“Avery.”
He handed me a beer. When I took it, he held up his. “To Avery. And good luck, my friend. You are about to fall into a rabbit hole.”
Boy, was he ever right.
FOURTEEN
Avery
My nerves were frayed as I white-knuckled the steering wheel. How had I let him get to me?
It was stupid to want him, especially when I had valid reasons to hate him and all the Bowmens. My family and friends meant more than one night with practical stranger.
Besides, when I went public with my one-on-one experience with the man, he would hate me.
I dialed Haley using the handsfree setting.
“Did you get it?” she asked.
“Yes, but what the hell grows in Mason Creek? As I was leaving, this guy shows up, and he’s hot, too.”
“I met Agan there.”
“Agan isn’t from Mason Creek,” I said.
“Yes, but it’s like a hot guy convention. The fact that Agan isn’t from Mason Creek means he’s less likely to be a dick. Anyway, did Nate give you a hard time?”
Should I tell her or not? “He asked me out,” I blurted.
“Smooth. What did you say?”
“What do you mean, what did I say?”
“Stop avoiding it. You like him, not that I blame you.”
“I don’t like him,” I denied.
“You act like we didn’t grow up together like sisters. I saw you two, kiss. Hell, everyone in the barn saw it. The fireworks were crazy. In fact, someone added them to a meme.”
“No way.”
“Yes way, girl. You are going down in social media history.”
“Ugh.”
“You know, if you played your cards right, you could get more ammunition if you went out with him.”
“I thought you didn’t want me to.”
“No, I didn’t want you getting caught up. I know how easy that is. Your video has a half-million views already. Imagine how interested people would be in a tell-all by you. This is your moment.”
It had been so easy to come up with a plan and metaphorically destroy the life of someone I hadn’t met. But now I had. And I was beginning to doubt that he was the asshole they said he was, despite our verbal wars. I was almost one hundred percent sure he’d bought Zoe that dollhouse and I’d forgotten to ask him about it.
“What if…” I trailed off.
“What if what? He’s everything they say he is. Take your own advice to me about Agan. I know once his business is done, we’re done. You’ve got to know Nate Bowmen knows how to charm a woman.”
I closed my mouth because she was right. Everything he did, even when he was being a dick, was charming in a way.
“I’ll talk to you later. I’m at the shop.”
Tonight, I would start on the article about Nate. I’d planned to pen it using a similar style to Carrie from Sex in the City. I would tell my story almost conversationally. While laughing at my mistakes, I would enumerate all the ways Nate was a bastard. It could work.
I turned off my Jeep and walked into a hellstorm. I’d barely opened the door when my father came at me. “What the hell am I hearing about you dating Nate Bowmen?”
“Dad,” I said, but it was as if he hadn’t heard.
Red-faced, he jabbed a finger in my direction. “After I told you everything his good-for-nothing father did to me, you are going out with him.”
“Dad, it’s not like that.”
“It’s not like that?” He pointed at the TV. There in color, TMZ was playing the video clip of my kiss with Nate while talking about finding out who his new love interest was.
So far, no one had unearthed who I was. Then again, no one in the barn except Tugboat had known who I was.
“It’s not what you think.” Then I did something I’d never done before. I marched past my father and through the door that led to the garage bay. “Tugboat,” I called.
He peered around a car, and I stomped in his direction. “Tell me you didn’t tell anyone who I was.” Mason Creek might have been more middle-class than Mountainside, but there were still people who’d sell their soul for a buck.
Tugboat turned beet red.
“Barnes,” I said, using a tone my mother used when I was in big trouble.
“I only told Nate. I swear.”
“Not your cousin or that girl you were dancing with?”
“No. I didn’t tell him or Maddy.”
“Don’t. And if they find out, I’ll know it was you.”
Truth was, anyone in Mountainside might recognize and out me. But I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. When I turned around, Dad was standing in the doorway. “Office. Now.”
I felt like a ten-year-old child but followed directions anyway. Dad stood by the door until I stepped completely inside the small space. The door rattled on its hinges when he slammed it shut.
“To think my own daughter betrayed me,” he admonished.
As calmly as I could, I said, “I didn’t betray you, Dad. It was one kiss, and I shut it down. I left. He even asked me out.” Dad didn’t seem convinced. “What if he’s not like his father?” I wasn’t sure why I was pleading Nate’s case.