How I Feel
Blossom On The Tree, You Know How I Feel
Three weeks later, Avery and Jamie were definitely a thing. She was staying over at his place often, and they were going out all over Dallas. They would hang out with Tyler, and Avery would scare off the bimbos that tried to fuck Tyler in bathrooms.
He of course complained that having two Croft women now trying to find him a good woman sucked. But Avery knew he secretly loved and appreciated her looking out for him until Stella got back to town.
Avery had not told her sister that she and Jamie were sleeping together. For one, she didn't feel obligated to tell her every person she had ever slept with. More importantly, she knew that whatever was going on between her and Jamie couldn't last forever and it had to end soon. He was the captain of the Dallas Stars, and she was an employee of his team. It just couldn't happen.
She knew her boss had been lenient with her because Stella was married to Jordie. She knew she had been given a free pass when Tyler had started showing up to have lunch with her because of her sister's relationship to the team.
When Jamie started coming around, he played the family card and people had turned a blind eye to it. Avery maintained a level of professionalism around both men whenever they stopped by her office, or at least tried to. Jamie always had other plans.
He had earlier that day come by with Tyler to take her to lunch and when he swung her back to her office after, kissed her without thinking. It had become natural to him to hold her, touch her, kiss her. He felt like she was his, and he wanted people to know that, even though she had asked him not to when she was at work.
Lunch had been so good though, laughing and joking with Tyler as they planned a get together for the team that was returning in two days, that those happy feelings carried over and he kissed her. Not a friendly and quick kiss on the cheek but a full on, leave her breathless kiss.
He had been gone ten minutes when her boss and his boss showed up in her office. There had been no uncertainty on the purpose of the impromptu meeting. With the season right around the corner, the players focus needed to be succeeding on the ice; her lunches with Jamie and Tyler needed to be less and less frequent. And her relationship with Jamie needed to come to an end.
She found herself after work pacing Jamie's living room, waiting for him to get there. When he walked in ten minutes after her, he smiled at the sight of her.
He had given her a key after a week, so she could come over straight from work and not have to wait in the parking lot in case his workouts ran long, or if he was out doing obligations for the team. He liked having Avery in his life. She was strong and independent, and he would never have to worry about her being needy when they went on a road trip.
She was also beautiful and smart. She challenged him, never held back, and always said what was on her mind. He loved that she had an opinion about everything and never hesitated to tell him when his was wrong. He liked their good natured back and forth and he really liked kissing her. He liked even better having her completely in his bed.
"Hey," he said as he came in, closing the door behind him and turning the lock.
Avery stopped pacing and spun at the sound of his voice. She picked up her purse from the arm of the couch and walked towards him.
"I can't stay," she started.
"I thought we were getting dinner?"
She shook her head. "I can't." She couldn't meet his eye and Jamie noticed. He put his arm around her and drew her into him.
"What's wrong, Avery?"
"You and Tyler have to stop coming by for lunch," she replied quietly, settling her head against his chest. She was gonna miss this. She loved when Jamie held her. It felt safe, his strong arms around her. She took a moment to savor it one last time before stepping back from him.
"We can't do this anymore either."
"This? You mean me and you?" Jamie asked. "I don't understand. I thought we were good."
"Jamie..." She sniffled and breathed in deeply before exhaling. She grabbed his hand and placed his key in his palm and closed his fingers around it. "It was fun, but that's all it ever was. I'll see you around."
She hurried from his apartment and to the elevator, her vision clouded with tears. She looked up when Jamie held his hand between the elevator doors to keep them from closing.
"I don't understand. I thought we meant something. And now you're telling me it was just fun? So you've been dicking me around this whole time? I like you, Avery. I want to be with you, only you."
"Jamie, please," she begged, brushing the back of her hands across her eyes. "Just forget me."
"Forget you?" He repeated incredulously. "I should just forget your touch, or the way you kiss me, or how I've fallen for you? Are you going to just forget the way I make you come and the way you scream my name?"
"That's not fair."
"Not fair? What's not fair is you bailing on us and not giving me any reason why."
"I got in trouble at work and a warning today," she bit out angrily. "You or my job. I picked my job. Happy now?" He stepped back in shock, blinking at her words and she smashed the door close button. "I'm sorry, Jamie," she whispered as the doors finally slid closed.
Jamie stared at the elevator doors for a long moment before reality set in. She was gone, really gone, and that just wasn't going to work for him.
He rushed towards the stairs and ran down them to the parking garage. Avery stepped off the elevator with a couple other people as he opened the door. "Avery!" He called out breathlessly as she moved towards her car.
The other people looked at him. He knew they might recognize him and he didn't care. He started towards her.
"This can't just be over before it even starts. I'm not agreeing to that. It's more than just fun; it's me and you. Let me talk to your boss."
She shook her head sadly as he reached her. "It's a conflict of interest, Jamie. And we never agreed to anything. We didn't have any labels."
"I didn't know we needed any. I'm not seeing anyone else, and you're not seeing anyone else. We're together."
"I'm not your girlfriend."
"Yes you are. I take you out and hold doors for you; you make me dinner and we cuddle on the couch; I kiss you to oblivion and back. We're a couple Avery. You're there for me, and I'm here for you. That's how this works. I'm your boyfriend."
"This was supposed to be easy, Jamie. Why are you making this hard?"
"Because I like you, Avery!" He shouted. "I don't want fun. I want you. Only you. Come back upstairs, please. We need to talk about this and figure this out."
