I knock again, before whispering her name.
“Ava. It’s me.”
Still nothing.
I readjust my position on the trellis, the wood creaking beneath my weight as a piece breaks away from the wall. Quickly I glance at the ground, realizing if I fall it’s a long way down until I hit grass, and I pray to God that if I do fall, I won’t break a fucking bone.
Why the hell did I think this would be a good idea again?
Deciding I don’t give a shit, I raise my voice and let myself be heard.
“Damn it, Ava, let me in,” I practically yell, wincing when my voice carries in the quiet night.
The curtains are pushed open and there she is, standing in front of her window, her expression full of shock as she takes me in.
My eyes eat her up, my entire body breaking out in a sweat. Her hair is pulled up into a sloppy bun on top of her head and she’s wearing an oversized red Fresno State T-shirt that’s old and faded.
She’s beautiful.
When she opens the window, and I see her face, I realize she’s also really pissed.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she bites out, sounding hostile.
“I came to talk to you,” I say, keeping it casual. Like it’s no biggie that I climbed up the side of the house to do so.
“Can’t you call like a normal person?”
I don’t bother answering. The trellis trembles beneath my hold, letting me know it can’t take my weight much longer, and I reach a hand out to her, grateful the screen is still off her window. Can’t believe her dad never had it replaced. “Pull me in before I fall to the ground and break my arm.”
She grabs my hand, both of us ignoring the electricity that sparks between us as she braces her feet and tugs with all her might. I help her, pushing my way through the window, until I’m tumbling onto the floor of her teenaged bedroom.
Being inside this room is giving me major flashbacks, all of them pleasant. Nothing bad happened between us in this room, and that gives me hope.
“You need to leave,” she says as soon as she shoves the window closed.
I remain where I’m sitting on the floor and tilt my head, trying to catch a glimpse underneath that giant T-shirt she’s wearing. I don’t see shorts. All I see are her long legs, which tells me she might have some panties on under that thing and nothing else. “But I just got here.”
“I don’t want to talk to you tonight.” She turns to face me, irritation written all over her pretty face when she catches me staring. “And stop trying to look up my shirt.”
My girl knows me so well.
I hop to my feet and start pacing, unable to stop myself. Pacing helps me think, I swear. “I need you to hear me out.”
“No. I don’t have to, Eli. We’re not together anymore. You can’t boss me around and you definitely can’t march back into my life as if you never left it.” She stomps straight toward me and thrusts her index finger into my face, wagging it like a pissed-off teacher. “You broke my heart. I can’t forgive you so easily for that.”
“You broke my heart too, you know. It’s like my feelings didn’t even matter in your decisions,” I throw at her.
“I’m starting to wonder if you even have a heart,” she tosses back as she takes that weaponized index finger and pokes me in the chest, like she’s trying to find it. “I don’t miss you, Eli. Not one. Single. Bit.”
She pokes me every time she says a word and damn it, that finger hurts.
“You’re such a fuckin’ liar, Princess.” She winces when I call her that and before she can drop her hand, I grab her wrist, holding it to my chest. “You miss me so damn bad. I haunt your dreams. And your nightmares. You probably touch yourself in the middle of the night while you think about me. Am I right?”
Her green eyes are wide and blazing with an emotion I don’t really recognize, which I don’t like. What is this girl thinking? I’ve had her so figured out the last few years, and now she feels like a mystery again.
“You’re disgusting,” she whispers.
I tug her closer, her body colliding with mine. “You really believe that? I’m disgusting? Such harsh words for the guy who stole your cherry.”