Twelve

AIDEN

Avery and I head downstairs to watch some TV, the only thing I can think of to distract her mind and steer the mood to hopefully a happier place.

Not for her sake. For mine.

It took every fiber of my strength to keep me from marching over to her house, and giving that piece of crap a taste of his own medicine. The only thing stopping me, is having Avery here.

Something in me won't let me leave her. Now that I have her here, safe after whatever horrors she faced this week, a primal instinct to protect her is taking over me, making me want to hold her close and never let go.

When we get to the couch, she goes to sit on the opposite end, but my hand flies out before I can think, and grabbing her hand to pull her to my side. I let out a string of curses in my head for my bold move, waiting for her to sit up and give me a weird look or start yelling at me.

But she doesn't.

Instead, I feel her body relax into mine, and her hand comes up to rest against my chest, where I know she can feel my racing heart.

We lay like that, throwing on the cartoon channel and getting lost in the swirl of colors and comedy. After a couple hours, I feel the stress and angst leave her body, her head snuggling deeper into my side, making my heart perform somersaults.

I want to stay like this forever, but my body has other plans. I feel my eyes start to droop, unable to keep themselves open. I glance at my phone, shocked to see it's almost 11PM at night.

In juvie, they turned all the lights out by 9PM, giving you no choice but to try and sleep, or your mind would just play tricks on you in the dark. I still haven't broken off from that cycle, even on the weekends.

I try and fight the sleep, but it's no use. Avery shifts underneath, and I look down to see her smiling at me, her eyes half closed.

"I think it's time for bed," she says, letting out an adorable giggle.

I nod and we sit up on the couch.

For a second, I think she's going to insist on sleeping on the couch, or ask if there is a spare bedroom. I don't expect her to be comfortable sleeping in the same bed as me, but she breezes past me and walks towards the stares, stopping just at the corner of the wall to look back at me.

"Are you coming?" She arches a brow at me, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

This girl finds new ways to amaze me every day.

I all but run up the stairs after her, images of lying in my bed with her drift through my mind. Holding her in my arms and falling asleep listening to her heartbeat, wrapped in her warmth and sweet scent.

I turn to my closet and instantly strip off my shirt, momentarily forgetting Avery is in the room, until I turn around and see her beating red cheeks and wide eyes.

As soon as I catch her staring, she averts her eyes, making the back of her neck match her face. I can't help the grin that spreads across my face, my heart soaring at how fucking adorable she is.

"See anything you like?" I tease, throwing a wink at her, just to see her face turn a deeper shade of red.

She rolls her eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment, and turns towards the bed to pull back the covers. I notice she is still in the pajama pants and the sweater I gave her.

"You're not wearing that to bed, are you? It gets pretty warm up here at night, even this late into September."

Looking down at her clothes, she tugs at the hem of the sweater and shrugs. I know what she is thinking, without her having to say it.

She doesn't want me to see what he did to her.

I'm not letting her hide from me this time. I need to see.

I talk a few cautious steps towards her, cheering silently when she doesn't move away, but then I notice her wide eyes, and the victory dies quickly.

"Can you show me?" I ask.

One more step.

She opens her mouth, then quickly shuts it.

Another step.

She shakes her head.

Another step.

I'm now a hair width away from her.

"Please, Avery?" I whisper.

She hesitates, but to my surprise, begins to slowly lift the bottom of the sweater. I see her wince slightly, and reach up to help pull the sweater over her head and arms, tossing it carelessly behind me.

Then, she removes the pajama pants, revealing tight, boyish-style underwear shorts.

That isn't what has my heart pounding in my ears and the rage burning in my veins.

It's the large, almost black-blue bruises covering her arms and legs. The large cuts and gashes. The almost perfect purple handprints covering her pale, silky skin.

He did this to her. All of this.

Her own damn father.

Why is this man given the right to live? To even breathe the same air as this beautiful, fucking angel? I can't wrap my head around how Avery even came from the same blood as him.

The rage is building up inside of me, making my chest tremor and my hands shake. I want to throw or hit something, or both.

A single tear runs down Avery's cheek, and that's all it takes to bring me crashing down, my anger vanishing like it was never there.

She is the only one who is able to do that. Never have I been able to control my anger when it gets too much. I black out.

But one tear, or smile, or touch from her, and it brings me right back. She is my anchor, holding me down and keeping me grounded, reminding me that not everything is black and white.

I wrap my arms around her gently and hug her to me, wishing I could hug all the pain and tears out of her, but I know even years of trying to wash it away, she is never going to be able to live without the memories.

I feel it, the second I think it. Deep in the pit of my core.

I want to spend the rest of my life, making sure she wakes up every morning, and goes to sleep every night, with that perfect smile on her face. I want to be by her side, to make sure she never goes a day without knowing how amazing, beautiful, and strong she is.

