Theo

Present Day

I’ve been dreading tonight for weeks. The second her father Shawn told me

where they were having her graduation party, followed by the invitation that her mother Camille sent over with all of the details, I’ve felt uneasy. I’ve been trying to avoid all things Avery Summers for what feels like three fucking years and yet she’s been able to embed herself into every aspect of my life effortlessly. Her parents still live next door and my son can’t go the length of a conversation without bringing her name up so I’ve been forced to have her name or her face flash through my mind at least once a day and it’s driving me fucking crazy.

I tried to tell myself those nights didn’t feel as good as they did. That she didn’t look as good as she did. That I’m not attracted to the girl that I watched grow into a woman. The woman that my son has or had feelings for—I’m uncertain of where he currently stands. I do believe that if there are feelings, they’re not reciprocated on Avery’s side. She has always been very clear about where that line was except for their freshman year of high school when I think they spent more time making out than anything else. According to her, though, that was just for fun or practice or out of boredom, and she’s never had feelings for him.

My eyes find her instantly in a forest green dress that hugs her body like it was custom-tailored for her, and I’m instantly irritated by all the people

here because all I want to do is pull her into a corner and run my hands all over her.

Her eyes meet mine despite the dozens of people between us and a sweet smile finds her face. Her parents are pillars in the community, kind and well-liked by almost everyone. Her father is the number one children’s dentist across multiple counties and her mother owns the bakery in town, Avery’s Café, named for her daughter with pastries and macarons that are so delicious they make you feel like you are actually in Paris.

Just as quickly as our eyes meet, she turns away, back to an elderly couple that look like older versions of Shawn. I am surprised that I don’t see my son or my daughter but I also don’t see many of Avery’s friends, making me wonder if they are somewhere else reminiscing about their high school days. I start moving towards her to say hello. Maybe if I just say hi, I can slip out in an hour. Our eyes lock again as I make my way closer, and the couple moves away. She drains the glass of champagne in her hand and I don’t know if I’m disappointed or intrigued by her sudden need for alcohol as I approach her.

“Theo! When did you get here?” I hear when I’m only about ten feet from her. I turn to see Shawn standing with some of his friends and a few men I recognize as Avery’s uncles. He waves me over, holding a cigar between his index and middle finger and assumedly a glass of scotch in the other. All dressed in suits without ties, the six men summon me over despite something pulling me towards Avery.

I give them a nod and a smile as I move towards them trying my best to ignore the temptation in the green dress in the form of his daughter. “I just got here,” I say, answering his question.

I approach them and he slaps me on the back as the rest of the guys nod their hellos. “Why don’t you have a drink?” He waves over a member of the waitstaff walking around with a tray of champagne.

I grab a crystal flute from the tray, contemplating ordering something stronger but decide against it before I know just how many drinks Avery has consumed. She could get me to do just about anything when she’s had a few drinks and even more when I’ve had a few as well. “Can you believe we have kids that are college graduates?” He scratches his jaw and lets out a sarcastic chuckle. “God, when did we get old?” He looks at me and smiles. “Well, I guess you’ve been old with Raegan having graduated last year.” He takes a sip of his drink and I narrow my eyes at him.

“Okay, more importantly, what can you tell us about the Eagles offensive line this year? Because those draft picks have me worried,” one of the men speaks up. I’ve met him a few times when Shawn and Camille had parties, but I don’t know him well enough to start talking about anything I know, which isn’t much.

Talk of football goes on for a considerable amount of time and before I know it, it’s been an hour, I’ve had two glasses of champagne, I switched to a scotch, and I still haven’t talked to Avery. I turn my head as our group breaks up after Camille drags Shawn away to talk to someone and I scan the room in search of her. I see her in the corner with Rory and a few other girls I recognize from their high school.

This is good. This is safe. She’s not going to try and tempt me in mixed company.

I begin making my way towards them and as I get nearer, I see they all have shot glasses in their hands with a lime wedge in the other. Oh fuck.

I watch as Avery licks the salt from her hand and my dick immediately hardens thinking about her tongue licking up my shaft that same way.

I grip the glass in my hand harder as I approach them and all of their eyes light up when they see me.

“Theo!” Rory smiles and I feel like she’s gotten older just in the last six months since I’ve seen her. Her jet-black hair is cut into a short sleek style just above her shoulders with bangs that frame her coal colored eyes. She’s worn glasses the entire time I’ve known her, but I remember Lucas mentioning something about her getting Lasik over spring break.

