The Avery Shaw Experiment - By Kelly Oram Page 0,8

would argue that, but I just wanted to get poor Avery out of there. I grabbed her hand and whirled around toward the door. “Thanks, Dad!”

We’d almost escaped and then my mom said, “Grayson you come over here and give your mother a kiss goodbye before you go.”

Suppressing a sigh, I grinned at my mom. “Last time I did that, you said it was bad manners.”

The look she gave me said she wasn’t in the mood, so I obeyed with no more arguments. “Thank you,” she whispered as she brushed her lips on my cheek.

I pulled back and Kaitlin was right there, waiting for her turn to hug me. This was not a standard practice every time I left the house by any stretch. This was our moms, the worry twins, inwardly gushing over my rescuing Avery, so I wrapped my arms around Avery’s mom and gave her an exaggerated bear hug. “Happy New Year, Kaitlin!”

She laughed when I gave her a big kiss on the cheek. “Always such a charmer, Grayson Kennedy.”

I grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Just make sure you don’t try to use that charm on my daughter tonight.”

“Ms. Shaw!” I pretended to be scandalized. “I would never!”

Except apparently I would. I almost did upstairs not five minutes ago.

Kaitlin sobered up and lowered her voice so that only I could hear. “I mean it, Grayson. You be careful with her tonight. I’m sure she’s really vulnerable right now.”

Talk about a mood killer. I tried to sound sincere when I said, “She’s practically a sister to me, Kaitlin. I’ll behave myself.”

This afternoon that statement would have been true. Now I just hoped I could get through the night without breaking my promise, because Kaitlin was right. Taking advantage of Avery right now would make me a bigger jerk than Aiden.

“You’d better,” Kaitlin said, but there was teasing in her tone now.

“I will.”

It was now or never. I grabbed Avery’s hand again and made another break for the door. I even got it open this time, but Aiden just couldn’t let us go. “Aves, are you really going to go out with Grayson?”

And I was back to being pissed off. I tried to keep walking, but Avery stopped. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

Balls! If he said yes, she would stay for him. Even after how much he hurt her today. And he would ask, the selfish punk. He’s always gotten his way with her, ever since they were kids. He says jump, and she happily asks how high? It’s not that he doesn’t care about her. He just has the more dominant personality of the two, and apparently her feelings run a lot deeper than his, so she gives in to his every whim.

“Aves, of course I want you to stay. It’s New Year’s Eve, and we came here to spend it together.”

Avery frowned. “But earlier you said—”

“I didn’t mean I never wanted to see you again. You’re still my best friend. You don’t have to go out with him just to avoid me.”

What the hell! I don’t know what I ever did to him that he thinks hanging out with me would be so awful. I’m an awesome big brother. “Maybe she wants to.”

Aiden glared at me and then stomped over to us. “Do you, Avery? Do you actually want to go on a date with Grayson? Or are you doing this because of me?”

“I—” Avery’s eyes darted frantically between Aiden and me and then they filled with tears.

“Aves,” Aiden said in a voice that he had no right using on her. “Obviously I hurt your feelings earlier. I’m sorry. I was nervous, and I guess I didn’t explain things right. Why don’t you stay home tonight and we’ll talk.”

He reached up to wipe the tears from her face, and I almost decked him. I really wanted to, but I didn’t have any claim to her. This was between the two of them as much as I didn’t like it.

“Maybe that’s a good idea,” Kaitlin interrupted. “I think the two of you need to try and work this out.”

I cringed. To have to go through all this with our freaking parents eating up every word like a trashy novel? I would hate to be Avery right then. I wanted to kill Aiden for putting her in this position!

Avery’s grip on my hand loosened, but she didn’t let go. She glanced around the room and then set those big, honest eyes on Aiden. “Do you love me?” she asked.

I