Chapter Two - Fourth Wheeling

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"Mac's Sushi?" Avery questioned.

"No," I shook my head.

"Emerald Palace Chinese?" She pressed.

"No," I crossed my arms.

She huffed, "Thai cuisine?"

"Of course not, Avery!"

We were currently trying to decide where to go for dinner, but we had to filter through all the potential places Aaron and our old friends could be eating at. He really liked to eat out. I wish I could have put a tracker on his phone before we broke up. That's a healthy mindset, Olivia.

"I got it. We drive thirty minutes on the I95 to get to John Street to that BBQ and grill place," she looked proud of herself.

"That's perfect! See, I knew we'd figure it out." I stated proudly.

"Yeah, we sure did a lot. You know this is totally dysfunctional right? This is not the normal way people go through break ups." Avery looked at me with concern.

I was fully aware that this wasn't the ideal way to go through life - avoiding every single potential meeting place, but the alternative was even scarier. Facing him in person.

"I'm fine, Avery. I just don't want to see Aaron. I don't think that's insane." I reasoned with her, trying to appear like I had a handle on my mental well-being. It didn't always feel that way if I was being honest.

"Fine, fine." She raised her hands up to me in surrender. "We should get going if we're going to have dinner before midnight."

"When's the last time you saw Nathan?" I asked changing the subject. Avery and her new boyfriend, Nathan, had been inseparable since they first got together a few months ago. They were seeing each other constantly until my drama with Aaron happened. Avery had dropped everything to be with me for the last couple weeks, supporting me in anyway she thought she could, including going along with my insane restaurant plans apparently. I was so grateful to have such a supportive friend in her. But I also knew how much it was killing her to be away from Nathan for so long.

"Oh, not too long ago. It's not a big deal." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she grabbed her keys.

"You should make plans to see him later," I encouraged. It didn't make sense that she had to put a pause on her life because of my drama. When I told her this much, she told me to let her love me the way she knew how - suffocatingly, apparently.

"I will. I just don't want it to seem like I'm abandoning you," she analyzed my expression as she spoke.

"Avery, I'm fine. I appreciate what you're saying, but I know you miss him. You should hang out, you've got your own stuff going on too."

"I'll consider it." She stated heading out the door to her car.

"Consider it like you'll meet up today?" I prodded.

"Consider it like I'll do it when I feel like it." Well, nothing summed up Avery better than that sentiment.

Avery had always been stubborn. When she felt like she knew what was best for someone (which was often), she was a moth to a flame. A well intentioned, loyal moth. "I can call him if you're worried the spark is gone?" I teased.

She hit my shoulder, "oh we've got sparks all right," she sighed wistfully.

"Just call!" I interrupted, not wanting to hear anymore about the sparks she had with her boyfriend.

"Okay. I'll call and hang out but on one condition." She waited, eyebrow raised.

"Yes?"

"You come with me. Nathan usually asks his friend to come along anyway. I've met him a couple times. They're super close. So it'll work perfectly!" She clapped her hands together gleefully.

"No way," I replied. Intrude on a date between my best friend, her boyfriend, and a random guy is never met? I'd pass. I was awkward enough around people I was comfortable with. I didn't need to tempt the fates.

"Come on, Olivia! I miss Nathan but there's no way I'm leaving you by yourself when you have to drive for half an hour to get food for yourself."

"I don't have to. I want to. There's a difference."

"Yeah, the difference being you're a chicken and you don't want to confront your feelings." If I hadn't have known Avery since childhood, phrases like this would have hurt me, but Avery was blunt to a fault. She didn't sugar coat for someone's benefit, which meant if you were lucky enough, you ended up with an honest friend for life. After Aaron, I realized I had less of those in my life than I originally thought.

Avery paused and then added, "It's fine, I've grown used to the way you handle things by not handling them at all. I've accepted it," as though she wanted to spare my feelings. I appreciated the thought.

"I'm happy for you," I retorted.

"Thank you. Take notes, this is what self actualization looks like." She smiled widely at me.

I snorted, chucking a pillow at her. "I'm still not tagging along and third wheeling your dates with Nathan."

"Technically you'd be fourth wheeling it since Nathan's friend will likely be there as well. Plus it'd be like a hang out more than a date. I promise not to invite you on those." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me.

"Thank the lord for that," sarcasm leaking through my words.

"Just consider it. If you don't agree I just won't be able to see Nathan anymore. I'll have to join a monastery and you know where I go I take you with me." Avery reasoned and I laughed with her, though I knew she truly meant her words - Avery always did. She really would dig her heels in and not move until I caved, which always happened.

"Fine. But if it's the slightest bit weird, I'm taking your car back home."

"That's more than fair. I'm going to call Nathan now!"

Nathan was apparently so desperate to see Avery that he was also driving for 30 minutes to meet us at the restaurant. It was sweet really. I was really happy for Avery that she found someone like Nathan in her life. She more than deserved that. 

My mind flashed back to Aaron and how he used to bring ice cream to my place and we'd snuggle on the couch together. I felt the familiar pang in my stomach as the thoughts rolled around in my head and I wrapped my arms around myself to try and make myself feel better. It didn't help.

"Babe!" Nathan rushed into the restaurant and met us at our table. He only had eyes for Avery and quickly ran up to her, wrapping her in his arms and moving in to kiss her. And kiss her some more. When they finished making out, they made out some more. Absence made the heart fonder clearly. Avery stepped back looking flushed and made eye contact with me smiling widely.

"I missed you," Nathan said holding Avery's hand tightly in his own.

Avery beamed at him, "I missed you too."

Nathan seemed to notice I was also at the table. "Hey, Olivia. How are you?"

"Hi, Nathan. I'm doing good thanks." A little awkward, but surviving at the moment. 

"Alex is just parking the car. I couldn't wait for him to find a parking spot to see you," he leaned into Avery again for another session and I looked away trying to give them some privacy. Yes, this is exactly how I'd imagined crashing a date would be. 

Nathan looked behind me, "here he is."

I looked behind me and was shocked to see the supermodel from my psychology class the other day. I gaped as he walked towards us in a leather jacket, black jeans, and black boots. His hair looked more tousled than usual and when his piercing green eyes made contact with me I thought I might swoon.

"Hey, Avery. How's it going?" he asked in a deep masculine voice.

"Hey, Alexander. This is my friend, Olivia." She gestured towards me. He sat down in the only available seat, which was on the bench that I was currently sitting on. He shuffled onto the bench and removed his jacket, placing it next to him. I froze at the feel of the heat radiating off of his large body.

"Hey," he said barely glancing at me.

"Hi," I squeaked out. I glanced at Avery to see she was in deep conversation with Nathan. "You're in my psychology class right?" I asked trying to make conversation. I'm sure he also felt awkward at the gathering. Who wouldn't given the circumstances. 

"Hm," he hummed in what I could only assume was acknowledgement. I guess some of us felt more awkward than others. 

We sat in uncomfortable silence until Avery noticed and nudged Nathan.

"So, uh, Olivia. How have you been doing since Aaron - ow!" Avery glared at Nathan. I'm assuming that wasn't the question she wanted him to ask. I sighed. It was going to be a long night. 

I gave Nathan a small smile, "I'm fine," I let him know. Avery gave me a weak smile as an apology. We looked back at our menus only this time I noticed a pair of green eyes fixed on me. I tried to pretend to read the menu. It was very difficult. I sighed. I missed Aaron. How I wished I could call him to pick me up from this disaster of an evening. 

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