GAGE

CHAPTER SEVEN

Steeling myself for Ava's enquiry, I walk towards the apartment and get in the lift. Pushing the third floor button I wait for the lift to ascend. As soon as the steel doors slide close, I run my fingers through my hair rapidly and try to make it appear less wild before draping it on the side of my neck, effectively hiding the love bite.

Hoping I don't look like I've had intense make out sessions, I take a deep breath before walking out the open doors of the lift.

I brace myself as I stand in front of the first door in the narrow hallway, the teak wood looking intimidating for the first time since moving here.

Time to face the the music, I ponder before pressing the buzzer below the number thirteen of our apartment door.

The door flings open a second later, making me wonder if Ava was perched by the door all this time, and in the next instant I'm enveloped in a firm hug.

"Kiera! I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried about you. I'm sorry I left without you but Traver said you were alright and well cared for and to trust him. I was waiting for you from morning and when the time got past noon and you still didn't show, I was seconds away from going down to the club again-"

"Ava breathe." I break her panicked rant.

She finally gulps in air and holds me tighter. I return the hug and pat her back, trying to soothe her.

"I'm alright, Ava. I'm sorry I made you worry," I mutter guilty, knowing the tables were turned. While I was worried about her yesterday, today she was concerned about me.

That's how friendship works I guess. A two-way street.

"It's alright, it's partly my fault too. I shouldn't have left you alone to fend for yourself and certainly shouldn't have gotten blindsided by that delicious looking man." She mumbles, her voice growing softer towards the end.

I pull back slightly to see her face and observe her cheeks to be the same colour as her hair. Red.

Looks like I wasn't the only one who had an interesting night.

"Delicious man huh?" I question, my voice taking on a teasing note.

She pulls away and takes a step back, looking anywhere but at me before locking her gaze on the floor between us and mumbling, "We should head inside, we've been standing out here for ages."

Brushing a strand of her fiery hair behind her ear, she turns around and speed walks inside the apartment.

"Sure." An involuntary giggle escapes my mouth as I try not to laugh at her flustered state.

Closing and locking the door behind me, I remove my boots and place them in our cute little white shoes cupboard next to the door, before paddling on the dark hardwood floor and joining her in the living room.

Our living room is compact and chic. The four white walls hoists a medium sized flat screen television on the wall opposite the sofa, a beautiful painting of a meadow in the centre of another wall, next to the living room entry door and open bay windows countering that wall. An oval black glass-top coffee table in front of the plush sofa completes the arrangement.

Seeing Ava sitting on one end of our baby blue tuxedo sofa, I take the opposite end and lean back against the armrest, trying and failing to contain my amusement at seeing her fidgeting.

"Ava?" I call, hoping to get her talking. Even though she appears to be fine, I still want to hear the words from her. A friend's instinct in me wanting to offer her comfort if not.

Taking one of the white circular throw pillows, she traces patterns on it with her forefinger, stalling the inquisition of last night's events.

"You know we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," my voice is soft and understanding; aware how hard yesterday was for her.

"No, I...uh," she stutters before taking a deep breath, as if preparing herself for an impending doom and squeaks, "I made out last night."

My jaw drops open as I gape at her, my mind not comprehending what I heard.

"What?" I rasp, doubting my hearing.

Surely something must be wrong with my ears. First my eyes and now my ears!

"Oh, Kiera," Ava groans embarrassed, covering her face with her hands.

Leaning forward, I pull her hands from her face and gaze into her hypnotic green eyes as I question, "Was it the blonde bloke?"

"Yeah," she whispers. Red staining her cheeks.

A huge grin forms on my lips, my mood taking a turn for the better, I move forward and sit next to her before questioning giddily, "Common, tell me more! How is he?"

"He has radiant light blue eyes, silky caramel blonde hair, ravishing lips, admirable body, charming personality and an enticing, dreamy smile." Ava gushes, smiling from ear to ear.

"Looks like someone had been thinking about him all this time to be able to describe him with such precision," I say mischievously.

"No, I was not." Ava mutters shyly. Her beet red flush giving her away.

My heart swells with euphoria. Seeing her heart broken yesterday had shattered me, to see her back to her bubbly self gave me immense glee.

"Ava, I'm so happy for you." I say the words I was currently feeling in every cell of my being.

Her eyes fill with tears, "I was completely destroyed by what Ethan did to me, to us. If you had not been by my side, taking me to bar after bar and finally to the club, I would not have met Trevor and certainly would not have been in this ecstatic mode." Taking several deep breaths to keep the tears at bay, she continues in a choked voice, "Thank you, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Oh, hun, it's alright. You know I'm always there for you. You can count on me forever." I tell her as I enclose my arms around her shuddering frame firmly.

As her shuddering comes to a stop, I steer the conversation back to Trevor since just the mention of his name is enough to brighten her mood now.

Pulling back to watch her expression, I inquire, "Did he treat you right?"

Another shy smiles transforms her face from depressed to bliss.

"He treated me like I was the only girl in the world, Kiera."

As her light green eyes radiate with rapture, I find myself grinning from ear to ear too.

"You like him?" I question, even though I already know the answer to it.

"I like him," she whispers, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, her shy mechanism.

Studying her warmly, I take in the messy bun on top of her head, boat neck beige sweater engulfing her torso, white sleep shorts and her favourite pair of brown bunny sleep slippers, the present I got for her last Christmas. She looks fresh and hangover free.

I frown, "How are you feeling?"

