Saving Avery (10 page)

AVERY

The next day I meet my dad at our usual place, a seafood restaurant in Rodanthe. The owner of the restaurant and my father grew up together; and so even though the place is packed, we're able to secure our favorite table right near a large window overlooking the Pamlico Sound.

For the primary portion of the meal, I listen to my father talk about his upcoming campaign for governor. "It's almost a lock. With the Masons behind me, I don't see how I couldn't win," he says smugly.

Nathan's family has money and power. If they want strings to be pulled, they will be pulled no matter the cost. I think back to the first time I met Nathan. I often wonder if that night had been planned by our parents to get Nathan and I together. I can't say I really blame my father. He probably thought he was helping out by introducing me to one of the wealthiest bachelors in North Carolina. He couldn't have known about Nathan's dark side. I don't know if Nathan's own parents even know. The only person who knows the absolute truth is me…and now Max. And I haven't even told Max that much. He somehow figured some of it out on his own. For years I felt like I was standing in a crowded room screaming, but no one could hear my cries. And then Max gives me one look and instantly knows me inside and out. It scares me more than anything, but it also gives me hope for something I haven't felt in my life since my mother died --- love.

I stare down at the fancy linen napkin I'm nervously twisting in my trembling hands. I've never been able to have a conversation with my father without him making me feel like a child. With as much courage as I can possibly muster, I say, "Dad, I want to divorce Nathan."

My father sputters in his glass of water, nearly choking. He coughs violently and looks at me with flared eyes. "What?" he asks as if he cannot believe what I just said.

He's as blind as the rest of them. He has no idea what happens behind closed doors. No one ever does. On the outside looking in, we are the perfect couple. Nathan is a rich and successful doctor, and I am a trophy wife who lives a life of luxury. A perfect fairy tale with a happily ever after. The end. What they don't know is the hell I am put through day in and day out and the torture he inflicts on my mind and my body. I would trade everything --- the money, the social status, the clothes and the cars to get away from him.
Every single thing.

"Now, Avery, you know I'm in the middle of a campaign. Nathan and his family are a very big part of this. They have donated a
lot
of money, and I owe them tremendously for their support. If you two are having a little tiff, I'm sure it will blow over soon. No sense in stirring the pot if we don't have to. Right?" he asks eagerly.

I wring the napkin tighter in my hands. "What if it's more than a little tiff?" I ask.

"Whatever is going on between you two, I'm sure you can work it out," Dad says, reaching across the table and patting my hand.

"I don't want it to work out," I say sternly, standing my ground even if my voice is wavering, a telltale sign of my true emotions. "Dad, I need your help. I can't do this on my own." I look at him pleadingly. I am almost to the point of begging.

"Avery," he says in a scolding tone that makes me scowl. "I need this campaign to go off without a hitch. Do you understand how important this is to me…to our family?"

In just the matter of a few words, he has dashed my hopes and dreams away. I can feel the panic rising in my chest. Swallowing hard, I simply nod, not trusting myself to speak. With tears trying to force their way into my eyes, I stare out the window and watch the kite surfers on the water.

"That's my girl." He gives my hand a light squeeze and then releases me. His fork digs into the seafood on his plate. Before the scallop reaches his mouth, he asks, "Now, are you sure it's nothing you can't work out with Nathan?"

I waver. I want to tell him everything, but I am so afraid of him not believing me and casting me off for the sake of his career. And I don't think I could handle that reaction right now from him. How do I tell my father the truth when he doesn't even want to hear it? "I wish mom was here," I whisper.

"I know, sweetheart. I miss her too." He chews slowly and then takes a sip of water. "My fundraising event for my campaign is in a few weeks. Nathan told me you will both be attending," he says, changing the subject. That was always something he was good at doing --- deflecting attention away from the real issue.

"I guess so," I mutter.

"Avery, I
need
you and Nathan there. And I need your sister and her family there as well. Have you talked to Allison recently? My secretary can't seem to ever catch her at a good time to discuss the fundraiser."

I shake my head in response. He doesn't actually need us there. He wants us there solely because if I'm not there for a potential photo op, it will make him look bad. My sister Allison and I have to appear with him like the all-American family with our handsome and rich husbands and her perfect baby while the photographers snap pictures. What a joke.

When Allison and I were young and he was a single father running for state representative, we were pawns in his campaign. We were told to smile pretty for the press and pretend like everything was perfect when, in reality, my sister and I were struggling every single moment of our lives without our mother and with the fact that we had a father who was never around. Even as an adult I'm still pretending to be happy on the outside when I'm dying inside, and deep down that makes me so angry. I'm so damn tired of pretending.

"So you'll be there?" he prompts.

I turn my attention from the water and back to him. "Wouldn't miss it," I say with lucid sarcasm dripping from my tone.

He tips his chin towards my plate. "You barely touched your lobster."

I stab my fork onto my plate and push a forkful of lobster in my mouth to appease him. He smiles and resumes talking about his campaign and the upcoming fundraiser.

When I finally leave the restaurant, I am disheartened. Lunch didn't go exactly as I had planned in my head. I thought my father would at least hear me out, but that obviously isn't going to happen. If he won't help me, there is only one person I can turn to --- my sister. I don't know what it's going to take to actually leave Nathan and file for divorce, but I know I need help. He would never let me leave willingly. I know that for a fact.

