9

_Bella Davis' POV_

"They did what?" I exclaimed staring at Avery in shock.

"My parents asked for dinner with you at their place," Avery repeats, his hand around my waist on the sofa.

Why would Veronica suddenly request a dinner if she is not planning anything new?

She must have a new plan to try and expose me in front of Avery, and that's why she is requesting dinner now.

What should I do? Luke didn't tell me anything about this.

"If you don't want to go then it's completely fine. We could cancel it, whatever makes you happy we would do that" He assures me pulling me closer to him.

But what should I do? Should I accept this invitation which seems more of a challenge? Or should I play safe and chicken out? I want to see what they have planned though. What should I do? Maybe I shouldn't go-

"Of course, she is going." Luke walks in carrying a bag that looks like it belongs to an expensive boutique. 

When did he get here?

"Jesus Christ Luke! Learn to knock before you enter my house." Avery says pissed about Luke's lack of manners. 

He always does this, coming in without warning because he knows the passcode to Avery's place. 

"You told me the passcode to avoid me Knocking before I entered your house. So why should I?" He winks at me throwing the bag on me.

"I think it's time I changed the code then. That way it would prevent you and my mom from coming in here unannounced without letting me know." Avery responded and I was fine with it.

Subconsciously, I catch the bag thrown at me, peering inside.

"What's this?" I ask when I don't make sense of what's inside. It was sealed in a bag and I couldn't see what was in the bag.

And what did he mean when he said of course I was going? Up to me and I would stay home, completely avoiding the wicked witch of the West.

No amount of curiosity can make me go see that woman again.

"That, my dear, is your outfit for tonight's dinner." He says sitting on the sofa opposite us with his legs crossed.

My outfit for the dinner? I didn't even think of what I would be wearing for the dinner. 

"How did you even know about this dinner? I only found out about it now" I pondered and he smiled at me mischievously.

"The magician never tells his secret." He says he is some powerful magician and not just Avery's best friend.

I'm guessing he was there when Veronica called to request it, these two are always together. And hold up, did he just say tonight?

"Hold on a sec. Tonight?" I exclaimed staring at Avery in horror. He didn't tell me the dinner was tonight, he just told me we were going to have dinner at theirs, he didn't specify the time.

"Why didn't you tell me it was tonight?" I ask slapping his arm, but it doesn't hurt him

"I was going to tell you that part after you had agreed to it." He says defending himself.

"You could have told me, I don't think I'm ready." I continued with my exclamation, ignoring the way Luke watched us. 

"Alright, next time I will tell you two weeks before the day so you can get ready." He promised and I smiled kissing his cheek.

"You better." 

His phone rings and he leaves to answer it. I turn my attention to Luke to find him still staring at me strangely.

"What?" I ask him, leaning back on the sofa. He looks in the direction Avery went to before he looks at me once more, shaking his head.

"What is it?" I ask once more, curious as to why he looked at us that way. 

"You do realize that I can't vouch for Avery's behavior towards you when the missing pieces of his memory come back and he finds out you were lying to him." He says and my mood immediately gets ruined.

Great, he has to go and start up a topic I have been avoiding thinking about.

"I advise you not to fall for Avery. Because if you do, you would get hurt after he gets his memories back. I know Avery, and one thing he loathes is betrayal. So if you want to leave this place in one piece, don't fall in love." He warns me and I swallow the lump in my throat, stopping the stupid tears that wanted to betray me.

"I am not falling in love with Avery." I lie, swallowing and looking away from Luke, avoiding holding eye contact with him.

I'm not certain of my feelings for Avery Tamer, but I'm certain I don't hate him as much as I used to. And I dare not say I loved him. 

"If my guess is right, Avery might be falling for you too, I can see him changing a bit. Avery in the past wouldn't even bother about a dinner invite from his parents, he has been home a lot lately and that's unlike him. This is all happening because of you. But once he gets his memories back he would be blinded by anger and throw you out of here without minding his feelings as well." He continues and I nod my head.

"I get it. Tell me all this when I fall in love with him, which I'm not. Right now the only thing on my mind is my father and his treatment. A certain billionaire boy isn't on my mind at all." I lied.

I know I'm lying, Luke too knows that I'm lying. But he doesn't say anything to me, he just smiles at me sadly like he understands what I'm feeling.

"The mood feels so emotional, what are you two talking about," Avery says sitting down in his previous position beside me.

"Nothing." Luke and I answer at the same time.