"Amazing," she gushes.

I laugh, shaking my head I elaborate, "No I meant about the hangover."

Her eyes gets all dreamy again as a gleaming smile forms on her lips, "I had a bad headache in the morning and thank God, Traver thought beforehand because when I got up with a pounding head he had pills and breakfast ready for me."

It's official. My friend is smitten beyond measure.

"How did you meet him?" I voice my inner thought.

"I walked smack dab into him on the dance floor in my drunk state, one moment we were feasting on each other's eyes and the next we were kissing like our lives depended on it. It was magical," Ava states delightfully.

"Will you be dating him?" I grin at her.

Her mood takes a downward spiral abruptly and she's back to drawing patterns again. "I don't know. I don't think I'm ready to date again." Her voice is an echo of her mental anguish.

Before I can console and convince her to let go of the past and concentrate on the future she asks the question I was fearing.

"What did you do after I left last night, Kiera?"

Swallowing past the sudden dryness in my throat, I speak evasively, "Oh, I just hung out at the bar."

"All night?" She wrinkles her brows.

"Uh, no. Someone offered me a room to sleep in." I pat myself mentally on my back for not fidgeting and squeaking while telling the lie.

Her eyes takes on a sparkly glint as she asks impishly, "And who is the great soul that offered mademoiselle a room?"

I roll my eyes to avoid gazing directly into her eyes as it becomes difficult for me to look into her happy green eyes while lying, "The bartender."

As soon as the words leave my mouth I regret it. I silently curse my inability to make up a good lie.

Fireworks can be seen dancing behind her eyelids as she claps and continues her line of questioning. "What's his name? Is he handsome?"

"Reid," I mutter sulkily.

Seeing her expectant look, I go on, "Yeah, he's good looking." Even though I was talking about Ried, my thoughts are on another handsome devil, Gage; his dark chocolate shaggy hair, fascinating dark blue eyes, deep timbre, unique scent, muscular body and skilled lips.

My heart squeezes painfully in my chest, just the mere thought of him breaking my indifferent, tough act.

My eyes must have taken a faraway look because she gasps, bringing my attention back to her, "You like him!"

I choke on my own saliva before sputtering, "No."

"Sure, keep lying to yourself missy." She pouts.

This is going from bad to worse, she thinks I like Ried, a guy I was in the presence of for all of two minutes!

"Ava it's-"

"Well did something happen at least?" She cuts me off.

I blush remembering everything that happened with Gage yesterday night; with his talented lips and adept fingers more specifically.

"Oh my god, oh my god, something happened!" Ava squeals with joy, bouncing in her seat.

Before I can deny her she stills suddenly and her eyes moisten, "Did you have your first kiss?" She asks hopefully, her voice cracking at the end.

I feel heat rushing to my cheeks as I recall my passionate, toe curling kisses with Gage.

She cries before launching herself on me, knocking the air out of my lungs and embracing me in a bone crushing hug.

"I'm so happy for you. Was it like you always dreamed of since reading about it in your romance novels?" Ava quizzes, pulling back.

"It was so much more," I whisper, meaning every word.

"Did anything else happen?" She treads carefully, knowing I'm a prude.

I blank my face, not wanting to give away that I'm bluffing, before replying in a steady voice, "Of course not."

Even though I trust Ava and see her as family, I didn't want to reveal anything that happened between me and Gage. Those moments that we shared were solely ours. I felt like I would be depriving the raw intimacy of our time together by saying it out loud; I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to strip the light from the treasured moment; I wanted to keep that special night for myself, as a cherished memory forever.

The ping of the oven brings our attention to the kitchen. "Oh, I almost forgot. I made grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner," Ava exclaims cheerfully before dashing into the kitchen.

We spend the rest of the evening eating, catching up on the latest soap operas and discussing about college.

Calling it an early night to be up early for the big day tomorrow, I head to my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I let the familiar sense of peace only my bedroom can bring wash over me. I lean against the door, appreciating the way I have changed the vacant room from weeks before to one which resembles life and the familiarity of home.

My walls are a creamy texture, contrasting the dark hardwood floor. My double bed sits in the middle of the room, against the wall, flanked by a bedside table and study table. An open window over it providing the room with fresh air. A rectangular book shelf perched against the corner of room holds my treasure trove of books. Two teak doors mirror each other on the opposite walls. The door in the middle of the right wall leading to a moderate sized closet while the door in the centre of the left wall directs to an en suite bathroom.

Pushing away from the door I head to my neatly arranged closet. Taking a pair of plain white cotton panties and a dark blue pyjama set, I walk to the bathroom. The colour reminding me of a person I was trying so hard not to think about.

The dark brown tiled bathroom is compact with a shower stall for one in one corner and a white bathtub for one against another corner. One small white sink with a square mirror over the wall completes the bathroom.

Undressing, I step into the shower and have a quick rinse before stepping back out and drying off.

Standing in my pajamas, I run a comb through my hair and notice a pinkish red hickey on the side of neck. I send a silent prayer to the heavens, praying for the mark to be reduced enough by tomorrow morning.

Entering the bedroom, I pull down my beige cotton bed covers and get in bed. Tucking the pillows into a comfortable position, I draw the covers over me, a sigh of contentment leaving me as I rejoice in their warmth.

Looks like this is the only kind of warmth I'll be getting from now on, I muse sadly.

Closing my eyes, I await for sleep to pull me under its cloud serenity. My last thoughts of a certain dark eyed enigma before I succumb to sleep.