don't have a single thing out of place. I'm almost afraid to eat anything for fear of making a mess."

I laughed. "It's okay. I keep my house clean, but you can still eat here. Just don't drop anything."

Her brows shot up in disbelief.

"I'm joking!" I said, when I realized she actually thought I was being serious.

"What are you joking about?" my sister asked when she strolled into the room.

I was about to answer when Ava said, "I've never seen a place this clean. I swear, someone could perform surgery here if they needed to."

Ivy laughed and opened the bags with the food. As she pulled everything out for us to eat, she said, "Yeah, Tate doesn't like things being out of place."

"I don't know why anyone thinks this is a problem. Don't you want your home clean?"

"Of course, but this is on another level. And it's not necessarily a problem. It's just a shock, much like I'd suspect you'd be shocked if you saw my apartment."

Tipping my head to the side, my eyes roamed over her gorgeous face. "What makes you say that?"

She grinned at me. "The fact that I can't always find what I'm looking for, because I don't put things back where they belong."

"Oh, we need some forks," Ivy declared.

I pushed back in my chair. "I can grab them."

"I'm already standing. I'll get them."

While she took off toward the kitchen, I returned my gaze to Ava. "So, you don't like to clean up after yourself?"

"I'm not a total slob, Tate. I just don't like wasting time on doing unnecessary things."

"Right. Got it."

"Hey, you can come over for a visit if you don't believe me."

As much as I liked the idea of Ava visiting me here, she was only doing it because she was with my sister. I wasn't quite sure that me being at her place without anyone else around was a wise idea.

"Okay, I'm back," Ivy said as she entered the dining area again and sat down. "I'm starved."

Since my sister had joined us, discussions of trips to one another's houses ceased to exist. And that was one thing I could be grateful for.

While Ava was certainly outgoing and flirty with me, she didn't overdo any of the teasing or playfulness when my family was around, especially my sister.

So, the three of us dove in and enjoyed some food. And in the end, despite there being a mess on the table, I was surprised when I didn't rush to clean it up.

"Happy Birthday, Tate."

With a gleam in her eyes, Ava held out the gift she'd gotten for me. Judging by the shape and size, I had a feeling I knew what I'd find inside.

My lips twitched as I reached for it, recalling what she'd given me last year. "Thanks, Ava. Dare I open it and risk the shock of a lifetime?"

She feigned innocence, batting her eyelashes and rocking back and forth from her toes to her heels. "I mean, you could wait and let everyone else see. I wouldn't mind."

I narrowed my eyes on her. "I don't think that's a good idea. Not if last year was any indication."

It was early December, and Ava was home. Nothing made me happier. Other than, perhaps, having an idea of what was inside this box.

I glanced around, made sure nobody else was around, and unwrapped the gift. When I revealed the white box beneath the paper, I was both nervous and eager to see the specifics of what I'd find inside.

Last year, Ava had given me a fancy pen. Initially, I thought it was a nice gift, something I'd be able to take to work and have on my desk. But upon further inspection, I noticed she'd had her own name engraved on it. It had confused me, and initially, I thought the engravers had gotten Ava's order wrong. But when I took it out of the box and spun it around in my hand, I noticed another message was there.

So you can touch me.

I nearly choked, and she wore a victorious expression in response. I'd never risk opening another gift from her in front of the rest of my family again. It was the best gift I'd ever been given.

When I removed the lid and pulled out the case, I lifted my gaze to hers. She was brimming with excitement, her eyes dancing.

Opening the case, I wasn't surprised to see her name on the pen again. I picked the pen up and brushed my thumb over her name before I spun it around.

So you can use me.

I pressed my lips together, unable to stifle the smile, and shook my head. "You're too much, wild one."

Her expression darkened as she grinned, stepped close, and curled her fingers around my wrist. Leaning toward me, she whispered, "Let me know if you run out of ink from too much use. I'll happily make sure you get topped off with refills."

I clenched my jaw and groaned.

Ava laughed and walked away.

"Are you okay?"

Ava snapped her head in my direction. "What?"

"You look like you're lost in thought. Either that, or you've had too much dessert and have fallen into a food coma."

"Well, your sister and her baking certainly haven't helped me with avoiding the sweet treats," Ava reasoned. "But that's not what this whole look was about."

I raised a curious brow. "What's going on?"

"I want to dance."

"What?"

"It's Christmas," she declared. "There's music playing, and I like to dance. You should dance with me."

"I don't dance, Ava."

"Your dad's doing it."

I looked out into the kitchen and noted that my dad was, in fact, dancing. He had my mom in his arms, and they looked like they were newlyweds, not two people who'd been married for nearly thirty years. "My dad has always danced with my mom."

"And yet you never picked it up?"

Shaking my head, I replied, "Nope. I have no interest in that. I'd be terrible."

Her eyes roamed over me from top to toe. "I don't think you would. I think, with the right partner, you'd be a fabulous dancer."

I smiled at her, recognizing what she was trying to do, and said, "Sorry. I think I'm much happier watching."

She sighed, returned her attention to my parents, and murmured, "I don't think you realize what you're missing."

It was the most subdued I'd ever seen Ava. She stayed like that for a beat, and when I made no move to give in to what she wanted, she pushed off the wall and went in search of more desserts.