“Ladies.” I nod at all of them, trying my best to keep my eyes off of Avery. “Congratulations.” I scan the group of four. “I assume all of you have graduated?”

“One more semester for me.” One of the girls blushes as Rory and the other girl I don’t recognize nod.

“Thank you and thank you for coming,” Avery says.

Now that I’m closer, I can really drink her in. Christ, has she gotten even more gorgeous? The last time I saw her was winter break because she jetted off to Cabo with Lucas and a bunch of their friends for spring break this past April so I didn’t see her. Seeing her in significantly less clothes than in December has me momentarily speechless as I run my gaze over her.

“Of course, I wouldn’t have missed it,” I tell her, even if I had been dreading it, I am very proud of her and I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to tell her.

I’m trying my best not to openly ogle her in front of her friends, but the alcohol coupled with this green dress that is hugging her in all the right places has given my eyes a mind of their own as they wander over her shamelessly. She’s wearing the sexiest pair of open-toe heels and all I can think about is that sharp stiletto digging into my back, piercing me as I finally get the chance to taste her cunt. The dress falls just below her knees but highlights her full hips, her waist, and those full breasts I’d had my mouth over just six months before. Her skin is tanned like she’d been outside for a considerable amount of time and it makes me want to lick her to see if I can taste the sun on her skin. Shawn is black and her mother, Camille, is white, so she always looks sun-kissed, but with her tan and the color of this dress and her dark tresses she looks fucking stunning.

“Is Lucas almost here? He texted that he was running late?” Rory asks, looking up at me and I’m grateful for her question because it instantly stops my dick from getting harder. Lucas. Fuck. What about Avery Summers had me forgetting all about the reason I shouldn’t be looking at her at all?

“I’m not sure.” I shake my head. He’d left this morning to go to the gym before I’d left for work and when I got home, it seemed he’d already left. He was only home for a week or so before he went back to New York to start his new job at an investment firm and it’s odd to think about the fact that both of my kids no longer live at home. Even though Lucas has been away at NYU for the last four years, I felt like he still lived here in Pennsylvania with me. The idea of him moving to New York permanently feels like a weight in my chest. “I’m surprised he’s not here yet.”

“Hey, gorgeous.” A tall guy with blonde hair, about the same height I am, infiltrates the circle and wraps an arm around Avery’s shoulder bringing her closer to him. “Happy graduation,” he tells her as he rests his chin on top of her head for a moment. I don’t recognize him as one of their high school friends and a flare of irritation moves through me that I don’t know their relationship and then another over the fact that I’m jealous and have no right to be.

“Elijah.” She smiles and I notice she doesn’t make an effort to move but her eyes find mine. “Theo, this is a friend of mine, Elijah, from school.”

She tilts her head up to look at him. “This is Lucas’ Dad.” She points and his eyes light up in recognition.

“Oh damn, of course! Theo Graham, you’re my dad’s actual God. Do you mind if I get a picture?” he asks, unraveling his arm from Avery and I wonder if they’re really just friends, or if he’s among the many men that forget about women the second the topic of sports comes up. He moves across the small circle, snapping a selfie, and in that short moment, where he’s talking about my last Superbowl game and my final touchdown that won us the game but destroyed my shoulder in the process, I hear my son’s voice.

“Fuck, I’m sorry I’m late. They have me onboarding via Zoom all week and the lady from Human Resources was moving so fucking slow.” I turn around just in time for Lucas to pull Avery into his arms and press a kiss to her temple. She hugs him back, and when the guy next to me stiffens, I’m even more fucking confused about what’s going on.

My son always did clean up nice. He’s almost as tall as me and while he’s not as built, he is still in great shape from almost fifteen years of soccer, including four years in college. His dark hair is slicked back and he’s wearing a black suit with a white shirt beneath it.

He nods at Elijah. “Hey man, good to see you. How’ve you been?”

“Good,” Elijah responds. “Glad you could make it.” His tone is cocky, and I think I’m starting to understand what’s going on. Elijah wants Avery and he sees Lucas as a threat.

