Just Consider It

On a Wednesday night, Maggie was out working, so Niall and I had the room to ourselves. We had midterms coming up, so we were actually studying for the first time in a while.

Without warning, Avery came busting in, holding Mason in her arms along with his diaper bag. She was wearing a nice skirt and blouse and high heels. "Hey," I said, confused. "What . . . how'd you get here?"

"Told 'em it was an emergency," she said breathlessly.

"Is it?" I asked, rising to my feet.

"Kind of," she said, shrugging. "Look, I know this is last minute, but I need you to watch Mason for me. Please."

"Why, what's going on?" I said, reluctantly taking a droolingly happy Mason from her. I passed him to Niall, who, just as happily, started cooing at him. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, uh," Avery avoided my eyes, "I've just got a date, and whatever."

"A date?" I raised an eyebrow. Avery hadn't dated anybody in a long time. "With who? How'd you meet him?"

She bit her lip. "Please don't be mad at me."

"Avery, tell me who it is." She was silent. "It's not a pimp, is it? Please tell me it's not a pimp."

"No, no, God. It's, uh. It's Noah."

Noah? Noah, also known as the father of Avery's child? Noah, whom we hadn't mentioned in months? Avery was going out with him?

I didn't say anything for a few seconds. Avery watched me worriedly, her eyes darting between my face and Niall's, who was smartly remaining out of it. "Why?" I said finally. "It's too late for dinner, anyway."

"He called me up last week and asked if I wanted to go out for coffee," Avery answered softly. "He just said he wanted to talk."

"What if 'talking' consists of him wanting to get back together with you?" I demanded. "What are you gonna do then?"

"I don't know, Hero," Avery said, her voice rising a little. "Give me a chance to go out and see what he wants, at least."

"I don't think you should go," I said dismissively. "I think you're just gonna get roped in again."

"He's not a drug dealer, he's a person."

"Did you forget what dating him was like? You felt like you were trapped because you had Mason, Avery. You were miserable."

"That was almost a year and a half ago," my sister snapped. "A lot can change. You would know."

I flushed. "All I'm saying is you're making a big mistake."

"Just let me live my life, all right, Hero?" Avery shouted. "I don't need you walking around all high-and-mighty thinking you know everything about everybody. You just love to believe the worst of people, and I've had enough of it, all right?"

"Fine!" I yelled back. "Go ahead, go! I don't care! Get out!"

We glared at each other before she turned and stalked out, slamming the door behind her. I stared at it. Somewhere in the background, I could hear Mason fussing and whimpering, confused as to why his mother had just left without saying goodbye.

"Shh," Niall said soothingly. I turned and watched him carefully put Mason down on the bed before standing up and cautiously coming over to me, like I might bite. "Hey."

"What?"

"Hey."

"Hi," I mumbled.

"You gonna stay over there the whole time, or are you gonna come closer?"

"Shut up."

"Wrong answer." His arms wound their way around my waist and pulled me into him. "Don't let it get to you, okay? Promise me you won't."

"I'm just trying to protect her," I said instead. "That's all."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid . . ." I sighed. "Look, when Avery got pregnant, the only reason Noah stayed with her was because of Mason. They fought so much and it was terrible, but she didn't want to leave him because she was scared to be by herself. She didn't want to be alone."

"Didn't she have your parents?"

I snorted. "Are you kidding? You know them. They were furious that she packed up and moved away just to be with him, pregnant no less. They didn't speak to her for nearly six months."

His eyes widened. "So what happened?"

"I happened," I said, shrugging. "I came over. I could've gone to Yale or Harvard but instead I chose this school so I could be close to her."

"Why?"

"Why? Because she needed me. I took care of Mason whenever I could, and that got Avery to start working, start taking classes, get her life back on track. I dunno. She's my sister; she'd do the same for me. And I don't want her thinking that she has to depend on Noah again, because she doesn't."

Niall was quiet for a while, watching Mason try to stick his foot in his mouth as I played with him absently. Then he said, "I think a part of you resents Avery."

"What?" How dare he say that? "Why would you ever think that?" I demanded, my voice rising a little.

He shrugged. "You had the chance to go to these amazing schools, H, but you chose this one because your sister needed you. Your future could've been totally different if you chose to think for yourself."

I didn't really know what to say to that. Nobody besides my family knew the 100% truth about Avery and me, not even Maggie. Somehow, (it was probably the psychology degree) Niall had managed to get me to tell him. It was uncomfortable and made me feel a little strange, too, like a weight had been lifted.

"I think," Niall continued, "you should let her go. It's only coffee. Avery's a smart girl; she's not as clueless as she used to be, you know? She understands now. It's you she should be looking out for."

Unfortunately, he was right. But I tended to look after Avery more than she did for me.

I swiftly changed the subject. "Something good came out of me moving here, though," I said quietly, leaning closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He raised his eyebrows. "And what would that be?"

I smiled. "I met you."

He laughed. "You hated me at first. Remember, I walked up to you and said, 'Hi, I'm Niall' and you just glared at me?"

I gasped. "No, I certainly don't!" I did actually, but thinking about it made me feel guilty.

He was laughing harder. "Yeah, swear to God, you did."

"I was a bitch, okay," I moaned. "Still am."

"Not you," he said, smiling still. "Not my Hero. You're a big ol' softie on the inside."

"Huh."

"Not at the time, of course. You couldn't stand me." He chortled again. I rolled my eyes, trying to gain back the upper hand.

"I don't hate you now, though."

He smiled and nudged his forehead against mine. "I don't hate you, either." It was coming very close to three certain words I'd vowed to never say again, but for the moment, I was at ease.