Owning Avery Ch. 09

Avery had fallen asleep in his arms and woke up in the very early morning light. Realizing if she fell back asleep, they would most definitely be caught by someone as she expected to sleep in at this point, so she kissed his cheek and rose from the bed. He didn't stir, and while she wanted to say goodbye, it was best she sneak out.

She tiptoed to her room, climbed into bed and got a few more hours of sleep before waking for her day.

Her day alone with Carter. It was the first thought that entered her head as she woke, followed by a glance at her phone to see it was a little before nine, and she also had a text from Whitney, a harsh reminder that she was going into this day feeling betrayed.

She took her time in the shower, then an additional half hour blow drying her hair. She didn't know if she could even go through with her day with Carter after knowing he'd been with Whitney, but goddamned if he wasn't going to regret it, so she went out of her way to make sure every hair on her head was in place and her makeup was flawless.

Before heading downstairs, she double checked her reflection. She'd opted for a loose white sweatshirt that, given some motion, offered little sneak peaks of her tight bralette due to its wide low neck and high midriff. Light jean cutoffs covered white panties, and she loved this particular pair of shorts because they made her legs look so much longer due to their higher waist.

She felt shockingly nervous as she walked down the stairs, and with a glance out the front window, Mason's car was gone. She knew her dad and Kelly were long gone. And her expectations had run the gamut; still she had no idea of the full scope of what could happen today. Maybe everything, or maybe nothing at all.

The TV was on in the media room, so Carter was already awake and downstairs. She swung by the kitchen and pulled some shots for a latte and made a piece of toast just to have something there, even though she felt too nervous to eat.

Carter caught Avery walk into the room out of the corner of his eye and muted the tv. She looked comfortable but had clearly dressed to look cute. He grinned warmly, leaning back further on the couch with his arm across the back. But when the grin wasn't returned, his brows narrowed. "You okay this morning?" he asked.

"Sure," Avery said with a shrug, then sipped her coffee. The nerves were firing so strongly she felt weak in her knees. But she couldn't shake it until she'd confronted it. Squaring her shoulders, she inhaled deeply. "Did you sleep with Whitney the other night?"

Carter's eyes widened as his head reared back. "Did I what?" he asked.

"I just need to know," Avery continued, anger seeping in even though she'd hoped to keep it out. "If you slept with my best friend."

Carter couldn't believe the question was being posed at all. "Are you for real?"

"What's not 'for real' about asking you if you slept with my best friend," Avery fired back, even more angry.

If objects had been flying around the room, Carter would have felt less bewildered. He rose from the couch and leaned against the arm, folding his hands across his chest to echo Avery's pose. "You're asking me, right now, if I slept with Whitney night before last . . . the day after you fucked Mason for like twelve hours straight?"

Putting it that way, Avery felt chagrined. She could feel the heat rising in her face. "She's my best friend!" she cried.

"He's my brother," Carter argued. She couldn't honestly be serious, trying to claim a high ground on this. Further, this was not at all what he'd expected this morning.

"Oh, fuck right off with that, you're just as related to each other as we are," Avery said, rolling her eyes.

Carter glowered at her. "Only since his birth, but thanks for the adoption reminder. Very cool."

"It's so different, and you know it," Avery snapped. Be that as it may, she knew internally it wasn't all that different. And for the first time she was realizing why they had wanted her to choose. She couldn't imagine sharing Carter with Whitney, it would be horrible.

"How so?" Carter posed, chin low, his tone level if not bemused.

"You guys both brought all of this on Friday night together. I would have never done any of this. You opened this door, and shame on me for having feelings out of it and not knowing how to move forward, but that's where we are at," Avery exploded. She did notice his demeanor changed a bit with this. No, she didn't have some moral high ground here. But it wasn't ridiculous for her to feel jealous of Whitney. It was only now she'd realized they must feel similarly. Jealousy, or betrayal. But that was the other thing! "You also knew full well about Mason. Maybe not yesterday because that just happened while you were gone, but literally days prior I'd been with him. Whitney is all new and I never knew you had feelings for her or would ever sleep with her!"