“Glad I could make it?” He chuckles with a smug grin on his face before bringing his hand to Avery’s jaw and squeezing it gently to make her lips pucker. “I’m the one Camille called this morning in hysterics that they had all the wrong chairs and needed help transporting the right ones from some warehouse downtown.” He lets Avery’s jaw go and gives Elijah a pointed look. “Avery’s mother,” he says condescendingly and I resist the urge to snort.

Avery, who Lucas still has wrapped in his arms, my guess so Elijah doesn’t reach for her, pulls away and looks up at him, confused. “She called you?”

“Of course, who else?”

“My dad or my uncles?”

“They were all playing golf.” He shrugs as if my son was the obvious next choice for anything regarding Avery.

“Lucas, thank you. My mom was being a nightmare about it this morning when I couldn’t care less. She was literally comparing apples to apples.” She rolls her eyes and I believe it. Camille Summers is notoriously meticulous especially when it comes to planning parties.

“Literally?” Lucas quips sarcastically and raises an eyebrow at her.

She huffs before smacking his chest. “You know what I mean.” And somehow, I’ve forgotten, or maybe I’ve made myself forget how Lucas and Avery are around each other. The familiarity and comfort that only years of close friendship can bring. The kind of friendship where from the outside you’re not exactly sure if they’re together or not, or if there are romantic feelings. I’m not on the outside and there have been times I even forgot. I can remember a few Freudian slips where I’d absentmindedly called Avery his girlfriend while they were growing up.

Which is why it makes my two very inappropriate interactions with her so fucked up and need not repeating.

“Yes, figuratively,” he corrects and Rory groans.

“Theo, your children are fighting again. Do something.” She points between my son and Avery with a chuckle before wrapping her arms around Lucas and hugging him. He returns it and I’ve noticed that amidst their small back and forth Elijah has disappeared.

“I can’t believe you invited that joker,” he murmurs to Avery with an eye roll. “Hey, Dad,” he says with a hug.

“Son.”

“Is Rae coming?” he asks about his sister. “I told her not to bring what’s his name. I didn’t want you getting pissed off.”

“You know his name,” I say, referring to my daughter’s boyfriend, “and I won’t get pissed off,” I grumble, even though there’s a chance I might. I know it makes me a fucking hypocrite given that I know what the twenty- one year old in front of me tastes like but the thought of my little girl with someone...my age. I cringe.

“You sure about that?” Rory jokes as she pops a mini crab cake into her mouth.

“You shouldn’t. So, she’s dating a guy that’s a bit older than her? Who cares? He worships her,” Avery argues.

“First of all, a bit?” Lucas interjects. “The guy is Dad’s age. And can we not?” He winces.

“So, she likes older men.” Avery shrugs and gives me what I want to think is an innocent look aside from the fact that she holds my gaze for an extra second. “Guys our age don’t know what they’re doing.”

“Who are you speaking for?” Lucas balks, annoyed as he gives her a look.

“Guys his age don’t know what they’re doing either,” Rory chirps, annoyed and I wonder if there’s more to that story. Rory looks over at Avery. “I have to use the ladies room.”

“Oh, I’ll come,” Avery says before looking at us. “Excuse me, gentlemen.” She giggles before she’s gone, following Rory towards the restroom and leaving me alone with my son.

“So, that pissing match with the guy?” Whose name I can’t remember for the life of me.

“Elijah? That guy is such a tool. He’s been trying to hook up with her since their freshman year of college. Get it through your head dude, she’s not interested,” he grits out.

I love my son more than anything in the world short of my daughter who I love equally but I want to joke that it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. I’m not sure where his feelings for Avery are today though, so I leave it alone. Sort of.

“Right.” I pull my drink to my lips and give him a look over the rim and he glares at me.

“Don’t, I was making a point.”

“What point was that?”

“Dad, I don’t have feelings for Avery anymore. I did, but,” his eyes scan

the room, as if he’s trained to know when she walks into a room because sure enough, she’s back and talking to her mom. I know that look. I’ve had that look. It was the look I gave Lucas’ mom, many many years ago when she was across the room. The look that there was far too much space between my hands and her body.

“Lucas,” I interrupt his staring and his eyes dart back to mine. “I’m crazy about her, but we’re just friends.”

“Because that’s what she wants. Not what you want.” I wince. “I’ve grown to accept it. I’ve moved on.”

The thought makes my stomach turn and I wonder if now is the time for me to leave. Leave Avery with her friends and my son and away from my eyes and my carnal thoughts. “You drive here?” I ask because I know more than anything that my son hates talking about his feelings for Avery.