I will need a place to stay where he won't be able to find me no matter how hard he looks. And I'll need some cash to get by. Nathan was able to track me by my credit card usage before, so this time I know I can't leave a paper trail. I will also need protection in case he would find me, but I know I can't turn to the police for help. Nathan has too many ties with his father being the chief of police, and I don't want to risk being placed in a psych ward again.

There are three important things I need from my sister, and I hope she doesn't turn me down as easily as our father. Allison is my last resort on a very short road of opportunity. It's going to take a lot to leave Nathan once and for all. And it's not just something I need to do. It's something I
have
to do.

*

MAX

It's in the late afternoon when I hear Avery's car pull up to the house next door. I'm lounging on the back porch soaking up the afternoon's sunrays after a run on the beach. Several minutes later, she emerges onto her back patio. I turn my head and wave. She looks upset, but she attempts to hide it with a smile. It's the fake smile that she puts on for everyone to show them that she's fine. But, in reality, she's not fine.

I stand and move to the edge of the porch. "Everything okay?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says quietly.

I've been waiting all day for the chance to ask her out tonight, so I'm hoping her sour mood doesn't affect her answer to my question. "Do you have any plans later?"

She shakes her head slowly.

I rub the back of my head with my hand. Why am I always so nervous around this girl? I never had this much trouble asking out anyone before I met Avery. "How about dinner and a movie?"

A real smile cracks through the fake one and spreads quickly across her lips. It's a smile that I see so rarely on her, and she wears it well. "Sure. What movie are we going to see?" she asks.

I'm stunned by her answer, and it takes me a while to register that she actually said yes. I was mentally prepared for the exact opposite. Something definitely changed between us last night. "Your choice. We'll leave at six."

"Okay. I'll meet you out front then." she says before disappearing back into her house.

A big goofy grin is plastered on my face and stays there while I get ready for our date tonight --- our first real date out in public. After a long shower, I slip into a pair of dark deconstructed jeans and a light blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up on my forearms. Socks and sneakers are next. I decide to wear my favorite pair of black and white Vans. I have no idea how Avery is going to be dressed, so I hope I'm not too casual.

When I lay my eyes on her as she walks to my car, I no longer care whether we are both casual or not. She looks hot as hell in dark skinny jeans, heels and a black blazer over a white sequin shirt that glitters like diamonds in the sunlight. Her long hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, and her bangs are swept to the side so I can get a full view of those lovely eyes of hers. Her makeup is dark and smoky again, and I love it. It makes her look hotter, if that’s even possible.

Noticing my stare, her step falters. She glances down at her outfit and then back up to me. "Do I look all right?" she asks nervously.

It's hard to imagine a girl that gorgeous being so self-conscious. It's as if she doesn't even realize how beautiful she is. I scowl inwardly when I think that maybe she doesn't know because her husband never tells her or perhaps tells her the exact opposite. Pushing that terrible thought aside, I grin and tell her, "You look amazing."

She looks relieved, but still a little nervous. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s feeling that way. My stomach feels like I just stepped onto a roller coaster. I don't think I've ever been this nervous about a date before.

Stepping around the front of my silver Escalade, I open the passenger side door for her. She climbs in, and then I slip behind the steering wheel. Turning the key, the engine roars to life. "All set?" I ask. When she nods, I pull out of the driveway. Coasting down the highway towards the main strip of restaurants and businesses, I ask, “What are you in the mood for?”

“How about Big Fred’s Burger Joint?” she suggests.

I stare at her in disbelief before turning my attention back to the road. I thought she was going to suggest some fancy place where you have to wait an hour to get in and the bill is the amount of someone's rent check. Instead, she chooses a small diner with a menu that consists of greasy food and milkshakes. “Have you eaten there before?” I ask. I'm insanely curious for her answer.

“Years ago,” she says. “They have
the
best burgers.”

I chuckle and shake my head.

"What?" she asks, obviously confused by my reaction.

"You just don't seem like the type of girl to go to a place like that. I figured you would want lobster or sushi or ---."

Before I can finish my thought, she cuts in with, "Well, I guess you don't know me well enough yet."

Grinning from ear to ear, I reply, "I guess not." I glance over at her and see that she's smiling. "But I want to get to know you, Avery," I say with sincerity. My hand finds hers and lightly squeezes.

Her eyes meet mine, and she whispers, "Ditto."

*

We get to the burger joint, and Avery surprises me by ordering a greasy burger, fries and a chocolate milkshake. What she ordered sounded so good that I decided to order the same exact thing.

While we eat, I make small talk by asking about her favorite things. Her favorite type of music is oldies from the '50s and '60s because it reminds her of her mother. Her favorite movies are all classics as well. "What's your favorite season?" I ask.

"Winter," she says without any hesitation.

Everything about this girl throws me for a loop. I would think that summer would be her favorite season since she lives right on the beach. I ponder her answer before asking, "Is there a reason for that?"

"I think I like it so much because it feels like everything has a chance to start over." She catches my gaze for a moment and continues. "Everything is dead and cold, and then a few months later in the spring it all gets to be reborn. Winter is cleansing in a way. A fresh coating of snow is the purest thing, covering everything in a sparkling blanket of white, making it beautiful no matter how dirty or impure it was before. Even the ugliest weed can look pretty when it's covered in snow. And then in the spring, everything has a chance to grow again and start over. Winter is like a clean slate, so to speak."

I have a feeling there is a deeper meaning in what she is saying, but I try not to overthink it. If she thinks she is impure or ugly in some way, she is wrong. She is beautiful both inside and out, and I've only just begun to scratch the surface.