Carter nodded. There were fair points made, but she had no clue, not really. It had all been fun and games until feelings had entered the equation. Still, while he certainly did want her very badly, nothing had been solidified. So why wouldn't he go about his life as he normally would.

He slumped, leaning against the kitchen island. "What do you want from me, Ave?" he asked, the question genuine. He would follow anything she asked for, and if that included telling him to fuck off, he'd do it.

Avery's head vibrated with a shake. "I don't know," she stuttered. "You, obviously, or I wouldn't be standing here."

Carter blew out a burst of air through his nose in a little chuckle. Looked up at her through low brows. "I didn't fuck Whitney. We fooled around. A lot. But less than I would have if you weren't on my mind every second of every day since Friday night." He stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her. Avery made no move to hold him back, but at least she wasn't shoving him away. "Everything was over. And you know me, you've seen me with different women for years."

She had. He always had someone different home for the holidays with him, and never seemed all that interested in his dates; not in the way someone should be who brought them to meet family. She'd never wondered until now why that was, but wanted to make a point to ask later, now that they'd grown into . . . whatever this was.

"This is confusing to all of us," Carter continued when she didn't speak up. "Still want to spend the day with me?"

"Of course I do," Avery said without hesitation. She was still nervous for a myriad of reasons, and after yesterday with Mason, she was once again confused by her emotions and feelings for each. But she knew without a doubt she needed this day for some clarity.

Carter drew back, a hand on each shoulder so he could look her in the eyes. "So which me do you want?"

"I'm sorry?"

He shrugged. "You wanna drop the game and just . . . be?"

Avery blinked. "I . . . what game?"

Carter laughed at her innocence. Brushed her hair behind her ear. "Let's just be for a little while," he stated. "No games. No punishments or drama. Just you and me, our normal selves. And no one else in the world exists."

Avery felt as though her heart may burst. She didn't totally know what it meant for their day, but he seemed to be shutting off the cockier, arrogant side of himself and showing a softer side she hadn't known existed, even predating their long weekend. She wanted to know that side, too. "I love everything about that," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss.

They chatted while she drank her latte and ate the toast, then walked hand in hand out to the pool house, which he'd been staying in since he arrived at the beginning of summer. It was much like a studio apartment, with a kitchenette, and enough room for a large sitting area.

Really it was all about the bathroom back here though, which was just inside the front door and to the right; very large with multiple showerheads and cubbies for changing clothes. Privacy screens in case multiple people were using it, and a separate enclosure for the toilet.

It generally served as a hang out space, so the seating area was large and comfortable, with retractable windows from floor to ceiling. On nicer days, like today, they'd slide out of place to have a fully open front side to the pool, which Carter had clearly done this morning, leaving the house open to the air.

The bed tucked way in the back behind the kitchenette. Though a doorless bedroom, it still offered privacy, and Avery assumed that's where they were headed until she watched Carter plop down on one of the papasan chairs, grinning at her.

She looked down at her sweatshirt that, despite its oversized neck and crop, was actually way too hot for the open air space. "I just came from AC," she chuckled lightly, feeling more self-aware than she had in days.

"So . . . take it off?" Carter suggested, thinking the solution obvious. Big deal, he could easily see she had something under. He took note of how she held her torso as she spent a split second pondering it, as though she felt trepidation. He couldn't figure it out.

"Yeah, haha," she laughed clumsily. It was strange how awkward things felt, and she couldn't totally pinpoint why. He'd seen every inch of her, so why was she trembling?

Carter began to sit upright. "Do you want a shirt?" he asked, peering at her in confusion.

"Oh," Avery began. Jesus, she really needed to get a grip. She was supposed to be getting clarity, but she couldn't even decipher her nerves and hesitations. She feigned a laugh, louder than it should have been, and instantly felt stupid. Get it together, she though, admonishing herself. "No, of course not."

