Chapter 43
Jase
When her tears finally stop, little unsteady hiccups continue to rasp in her chest for several minutes more. Avery eventually lifts her head from my shoulder and blinks up at me, wiping away the remnants of her makeup.
“I’m sorry,” she croaks, her voice raw from crying.
“No. Don’t be. I’m glad you let it out, and I’m glad I could be here for you.”
She nods. “Thanks, Jase.”
“Anytime, Whistle.”
Confusion crosses her face at hearing the nickname I haven’t used in a while. She’s wondering the same thing I am – about us. About where we stand now.
She sits up on the bed, completely disentangling herself from me. The loss of warmth from her body next to mine is unwelcome, but I resist the urge to tug her back to me.
“I’m gonna take a shower,” she says.
Her face is red
