Bite Me.

Chapter 16

        Hey guys. I'll keep this short becuase this chapter is... well... you'll see.

I would truly love to hear what your guys' honest reactions to this chapter are so please comment.

and please enjoy

Avery's POV

I don't know what happened.

One minute everything was good. Everything was normal. Things felt like they used to be.

And then suddenly it was like a bomb exploded.

It had been about two weeks since Rick's family left from Christmas Vacation. They had spent a week with us and I was starting to feel... accepted.

They were all so close; as if they were a private club and yet they seemed to just accept me with open arms. Mary spoiled me rotten the entire week with home baked goods and home made scarves and sweaters. Jakob and Greg were great as well. They were funny and supportive. Jakob could write an entire book full of jokes and stories to share and Greg brought along a trunk full of games that all of us enjoyed immensely.

I can honestly say that when they packed up to leave I felt sad, but also loved as we waved goodbye to their retreating car.

The next two weeks went... honestly a bit rocky between Rick and I. But not all bad. He had somehow convinced me to stay with him at his cabin and had taken Scott to move some of my clothes and personal stuff from my cabin to his. There were a few doctor's visits that he drove me to but otherwise we were in a world all our own.

The quiet woods, the soft snow, and hot chocolate. For a while I felt good; and coming to the close of the two weeks I felt more confident in talking to Rick about... everything...

But then it happened.

The day came where I was starting to build up the courage to talk to him but then he was called out for an emergency at the company and had to leave. So I was left alone in the cabin. Just me and my thoughts. I was beginning to second guess myself when Evie called. She had asked how I was doing and I told her honestly I felt like I needed some time out of the cabin so she offered to take me grocery shopping with her.

I agreed.

I tried calling Rick to tell him where I was going but he wouldn't pick up so I left a message and a written note on the door of the cabin so he would know one way or the other. Evie picked me up shortly after and we drove into town.

The grocery store in town wasn't anything special. Just a family owned place with all the essentials. Honestly there were only about eight aisles with a bakery near the check-out.

"Would you hand me the butter?"

"Yeah."

I reached over with my un-casted hand and handed the package of butter to Evie who placed it in the cart, piling it on top of her small collection of food. We walked on for a while in silence eyeing the aisles with unseeing eyes until finally Evie broke the silence.

"Everything going okay?"

I gave a short sigh and looked rather closely at a box of Cheerios with a dancing bee on the cover.

"Oh come on Avery. It's been three weeks since we've been able to talk face to face, something must have happened. Anything." She shrugged her shoulders giving me a sideways glance and I felt a much longer, harder sigh leave me as I mindlessly itched at my cast.

I needed to talk to someone about all this and if I couldn't talk to Evie than I couldn't talk to anyone.

"I'm thinking about, for lack of a better phrase, breaking the ice with Rick about... about... everything."