Finally she whipped the sweatshirt off and tossed it at another chair. Looked down at her pink bralette so she could remember if it was too indecent, and decided that no, it wasn't all that bad. Free People underwear was always detailed and lacy in the 'boho-chic' sort of way, which meant it wasn't out of line to wear it as just a top in the right occasions.

Ugh, she had to get a grip, because really, why should she even care if it was decent or not?

As Avery lowered herself onto the couch, Carter could plainly see that she wasn't herself. There was no getting a read as to why, but his best guess was that she felt pressure. Pressure to choose, or pressure to perform? Any kind of pressure really, and he knew he could ease it for her. Despite his arrogance—and his rougher play, love for games—he was a good person. The world would be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't like him and want to spend time with him.

And so he launched into talking about the pool party that had been held two years prior, when Mason's uncle had become sloppy drunk and accidentally knocked six people into the pool. And that had been the least of the disastrous turns that afternoon had taken.

Avery began to calm. She had no idea why Carter was being so chill. It didn't make sense to her. He was just being his normal self, as though nothing had ever happened between them, when today was supposed to be some big power play so Avery could figure out how to proceed. She was disarmed, falling into the conversation comfortably, and while she hadn't known what to expect, this hadn't been it.

It was a good hour of just visiting and laughing and having a good time before Carter rose to get some lemonade from the kitchen. Avery went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, still trying to analyze her thoughts. Was it still because of Whitney? Was that truly so deeply troubling her that she didn't even want to be here? Of course he hadn't liked finding her and Mason together, so was that why she felt fearful? Embarrassment over it? Or was it even fear he may be too rough as a punishment for it.

She couldn't figure it out, because as her brain formed each thought, they were dismissible. While they mattered and were present, they didn't matter enough for her to not quite be herself.

When she left the bathroom, she joined Carter at the kitchenette and downed the lemonade, surprisingly parched. It was, after all, a hot day.

Carter had been thinking as she'd been in the bathroom. He hadn't made it too far, but he'd landed on needing to give her some time. Take care of her. Whitney was clearly bothering her, and not in a fun 'let's fuck it out' way. He regretted messing around with her, even though he liked Whitney enough, but he'd operated under the assumption that everything was over. That Avery was wholly done.

"I have this great idea," Carter said, setting his empty glass down on the counter. He met Avery's blue eyes and grinned at her. "Come with me."

Avery eyed the hand he held out, her pulse racing. Why? WHY? It made her so angry that she couldn't figure this out, so in defiance of herself, she took it.

The second she held his hand, it dawned on her.

Yesterday she had fallen deeply in love with Mason. There was no denying it; every moment spent with him had been everything she could ever want for the rest of her life. Waking up today, she realized only now that she didn't actually want to find some clarity; it had been found. And it was so surprising because, when their weekend had begun, she had spent much of it feeling irrationally extra attached to Carter. He had, after all, taken the lead and been the first of many experiences.

Still, she followed Carter back to the queen bed tucked behind the wall of the kitchenette, staring at the back of his dark espresso colored hair. How it moved as he walked. How it shined. The way his shirt showed his lean, muscled frame, and she could easily remember what he looked like beneath that shirt. He was undeniably one of the more attractive men she'd ever seen, a fact she'd objectively recognized for years. Still, something had strengthened yesterday with Mason. She'd left Sunday thinking she was in love with the both of them, but Mason she had truly fallen in love with yesterday.

She opened her mouth to speak as she lingered behind—Carter shifting pillows around on the bed—but hesitated once more. Could she actually say it? Was she really this sure?

"I want to take care of you," Carter told her gently, as he continued to shift blankets, pulling the duvet up to the top of the bed. "So much has happened, and I know all weekend you were exhausted and we just . . ." he paused and let out a sigh, ". . . we just kept going with no sleep and no real relaxation. Let me take care of you now, while we are alone. Just give you the longest massage you've ever had in your life. And I'm not even joking, well passed the normal hour or ninety-minute sessions."

He let out a self-deprecating chuckle as he ran his hand through his hair to sweep it from his eyes. He still needed that trim. Not much, maybe just a centimeter or so, because Avery did love that longer hair.

