Safe Haven
Chapter 3
Over the next 3 weeks, Avery did her best to ignore Cristiano. But it was a hard thing to do when he kept showing up at the bakery and being his charming self and making Avery want to be as close to him as possible. Not to mention the fact that Charlie couldn't seem to stop talking about Junior and in turn, Cristiano. Life was so unfair. But she was gonna have to suck it up. She didn't need another relationship. The last one didn't go over so well, so she'd rather not repeat the process. Nope, Avery was taking a life of celibacy. No more Cristiano.
God must really hate her, because a few days later, she ran in to Cristiano and Junior at the park. Avery was just going to ignore them and pretend she didn't see them, but they saw her. "Avery! Charlie!" Cristiano called out to them. Avery refused to turn around. "Mommy, Junior over there." Avery nodded her head as they kept walking towards the entrance of the walking trails, "I know sweetie. But mommy has to be at work at 2 and if we want to do our walk before we have to leave, then we don't have time to stop." It was a good plan until she heard the approaching feet. She knew instantly it was Cristiano without turning around. "Avery slow down." Avery should have kept walking, but against her better judgment, she stopped walking and turned around to find Cristiano and Junior. "Hi. Didn't think we'd see you today." Cristiano said as he hugged Avery. Avery tried not to focus on how amazing he smelled. "Yeah, work's been kind of hectic. Apparently people heard that you go to the bakery and now so does everybody else in Madrid. So I guess I have you to thank for all the long hours." Cristiano laughed, "Well you're welcome. It's a really good bakery. Plus the tall blonde the works behind the counter is very easy on the eyes." "Well her favorite customer isn't too bad either." "So you two going on a walk?" Cristiano asked. "Yeah, we better get to it actually if I want to get this walk in before I have to get to work." Avery told him, thankful that she had an excuse to get away before she became even more attached than she was already becoming. She was getting ready to turn when Cristiano stopped her, "How about we join you? Then maybe I can drive you to work again?" Avery wanted to tell him no, but the look on his face made it hard for her to say no. Damn him for being so damn irresistible!
At the end, Avery was very happy that she didn't say no to Cristiano. That walk turned out to be one of the most enjoyable ones she'd ever had. Cristiano had kept her laughing the whole time. When he dropped her and Charlie off at the bakery, she almost asked him to come in, but instead she hugged him and said goodbye. Hoping that he would take it for what she meant. Walking in to the bakery, she sent Charlie to the play area while she went back behind the counter with a sad smile on her face. Maria noticed it, "What's wrong chica?" Avery sighed as she leaned against the counter, "I just told Cristiano goodbye." Maria looked at her confused, "OK and what's so bad about that?" "I told him goodbye forever." "What? Why would you do that? Is this because of what his sister said? Just ignore her, that girl don't know what she's talking about." "Maybe, but I still shouldn't get close to him." "And why not? From what I've seen over the past 3 weeks, there's something there and you're just going to throw it away for nothing?" Avery threw her hands in the air, "It's not nothing! If I start dating Cristiano, then there's a chance we will have our picture taken and it'll wind up online. If Toby sees it and finds out where I am, I'm dead. I can't risk that. Even for a guy that I really like."
A week later was when everything changed for Avery. Cristiano had called her and asked if he could pick Charlie up from daycare and bring her to his house for a play date with Junior. Avery wanted to say no. She needed to get Cristiano out of her life once and for all. But she knew how much Charlie loved Junior, so she said yes. On the day of the play date, Cristiano picked up Junior and Charlie and took them back to his house. "Alright guys, you stay in here and play while I go make lunch. Don't hurt yourselves." Leaving them in Junior's playroom, Cristiano headed to the kitchen to make lunch. When he had the sandwiches made, he called the kids in to the kitchen. After they had finished their lunch, Cristiano went to the counter and grabbed the box of cream puffs he'd gotten from the bakery. Once the kids had eaten, he set them up with a movie. They were in the middle of watching the movie when his mom and sisters came in the house. When Elma saw Charlie, she was pissed. "Cristiano can I see you in the kitchen please?" Cristiano got up and followed her to the kitchen. As soon as they walked in, Elma turned on him, "What is that little girl doing here?" "She's having a play date with Junior." "Oh my god! I told that woman to stay away and now she's got you watching her kid!?" Cristiano looked at her in anger, "What do you mean you told Avery to stay away?" "Oh come on Cristiano! You have to know that she's just after you for your money! Just like Junior's mama was!" "You don't know that! Avery is different! You can't control who's going to be in my life and who isn't! I do that!" "I'm your sister, it's my job to protect you! And Avery is no different from the rest of the women you've dated! I mean look, she's already got you playing daddy to her kid!" Neither of them noticed Charlie approach until she spoke, "I have a daddy." Cristiano turned around to see Charlie, "What sweetie?" "I said I already have a daddy. He in saddle." Elma didn't believe her, "Well then why isn't he here with you an your mama." "Because he hurts mama. A lot." Cristiano was sure he had misunderstood, "What do you mean by hurt?" "He hit her. Made her cry. That why we we here an he still there. He not know where we are. I heard mama say that if daddy ever found us, he would kill her. I can't lose my mommy." As Charlie started to cry, Cristiano quickly picked her up and tried to calm her down. As he and Elma shared a look, they both thought the same thing; we have to help them.
