“’Cause I need to,” she says with a smile.
She probably does. “Okay, but what’s the something?”
She shakes her head. “Simple. That we are both on two different paths.”
I have no clue what she is talking about. “What path are you on?”
“The one to the top.”
“Me too.”
“Two different tops, though,” she says simply before standing up and pulling her jeans up faster than ever. For someone who said seconds ago she didn’t want to leave, she sure did get dressed quickly. “We don’t have the same end goal.”
“Sorry, I have no clue what is going on here.”
She smiles as she reaches for her bra before sitting back on the side of the trampoline. “It’s just that we are both so set on our dreams, we don’t need something getting in the way. This could get in the way if we let it.”
I hold her gaze as she puts her bra on and then her shirt. I get what she is saying and I agree, but is it fair to just shut this down? I don’t think so,
but I know I should. Unsure how I feel about any of this or even how I should feel, I stand up, getting dressed quickly.
“You don’t have to walk me home.”
“I want to.” When I look up, her lip is quirked at one side as she watches me slide on some shoes before pulling on a Bullies teal pullover. Reaching for the beanie that I think was Jayden’s, I put that on my head before walking toward the door.
“Let’s go,” I say, opening the door for her. When Markus falls into the room, we both look at each other before dissolving into laughter.
“Asshole, I told you I was tired,” he complains as he crawls toward his bed.
Shaking my head, I say, “Sweet dreams, sweet pea.”
His answer is to flip me the bird as I take Avery’s hand and lead her up the stairs and out of the house. It’s overcast and cold when we end up outside, which is why I grabbed my pullover.
“Jeez, it’s freezing,” she says as she shivers.
“Not from these parts?” I ask as I pull off my pullover and hand it to her. She takes it willingly.
“No, but it was hot last night.”
“Yeah, welcome to fall in Tennessee. Freezing in the morning, Satan’s asshole in the afternoon.” She giggles at that before taking my hand. “So where are you from?”
“Princeton, New Jersey.”
“Cool, what brought you here?”
“Music.”
I nod and it becomes a little clearer. “So the dream you were speaking of involves you in lights, millions screaming your name?”
She grins. “Something like that.”
“Cool, you’ve got talent.”
“I’ve heard you do too,” she says, deflecting my compliment, and I grin.
“You’ll have to come see for yourself.”
“Maybe,” she says, but I can tell it’s not a promise. Soon, we fall into an easy conversation about classes and campus. When I find out her schedule, which involves a whole lot of music stuff, I realize why I haven’t seen her before. If I hadn’t left my car where I had, I probably never would have met her.