Page 47 of Never Say Never
After we hang up, it only takes me ten minutes to decide what to do.
There’s a lot of upside, and I’m not a teenager anymore. I can keep my emotions in check.
Sure, I’m really attracted to Avery, but it’s nothing I can’t manage by fucking my hand on the regular like always.
And the part of me dancing around inside, excited at the prospect of getting to know her better? He’s going to have to chill.
There’s too much at stake here. For both of us.
So I message Aiden.
RAWLEY: I’m in if Avery is.
THREE MINUTES LATER
UNKNOWN NUMBER: Hey, it’s Avery. Can we meet to talk this through?
RAWLEY: Hi, sure. When is good?
AVERY: How’s later today? I leave for a road trip tomorrow.
RAWLEY: Name the time and place.
AVERY: Sending you my address. 7PM?
RAWLEY: See you there.
12
AVERY
A LITTLE BIT EARLIER
Mom calls me right when we get off Zoom.
“What do you think?” she asks.
“I don’t know, it was so out of the blue.”
“I know, sweetheart, for me too. But…”
“Say what you’re thinking.” I’m still processing, so I’m interested in her perspective.
“I just hate the thought of you not getting what you deserve, and that’s a group of people who know how to get you there. It seems unlikely they’d steer you wrong if they didn’t think it would work.”
“True.”
“And if Aiden delivers half of what he promises, you’ll be set for life.”
“I can’t lie, that’s a huge factor for me.” The vision he was painting about my income would change my entire future.
“And you and Rawley do seem to get along fine?”
“We do.” It’s unexpected, but the part of this where we’d be forced to spend time together doesn’t bother me at all. Rawley’s fun, and he seems respectful of the boundaries I’ve laid down.
If anything, it feels like I’m tempting myownlimits, with how attractive he is. Not that I’m going to let myself go there with him physically.
I guess, yes, technically I would be “dating” an athlete, but it would bepretend. A permissible loophole in my rule.