On both of them . . . Mason, with his down to his chin, though almost always held back in that messy bun. Was she really sure? Like so sure she was fully able to decline a long relaxing massage?

Was she crazy? It would be crazy to say no. And at a minimum it would offer her some time in silence to think things through, certainly longer than three minutes in the bathroom could offer. Then she could be truly sure.

She exhaled deeply and bit her lower lip. "That sounds amazing," she conceded.

Carter smiled at her. Something wasn't quite right with her this morning, and he had to right the wrong. If it was about Whitney, at a minimum he could make up for that lapse in judgement. Use this as his vehicle to apologize.

What he'd done—essentially moving on quickly—was his MO. Finding women had never been a problem for him, and it had always been easy to move on from the few who had wounded him: just find another, cleanse the palate.

Carter had also never loved before. Not like this, anyways. What he'd thought was love paled in comparison.

"I'll let you, uh . . ." he paused, wiping the back of his neck. The point of this was to take care of her, so he didn't want to sexualize it. "Just keep whatever on you want and lay down. If you put your head off the foot of the bed, sorta over this trunk—" he patted the chest at the foot of the bed that held extra bedding "—and you sorta move these blankets to cradle your face, I think that'll work." He shrugged, still studying it.

With that, he walked around the corner, leaving a stunned Avery hovering with her jaw lax. This was not the Carter she knew, or at least the one she'd expected this morning.

After getting her bearings, she thought about what was at hand. She'd had many massages, always just in panties, so she stripped off the bralette and her high waisted shorts, piled her hair on the top of her head using an elastic, then looked at mattress that had been stripped of all blankets and pillows with the exception of the duvet, which she pulled over herself up to mid-back once she had laid down with her feet at the head of the bed. With a mix of one of the smaller throw pillows and a light microfiber blanket, she had cradled her head rather comfortably, and called for Carter.

Carter walked in with a couple of the lumbar pillows he'd pulled from the chairs outside, eyed Avery on the bed and smiled, genuinely happy to do this for her. He may be working on his MBA, but he knew how to massage, and gently lifted the lower corner of the duvet to work the lumbar pillow under the base of Avery's calves, to help make her legs more comfortable at the ankle. He then pulled the top of the duvet to cover her shoulders and set to smoothing it out everywhere else.

Satisfied, he dug around in the bag of toy's he had bought during his trip to the sex shop and located the massage oil. It had been insanely expensive, as they often are to be safe for the more sensitive areas, and mentioned on the label that it was a botanical blend of aphrodisiacs, which genuinely wasn't the point. But it was this or olive oil, and he knew which would be preferable to a nose, and that wasn't even accounting for the fact that olive oil would stain bedding.

"Angles are going to be weird," he told Avery. The bed was nice and high, but he could only work from one side given it was a queen.

"Oh, that's okay," Avery assured him as she felt him fold the duvet back from her shoulders down to her waist. He even tucked it in on the sides, just like they do at massage parlors. It was oddly sweet. "Just do what you need to do to stay comfortable, and you can always stop. This is already so nice of you."

Squirting a generous dollop of oil into his hand, he chuckled. "No way, I promised an extra long massage," he stated, then rubbed his hands. "You will get an extra long massage, even if it means my arms fall off in the process."

He loved that she laughed. Any sound he could elicit from her thrilled him. Like she was sharing a secret.

The second Avery felt his hands meet her back between her shoulder blades, Avery sighed, her lids gently closing as she melted into the touch. The scent of jasmine and ylang ylang filled her nostrils as it was spread around from her right to left, up and over her shoulders and back down. His thumbs moved along the contours of her neck and shoulders with precision. He had no timidity—not one motion unsure. Firm in pressure, but comfortably so.

More oil was applied, this time spreading to her lower back. Spine, then brushing outward to her sides. She exhaled an mmh as his thumb located some tension, and she was blown away when he began to work on the knot, focusing some pressure in gentle circles until it began to release.

"How do you know how to do this?" Avery asked as he moved onto another knot in her lower back, blown away by how natural he was.