"I love you."

She tenses, and I almost regret saying it, thinking she is going to pull away and tell me she doesn't feel the same.

I wait a few gut wrenching seconds until she does pull back, then I wait for the rejection.

"W-what?" she says, her eyes going wide and tears fill them again.

There's no point in trying to take it back, I've already made my decision.

"Avery, I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time; I just couldn't work up the courage to tell you. There have been so many times I wanted to, but the timing never felt right, but I don't think it's ever going to be." The words pour out of me like word-vomit, uncontrollable and gross.

I'm never this sappy, but it's how I truly feel, and I don't know any other way to say it.

"How long?" she asks. I notice she pulled back, but she hasn't pulled away completely, her arms still wrapped firmly around my back.

"Honestly? I think I fell in love with you the moment I creeped on you dancing at school."

Her eyes go wide again, this time with a mix of shock and anger.

"Just hear me out first," I say and wince, but smile teasingly. "When I first saw you, something drew me too you. I couldn't stop thinking and wondering about you, so I had switched out one of my classes, so we had gym together. I went so see if you were there, but you weren't, that was when I heard the music coming from the practice rooms, and found you there; dancing."

I take a deep breath. "I remember how graceful you moved, and how in tuned with your body and the rhythm of the music. Your movements were perfect, but I could still tell it wasn't a rehearsed dance. I was mesmerized, I couldn't take my eyes off you."

Avery smiles and bites her lip, averting her eyes as her cheeks turns a light shade of red. "I remember, you told me about that, when you helped me break out of the abandoned dance building. You told me you just looked in and kept walking," she says and looks back up with accusing eyes.

Shit, I forgot I told her that.

I try and shrug innocently, but I know I'm already caught.

"Can you blame me? You're amazing, I don't know why you stopped taking classes."

This time she gives me an astonished look.

Shit. That, I know for a fact, I didn't tell her I know.

"How do you know that?" she asks.

I start cursing myself when she pulls away. If I tell her, is she going to think I'm weird? Or a stalker? By some definition, I am. I obsessed over her when I first met her. I'm remembering now when I went to Jordan's party, and asked the computer club girl about Avery.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to be mad and let me explain?" I ask and hold my hands together in an almost plea gesture.

She arches an eyebrow, but sits on the bed, crossing her legs and remains silent, telling me she is going to let me speak.

I let out a defeated breath and sit down next to her.

"Please don't think I'm a stalker or anything, but like I said, you really interested me when I first saw you. When I tried talking to you in the cafeteria at school, it was an attempt to try and get to know you, maybe answer a mystery or two I had about you, but you rejected me pretty harshly," I say and stop to give her a teasing smile.

I relax a little when she nudges my shoulder and gives me a small smirk back.

"That obviously didn't stop me, so when I went to Jordan's party afterwards, I ended up talking to some girl from the computer club about you, and she mentioned she took dance classes with you, but you dropped out a few months after. That was why I was at the abandoned dance studio, I lied about that to."

"What do you mean? Why were you there?"

Man, this isn't how I saw my night turning out. She is really going to think the world of me by the end of it.

"She told me the place where you used to take dance classes, and I googled the address. I was, in a way, just walking by, but I was also looking for you. It was by amazing luck that you were there, and then dumb luck that you got stuck. But, to me it was a miracle, because it gave me the perfect excuse and chance to talk to you. If I ever went back in time, I would do anything possible, to make sure that moment always happens."

I reach over and grasp her hand, my chest swelling with so much emotion, I can barely breath. But I can't stop, I need her to know what she means to me, how much I've come to care for her, and how I'm always going to.

"Thank you," she whispers, so quietly, I'm not sure I hear her correctly.

"For what?"

She sniffles, a tear running down her cheek, but a smile still peeks through.

"For caring, when no one else would. No matter how many times I pushed you away, no matter how rude and ignorant I was towards you; you always came back with ten times more determination than before. No one has ever tried that hard, they always gave up after an attempt or two, making up rumors that I'm weird or stuck-up."

"Who the hell says that?" I ask, anger bubbling on the surface again.

She shrugs. "People at school, your friend Tammy is one of them, actually. She's never said it to my face, but I've heard her, in the gossip groups at lunch, whispering about how awkward I look and how I probably have some weird sickness, that's why I don't let anyone near me."

I can't believe the smile she has on her face. I can see the sadness in the small lines near the corner of her lips, but the confidence and strength are radiating on her face.

Avery has had to endure two years of probably constant trash talking, and from the sounds of it, it was done behind her back and to her face.

Before I have the chance to become enraged, she places a hand on my chest, the warmth from her skin spreading through me, calming my nerves instantly.

