Chapter 22: Chapter 22

AVERY

I shake my head. “No.”

“Come on, Avery. Gotta give the people what they want,” Reed says, his easy tone trying to coax me into it.

“Reed—”

“Just a tiny kiss,” he pleads.

“No.”

“Are you really going to do this to me? Reject me in front of all these people?” He pouts, his face morphing into the most adorable expression I’ve ever seen.

I can’t help but laugh. “Think about all the pretty girls you’ll disappoint if you kiss me. They’ll be lining up after the game, especially after you showed off your muscles.”

“But, Avery, I don’t want to kiss any of them. I want to kiss you.”

His words catch me off guard, just as the crowd starts chanting.

“KISS HIM! KISS HIM! KISS HIM!”

I bite my lip, glancing down at his mouth.

His lips curl into a smug grin. “I promise, no tongue.”

“Fine, a kiss on the cheek,” I state with a stern face.

He chuckles, raising his hand in a mock salute. “Scout’s honor.”

He leans in. Just as my lips are about to make contact, he pulls the oldest trick in the book, and turns his head, pressing his mouth to mine.

The crowd’s cheers reach a deafening crescendo. Then the noise just fades away.

His hands cup my face as the kiss deepens. Tingles shoot throughout my whole body. I have no idea how much time passes before we finally break apart, sharing a smile.

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” he whispers, voice a little breathless as he presses his forehead to mine.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak as I settle back into my seat. Reed’s arm stays draped over the back of my chair for the rest of the game.

It’s not until we’re on the way home that a thought enters my head.

“Um, Reed?”

“Yeah?”

“Josh isn’t a Bruins fan, is he?”

***

Weekends are usually my time off, so when my phone buzzes early the next morning, I know it’s something urgent.

“Good morning, Avery,” Dr. Collins says. “Sorry to do this to you, but can you come into the clinic today?”

“Sure. Everything okay?” I ask.

“No. Someone left a box of stray kittens, and they need to be looked over.”

“I’ll be right there,” I reply, heading to the bathroom to get ready.

The hockey jersey I wore last night is neatly folded on top of the dryer. I can’t help but smile as I trace the number on the back, remembering the kiss. A shiver ripples down my spine.

Reed hadn’t said anything about it on the drive home, but then again, I’d been so tired that I’d fallen asleep almost immediately.

~I wonder if he’s thinking about it too.~

***

When I arrive at the clinic, Dr. Collins is struggling with a large, mewling, cardboard box.

“Can you give me a hand here?” he asks as two gray furballs try to make a break for it.

I set my purse on the counter and scoop up the escapees.

“No, no, you can’t run away,” I coo at them. “How many of these little guys do we have?”

Another kitten tries to escape, this one a fluffy orange.

“Fifteen,” Matt replies, placing three kittens into a crate.

“Fifteen?” I ask, surprised. “Where did they come from?”

I’m about to grab a calico kitten hiding under a chair when another one charges at me, hissing and swatting at my hand in defense of its sibling.

“Someone left them at the door. It’s a miracle they didn’t escape and wander off,” he says, struggling to get another kitten into the crate.

As soon as he opens it, two of the ones he’d placed inside bolt out.

“Darn it!”

I can’t help but laugh as I chase after them. “I’m gonna get ya.”

The room fills with the sound of meowing as I help round them up and place them in cages. By the time we’re done, there are seven cages filled with the nervous little furballs.

“Now that we’ve got that sorted, why don’t we each take one kitten at a time so we can get them vaccinated and dewormed before lunch. Do you feel comfortable doing that?” Dr. Collins asks, dusting off his lab coat.

“No problem,” I say, shrugging on one of his spares.

***

As the day progresses, we manage to vaccinate and deworm all the kittens. By lunchtime, they’re all huddled together in the back room.

“Thanks, Avery. I couldn’t have done that without you. You can go now if you want. I can handle things from here,” he says, pulling off his gloves.

“Are you sure? I can stay and help,” I offer, pausing at the door.

~I should ask him about the vet assistant position. I’ve just proved I’m reliable. I just need to tell him I’m interested.~

“I’m sure,” he says as the orange kitten manages to slip out of his crate. “Oh no you don’t. Go on, Avery. I’ve got this covered. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ll see you on Monday.”

***

I decide to head to the park for lunch. It’s a bit chilly, so I grab hot soup and hot chocolate from a nearby café. As I’m settling down onto a bench, Casey comes walking toward me.

“Avery, right?” he asks, adjusting his scarf and flashing a friendly smile.