God must really hate her, because a few days later, she ran in to Cristiano and Junior at the park. Avery was just going to ignore them and pretend she didn't see them, but they saw her. "Avery! Charlie!" Cristiano called out to them. Avery refused to turn around. "Mommy, Junior over there." Avery nodded her head as they kept walking towards the entrance of the walking trails, "I know sweetie. But mommy has to be at work at 2 and if we want to do our walk before we have to leave, then we don't have time to stop." It was a good plan until she heard the approaching feet. She knew instantly it was Cristiano without turning around. "Avery slow down." Avery should have kept walking, but against her better judgment, she stopped walking and turned around to find Cristiano and Junior. "Hi. Didn't think we'd see you today." Cristiano said as he hugged Avery. Avery tried not to focus on how amazing he smelled. "Yeah, work's been kind of hectic. Apparently people heard that you go to the bakery and now so does everybody else in Madrid. So I guess I have you to thank for all the long hours." Cristiano laughed, "Well you're welcome. It's a really good bakery. Plus the tall blonde the works behind the counter is very easy on the eyes." "Well her favorite customer isn't too bad either." "So you two going on a walk?" Cristiano asked. "Yeah, we better get to it actually if I want to get this walk in before I have to get to work." Avery told him, thankful that she had an excuse to get away before she became even more attached than she was already becoming. She was getting ready to turn when Cristiano stopped her, "How about we join you? Then maybe I can drive you to work again?" Avery wanted to tell him no, but the look on his face made it hard for her to say no. Damn him for being so damn irresistible!
At the end, Avery was very happy that she didn't say no to Cristiano. That walk turned out to be one of the most enjoyable ones she'd ever had. Cristiano had kept her laughing the whole time. When he dropped her and Charlie off at the bakery, she almost asked him to come in, but instead she hugged him and said goodbye. Hoping that he would take it for what she meant. Walking in to the bakery, she sent Charlie to the play area while she went back behind the counter with a sad smile on her face. Maria noticed it, "What's wrong chica?" Avery sighed as she leaned against the counter, "I just told Cristiano goodbye." Maria looked at her confused, "OK and what's so bad about that?" "I told him goodbye forever." "What? Why would you do that? Is this because of what his sister said? Just ignore her, that girl don't know what she's talking about." "Maybe, but I still shouldn't get close to him." "And why not? From what I've seen over the past 3 weeks, there's something there and you're just going to throw it away for nothing?" Avery threw her hands in the air, "It's not nothing! If I start dating Cristiano, then there's a chance we will have our picture taken and it'll wind up online. If Toby sees it and finds out where I am, I'm dead. I can't risk that. Even for a guy that I really like."
A week later was when everything changed for Avery. Cristiano had called her and asked if he could pick Charlie up from daycare and bring her to his house for a play date with Junior. Avery wanted to say no. She needed to get Cristiano out of her life once and for all. But she knew how much Charlie loved Junior, so she said yes. On the day of the play date, Cristiano picked up Junior and Charlie and took them back to his house. "Alright guys, you stay in here and play while I go make lunch. Don't hurt yourselves." Leaving them in Junior's playroom, Cristiano headed to the kitchen to make lunch. When he had the sandwiches made, he called the kids in to the kitchen. After they had finished their lunch, Cristiano went to the counter and grabbed the box of cream puffs he'd gotten from the bakery. Once the kids had eaten, he set them up with a movie. They were in the middle of watching the movie when his mom and sisters came in the house. When Elma saw Charlie, she was pissed. "Cristiano can I see you in the kitchen please?" Cristiano got up and followed her to the kitchen. As soon as they walked in, Elma turned on him, "What is that little girl doing here?" "She's having a play date with Junior." "Oh my god! I told that woman to stay away and now she's got you watching her kid!?" Cristiano looked at her in anger, "What do you mean you told Avery to stay away?" "Oh come on Cristiano! You have to know that she's just after you for your money! Just like Junior's mama was!" "You don't know that! Avery is different! You can't control who's going to be in my life and who isn't! I do that!" "I'm your sister, it's my job to protect you! And Avery is no different from the rest of the women you've dated! I mean look, she's already got you playing daddy to her kid!" Neither of them noticed Charlie approach until she spoke, "I have a daddy." Cristiano turned around to see Charlie, "What sweetie?" "I said I already have a daddy. He in saddle." Elma didn't believe her, "Well then why isn't he here with you an your mama." "Because he hurts mama. A lot." Cristiano was sure he had misunderstood, "What do you mean by hurt?" "He hit her. Made her cry. That why we we here an he still there. He not know where we are. I heard mama say that if daddy ever found us, he would kill her. I can't lose my mommy." As Charlie started to cry, Cristiano quickly picked her up and tried to calm her down. As he and Elma shared a look, they both thought the same thing; we have to help them.