I don't want to feel angry around her anymore. I wanted this night to be about making her feel better, not bringing everything back up. I need to change the subject, and fast, or this night might go to shit.

"Will you go out with me?" I blurt, the persistent question pushing through the back of my mind.

Avery's eyes go wide and her mouth falls open slightly.

"I-I mean, will you l-let me take you out, like on a date?" I try and recover myself, only to dig myself deeper.

A smile breaks out on her face, letting me breathe a little.

"I would like that, though it might have to be a little while, before I can probably go out anywhere," she says, averting her eyes.

"You don't have to go back there; I can talk to my dad about you staying here until we can figure something out." I want to plead with her to stay, lock her in my room, and never let that bastard touch her again.

But she is shaking her head before I even finish talking, a sad smile on her face. "I won't go back right away, but he is my father and my mother is still there as well; I can't leave her alone. I have to go back."

"You can turn your father over to the police, he has already been arrested, so it should be a lot easier for you to convince them that he did it again."

She shakes her head again, and for the first time ever, I want to scream at her. I'm angry with her. Why is she acting so careless? Why can't she just do the right thing, and report her father for abuse?

"I'm exhausted, Aiden. Can we just sleep, and you can ask me whatever you want about this tomorrow?"

I want to continue pestering her about it until she gives me some sort of answer as to why she is even considering going back; but her pleading eyes and tired face have me nodding my head.

I walk over to shut off the light, and we climb under the covers, my bed suddenly seeming a lot smaller than before. I can feel the warmth of her skin radiating onto me, almost beckoning me to wrap my arms around her and engulf myself in it.

She turns to face me, but it's too dark to make out her features. I can feel her question as she weighs it in her mind.

"What does this make us?"

Her voice is so unsure sounding.

"It makes us whatever you want us to be. I don't want to pressure you into anything by putting a label on us yet, unless you want too. But all I want is you, Avery, I don't want to be with anyone else," I say, hoping she understands from this moment on, and probably the moment I met her; I am hers.

"So, you're exclusive to me?" she asks, and though I can't see it, I know she is blushing through a smile.

I reach down and search for her hand, entwining our fingers when I find it, loving the way the feeling of her skin sends my pulse racing.

"I'm all yours," I say, and before I can even finish my sentence, her lips crash against mine.

Everything after is a blur; my arms wrap around her and she ends up on top of me, my hands suddenly at the hem of her shirt.

That makes me stop and pull away slightly, barely making out her face through the slight moonlight streaming through the crack in the curtains.

"I don't want to push anything, this isn't my first time," I admit, though she probably already knows that.

I see her smile, her hands running down my bare chest.

"This will be my first time," she whispers, her voice so quiet, I have to strain up to make sure I hear her correctly.

"We don't have to; I know you have a lot on your mind. We can just cuddle and sleep." It sounds sappy, and coming from the mouth of a male, possibly unbelievable, but it is an unknown fact that a large number of guys do like to cuddle; without it leading to or from sex.

Avery shakes her head, and rips her shirt off. My mind blanks at the sight of her white lace bra. I've seen my fair share of half-naked and naked women, but none of them have made my blood roar in my ears and dick stand to immediate attention, like Avery does.

"I want this, and I want my first time to be with you," she whispers, confirming her words with a sweet, heart stopping kiss.

The fact that she wants me to be her first time should make me feel pressured, like it has every time I thought about it. But if anything, it makes we want to try harder, to make it all the more special for her.

Though I've never been that kind of guy before, I'm willing to be anything she needs me to be, right now and for however long she still wants me.

Even then, if she lets me have her tonight, I don't think I'm ever going to let her go.

With that final thought, I push her up slightly to lift myself and remove my sweatpants, my fingers playing at the top of her pajama bottoms. Getting my hint, she pulls away from the kiss and strips them off.

Giving me a clear view of her perfect curves and silky skin; covered in new and old bruises, burn marks and cuts. I grit my teeth and clench my fist, trying to control the anger boiling in my veins.

I reach out to her, my fingers finding every inch of her skin, running lightly over the marks and bruises. The feel of her warmth against me seems to calm my senses enough to allow my lust to break through the rage.

My lips capture hers once again, allowing her sweet scent to wash over me, ridding the rest of the anger away and replacing it with pure pleasure. I flip us over and lower myself just enough that my stomach brushes hers, the lace of her bra scratching my chest, teasing my skin.

Without breaking the kiss, I reach around and unsnap her bra, helping her pull the straps off and fling it to the ground. My fingers trace down her collar bone to the top of her breast, learning every curve and feel of her chest and stomach.

Avery moans into my mouth, lifting herself to press against me, telling me exactly what she needs. Also feeling the burning desire in the pit of my stomach, I pull away to rip my boxers off and move my fingers to do the same to her underwear.