“Hey, Casey. Good to see you again,” I reply, moving my cup so he can sit. “What brings you to the park?”

“I was walking with Madison, but she had to rush off for a wedding emergency,” he explains, shrugging. “What about you?”

“Just finished work and thought I’d have lunch,” I reply.

“What do you do for work?”

“I work at the vet clinic down the street.”

“Oh, you’re a vet?” he asks.

“No, I’m a clinic manager. Basically, I answer phones and schedule appointments all day, But I hope to be an assistant someday. I’d love to work more closely with the animals,” I reply, half-smiling. “What about you?”

“I’m in my third year of law school,” he says.

Madison mentioned that her father was a lawyer. It’s not surprising that one of his children would follow in his footsteps.

“Do you enjoy law school?”

“It’s not exactly what I expected, but I’m managing,” he replies, his sigh suggesting he’d rather be doing something else.

“Is there something else you’d be interested in studying?”

“Well, I recently learned how to code, and I’ve been really enjoying it. I’ve even started working on my own video game,” he says, his voice filled with excitement.

“What kind of game is it?” I ask.

“A first-person shooter,” he replies, his face lighting up as he talks about his project. “Right now, I’m just replicating elements in existing games, learning the ins and outs, but I want to eventually bring in some new concepts and change how these games are perceived and played.”

“That sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is, but it’s worth it. Sometimes I lose track of time and don’t realize I’ve been at it all day until the sun sets,” he laughs. “My game is almost ready for beta testing though.”

“How long have you been working on it?”

“Five years, give or take,” he sighs. “But I’ve really buckled down recently, putting everything else on the back burner. When I’m not hitting the books for my degree, I’m at home, glued to my computer. If law school wasn’t a thing, I’d pour all my energy into finishing its development.”

I can see why Olive is interested in Casey. He’s sweet and easy on the eyes, with freckles scattered across his nose and impossibly deep dimples. But when he starts talking about his passion, his energy rivals hers.

~They’d be good together if Olive ever decided to give a relationship a chance~, I think as he goes on.

“Honestly, I’ve toyed with the idea of dropping out of school to focus on it,” he confesses, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I’m almost done, and I’ve never been one to quit something once I’ve started. Plus, my parents would have a fit.”

“Wouldn’t your parents want you to be happy?”

He laughs. “You don’t know the Cranes very well, do you? They’re sticklers for tradition and take great pride in their standing in the community. A video game developer is a hobby not a career to them.”

“Do they know about your game?” I ask.

“Absolutely not. My dad is the most respected lawyer in Florida, and my mom is one of the top brain surgeons on the East Coast. They’d never accept that their son wants to design video games instead of something honorable like that. They’d see it as a failure. I’d never hear the end of it.”

“Even if your game becomes a bestseller?”

“Even then,” he confirms. “Even if I were to rake in millions, it wouldn’t hold a candle to saving lives or getting innocent people off the hook.”

“Wow. That’s some shit, as Olive would say.”

Casey bursts out laughing. “Yeah, it is,” he agrees. “Your friend Olive is interesting. I bet she’s a lot of fun.”

I file that away to tell Olive as soon as I see her.

“She is. Have you told Madison about your game?” I ask.

“Yeah.” He stares at the trees. “She’s all for it. She thinks I should spill the beans to our parents.”

“Then why don’t you? Who cares what they think. It’s your life, Casey.”

“I guess I don’t want to let them down,” he admits, staring down at his shoes.

“They’re the ones letting you down if they don’t support you.” I reach out and touch his shoulder, drawing his gaze back up to mine. “We only get one shot at life, Casey. We shouldn’t be afraid to go for what we want most.”

The fact that I still haven’t approached Dr. Collins about what I want most is not lost on me. Or that I’d rather see Reed happy in the arms of his dream girl than confess my feelings for him.

~Can’t take my own advice but it feels good to tell someone else to follow their dreams~. ~Olive would be proud. And probably a little mad.~

“You’re right,” he says, a spark of realization lighting up his sky-blue eyes. “I think I’ll sit my parents down and tell them everything I’ve been mulling over these past few years. I’ll do it after the wedding.”

“That’s the spirit,” I say, smiling.

His watch beeps.

“Oh. I’ve got to go. Got a quick cram session before my final this afternoon, but this was nice, Avery. We’ll catch up again soon. Have a great day.” He flashes me a smile before heading off.

Once he’s out of sight, I make my way back to the apartment. Josh, Madison, Reed, and Olive are there, waiting for me when I walk through the door.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“We’re heading to the arcade. Go get ready,” Josh instructs. “And make it snappy.”