"I already figured this out. I'm breaking up with you. I'm sorry, but that's how this has to be." She opened the door and slid into the driver's seat and pulled away.
He of course complained that having two Croft women now trying to find him a good woman sucked. But Avery knew he secretly loved and appreciated her looking out for him until Stella got back to town.
Avery had not told her sister that she and Jamie were sleeping together. For one, she didn't feel obligated to tell her every person she had ever slept with. More importantly, she knew that whatever was going on between her and Jamie couldn't last forever and it had to end soon. He was the captain of the Dallas Stars, and she was an employee of his team. It just couldn't happen.
She knew her boss had been lenient with her because Stella was married to Jordie. She knew she had been given a free pass when Tyler had started showing up to have lunch with her because of her sister's relationship to the team.
When Jamie started coming around, he played the family card and people had turned a blind eye to it. Avery maintained a level of professionalism around both men whenever they stopped by her office, or at least tried to. Jamie always had other plans.
He had earlier that day come by with Tyler to take her to lunch and when he swung her back to her office after, kissed her without thinking. It had become natural to him to hold her, touch her, kiss her. He felt like she was his, and he wanted people to know that, even though she had asked him not to when she was at work.
Lunch had been so good though, laughing and joking with Tyler as they planned a get together for the team that was returning in two days, that those happy feelings carried over and he kissed her. Not a friendly and quick kiss on the cheek but a full on, leave her breathless kiss.
He had been gone ten minutes when her boss and his boss showed up in her office. There had been no uncertainty on the purpose of the impromptu meeting. With the season right around the corner, the players focus needed to be succeeding on the ice; her lunches with Jamie and Tyler needed to be less and less frequent. And her relationship with Jamie needed to come to an end.
She found herself after work pacing Jamie's living room, waiting for him to get there. When he walked in ten minutes after her, he smiled at the sight of her.
He had given her a key after a week, so she could come over straight from work and not have to wait in the parking lot in case his workouts ran long, or if he was out doing obligations for the team. He liked having Avery in his life. She was strong and independent, and he would never have to worry about her being needy when they went on a road trip.
She was also beautiful and smart. She challenged him, never held back, and always said what was on her mind. He loved that she had an opinion about everything and never hesitated to tell him when his was wrong. He liked their good natured back and forth and he really liked kissing her. He liked even better having her completely in his bed.
"Hey," he said as he came in, closing the door behind him and turning the lock.
Avery stopped pacing and spun at the sound of his voice. She picked up her purse from the arm of the couch and walked towards him.
"I can't stay," she started.
"I thought we were getting dinner?"
She shook her head. "I can't." She couldn't meet his eye and Jamie noticed. He put his arm around her and drew her into him.
"What's wrong, Avery?"
"You and Tyler have to stop coming by for lunch," she replied quietly, settling her head against his chest. She was gonna miss this. She loved when Jamie held her. It felt safe, his strong arms around her. She took a moment to savor it one last time before stepping back from him.
"We can't do this anymore either."
"This? You mean me and you?" Jamie asked. "I don't understand. I thought we were good."
"Jamie..." She sniffled and breathed in deeply before exhaling. She grabbed his hand and placed his key in his palm and closed his fingers around it. "It was fun, but that's all it ever was. I'll see you around."
She hurried from his apartment and to the elevator, her vision clouded with tears. She looked up when Jamie held his hand between the elevator doors to keep them from closing.
"I don't understand. I thought we meant something. And now you're telling me it was just fun? So you've been dicking me around this whole time? I like you, Avery. I want to be with you, only you."
"Jamie, please," she begged, brushing the back of her hands across her eyes. "Just forget me."
"Forget you?" He repeated incredulously. "I should just forget your touch, or the way you kiss me, or how I've fallen for you? Are you going to just forget the way I make you come and the way you scream my name?"
"That's not fair."
"Not fair? What's not fair is you bailing on us and not giving me any reason why."
"I got in trouble at work and a warning today," she bit out angrily. "You or my job. I picked my job. Happy now?" He stepped back in shock, blinking at her words and she smashed the door close button. "I'm sorry, Jamie," she whispered as the doors finally slid closed.
Jamie stared at the elevator doors for a long moment before reality set in. She was gone, really gone, and that just wasn't going to work for him.
He rushed towards the stairs and ran down them to the parking garage. Avery stepped off the elevator with a couple other people as he opened the door. "Avery!" He called out breathlessly as she moved towards her car.
The other people looked at him. He knew they might recognize him and he didn't care. He started towards her.
"This can't just be over before it even starts. I'm not agreeing to that. It's more than just fun; it's me and you. Let me talk to your boss."
She shook her head sadly as he reached her. "It's a conflict of interest, Jamie. And we never agreed to anything. We didn't have any labels."
"I didn't know we needed any. I'm not seeing anyone else, and you're not seeing anyone else. We're together."
"I'm not your girlfriend."
"Yes you are. I take you out and hold doors for you; you make me dinner and we cuddle on the couch; I kiss you to oblivion and back. We're a couple Avery. You're there for me, and I'm here for you. That's how this works. I'm your boyfriend."
"This was supposed to be easy, Jamie. Why are you making this hard?"
"Because I like you, Avery!" He shouted. "I don't want fun. I want you. Only you. Come back upstairs, please. We need to talk about this and figure this out."
"I already figured this out. I'm breaking up with you. I'm sorry, but that's how this has to be." She opened the door and slid into the driver's seat and pulled away.