I take a few seconds to lean back and look at her, my heart racing at her beauty, still not believing this is actually happening. The only thing I wished for tonight, was to finally have her in my arms.

I never expected for her to give me all of her. My mind is about to explode with both desire and disbelief, thinking I would never break down her walls, that she would eventually tire of my efforts and push me out of her life forever.

My last resort was to lay all my cards out on the table, and tell her I love her. If I had known this was how it would play out, that she wouldn't push me away and instead finally let all her walls down; I would've done it the moment I realized how I felt, instead of dodging my feelings this entire time.

"Is everything okay?" she asks, her voice bringing me back.

I touch her cheek lightly, hoping to banish the racing thoughts, so I can focus on the goddess beneath me, ready to let me devour her like I have dreamed of since I laid eyes on her.

I don't want to be cheesy and say something like, "it's perfect", so I seal our mouths with a kiss and rip the remainder of our clothes off, leaving nothing between our skin.

When I first envisioned this, I imagined I would take my time and savor anything she is willing to give me, even if just a taste. But now, in the moment, I just want to ram inside her, finally feel her wrap around me.

I'm so impatient, I almost forget to grab the condom from my back pocket, a habit I started when I met Avery and first realized my sexual attraction to her, which was instant. I never wanted to push anything on her, but the hope and desire was always there in the back of my mind every time she agreed to come over.

Avery lifts an eyebrow, no doubt wondering why I'm so prepared. Before she has the chance to question it, I slip my hand between her thighs and slowly stroke a finger down her center.

She gasps, no doubt losing any train of thought, and throws her head back against the pillows. Not being able to wait any longer, I rip the wrapper and slip on the condom, positioning myself in between her.

As much as my desire is trying to drive me to thrust into her as hard as I can, I try and remind my dick and brain that it's her first time; I need to be gentle, or I'm going to hurt her.

I give her another slow, tender kiss, placing a hand on her thigh for leverage. "Tell me if it hurts, or if you want me to stop," I whisper, then slowly ease into her. I feel her gasp against my lips, though no sound escapes.

A growl erupts from my own mouth, my control straining to keep from exploding as I bury myself in her. I've always wanted to avoid having sex with a virgin, but right now I'm questioning why.

It feels fucking amazing.

I know a huge part of it is because of Avery. Everything about her has my dick throbbing. Just one look at her curvaceous body, thick and fit from years of dancing and training.

Once I bottom out, there are teeth indents in my bottom lip from trying to hold onto my control. When I slowly slide out just enough to ease back in, there are stars in my vision and I swear my lip is bleeding.

"Fuck, Avery, it's incredibly hard not to explode inside you," I whisper against her shoulder, my voice coming out breathless and raspy.

She chuckles, her chest vibrating underneath me, causing her nipples to brush against me. I let out a low groan and a muffled string of curses.

"Good thing you had a condom on hand," she jokes back, but I hear the curiosity in her tone, and know she is going to ask afterwards. I'm prepared to be honest with her, I just hope she'll be too tired after one or two more rounds, to be angry or put off with why.

"Does it still hurt?" I ask.

She shakes her head, her head lulling back onto the pillow.

Another growl rumbles in my chest. "Thank fuck."

While still being as gentle as possible, I let go of my self-control and slam into her. Her hands fly up to hold onto my shoulders as she is practically pushed against the head board, her nails digging into my skin, the feeling just amplifying my pleasure.

"Oh god, Aiden," she moans, and I feel her reaching her climax.

Her moaning my name is enough to send me over board, and I thrust into her a few more times before we both finish together, our moans mixing together and drowning out any other sound in the house.

I collapse on the bed, dragging Avery on top of me, giving myself a few seconds to catch my breath before discarding the condom in the garbage next to my bed. We lay there for another few minutes in silence, listening to the heavy breaths from each other, as the sweat dries off our bodies.

"That was a lot better than I imagined my first time being," she finally mutters and we both chuckle lightly.

"I'm glad I was able to live up to your standards, and then some, apparently."

I expect her to laugh, or hit me. Instead, I hear a soft snore escape her lips, and look down to see her fast asleep on my chest, her head curled into the crook of my arm. I reach up and run my fingers lightly through her hair, causing her to unconsciously cuddle closer.

My heart flutters, warmth spreading through to my stomach. I'm wide awake, taking the time to think back over everything that's happened in the last 24-hours. In such a short time, I have taken huge steps with Avery, steps I once thought I would never get too.

Not only did she open up to me more about her personal life, by showing me her wounds, she didn't reject me when I finally whipped my ass enough to tell her I love her, then I had my fantasy come true in every amazing way possible.

I would say today was a huge success, and I would think that should make me happy.

Instead, I have anxiety creeping up on me, worried about what tomorrow might bring.