“No, I took an Uber. I think a bunch of us are going downtown later.” He grabs a glass of champagne. “Thank you.” He nods at the waitress with a polite smile and it warms my heart for the millionth time that I raised my kids right.

“Alright, well I might head out soon. Just be careful. Call me if you need me to come get you guys.” I know he’s twenty-one and lives in New York by himself, but when he’s home, I still see him as that sixteen-year-old kid who used to harass me for rides constantly.

“Dad, I’ll be fine. I’m probably not going to get too drunk anyway if Avery starts taking shots.”

“She already had one before you got here.” I chuckle and Lucas’ blue eyes, ones that look exactly like his mother’s, glare in Avery’s direction before turning to me.

A group of guys I recognize from their high school that must have been outside or elsewhere when I got here start making their way over and after exchanging a few pleasantries, I make my way towards the restroom before I make my exit. There are easily two hundred people here; I am sure no one will miss me unless Raegan shows up, but my daughter is notoriously flakey so she may not make an appearance at all.

The bathroom is one floor down from where the party is being held so I’m surprised to see Avery against the wall when I exit the restroom, her legs crossed and a sexy smirk across her lips as she holds a highball glass in her hand with an orange peel floating around the bottom. Champagne, tequila, and now, whiskey? Fuck. “Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?” she asks.

“Who said I was leaving?”

“Lucas,” she murmurs. “I asked where you ran off to because my father was looking for you.”

“Oh. What does he want?”

“Nothing. I couldn’t exactly tell him I was looking for you.” She pushes off the wall and moves closer to me and I take a step back, not wanting her perfume to infiltrate my space.

I nod. “I am probably going to head out.” “Why?”

“I don’t want to crowd your space.”

She looks up at me and bats her eyelashes at me. “It never bothered you before. I can remember many times you crashed our parties as we got older.”

“Ave...” I trail off. “I don’t know that it’s the best idea for me to be around to watch my son get in a pissing match with every man that breathes in your direction.”

She groans and rolls her eyes. “Elijah is a nonissue and Lucas knows that. He just likes fucking with him.”

I nod because what can I say? ‘I don’t want to watch my son stare at you with the same stars I’m trying to keep out of my eyes?’

“Please stay?” She says and darts her eyes down the hallway before turning them back to mine. “It’s my graduation party.”

“I know,” I tell her as I reach into my coat pocket and pull out a long envelope that I slide into her hands.

She takes it from me but doesn’t open it or even look at it. “Thank you, but that’s not what I want.”

“Avery...we can’t.”

“I want to finish what we started last winter break.”

“Lucas is home,” I tell her because I have no intention of sneaking her

in or touching her while my son is in the house or could potentially show up at any time.

“I’m sure you can figure something out.” She smiles.

“How are you going to get away from your friends? From Lucas? He’s going to want to make sure you get home safely.”

“Lucas isn’t my dad, Theo. I know how to handle him.” She’s up against me now looking up at me with the sexiest eyes fueled by alcohol and lust and...fuuuuuck. “And then I want you to handle me.”

I grit my teeth, trying to hold my breath so I don’t smell her. “Anyone could walk down here.”

“Say yes,” she whispers.

“Why?” I blink at her. “Is this just...why me of all people? Is it because of who I am? Is this just the thrill of someone that should be off limits?” I move and she takes a step back as I tower over her. “What is it about me that has your pussy so wet?”

She whimpers and her cheeks pinken and I wish my words hadn’t affected her because she looks so fucking adorably innocent. “I–I’ve had a crush on you...for a while.”

The air leaves my lungs because I wasn’t expecting that. I was expecting her to say something equally sexy or about the fact that she’s older and can fuck whoever she wants and she wants me.

“What’s a while?”

“Since you moved in?” she says weakly and my eyes widen.

“Eight years?”

She nods. “I mean I haven’t been saving myself for you or anything,”

she teases and I hate the annoyance that ripples through me at the thought of someone else touching her. “But yeah...” She winces. “I didn’t think you’d ever touch me.”

“Because I shouldn’t touch you.”

“But you did and now...I can’t stop thinking about it.” She shakes her head and takes a step back before taking a sip of her drink. “I should probably get back l, but please consider staying or…..seeing me later.