Kidnap My Heart - Chapter Sixteen

After the dramatic couple had made up, Ivy sat with Evelyn as the boys bonded. "Nice throw there honey." Ivy said with a chuckle. Evelyn smiled as she rubbed her swollen eyes. "I feel so bad. I thought it was Nate and it turned out to be Avery. Now he has that gigantic bruise on his face." Evelyn said shyly. Ivy laughed and reached out to hold her friend's hand. "It's alright Evelyn. Considering how he was cracking jokes about it, Avery is totally alright with it. It's better the boy who you've been friends with through thick and thin than, your boyfriend." Ivy said kindly. They got into a steady conversation and noticed the boys had been sneaking looks toward them. "You really look amazing Ives. Even Nate can't help to stare." Evelyn said with a thoughtful smile. "There's nothing new about me. I just lost weight and fixed my distractingly curly hair." Ivy said with a grin. Evelyn snorted and leaned toward her. "Here's a secret I think you should know. You've always been amazingly beautiful. You just never realized it." Evelyn said with a sparking smile. Ivy smiled faintly and shrugged. "That's a secret I can't believe." Ivy whispered back. Evelyn laughed sweetly and plastered a smile onto her face. Ivy's green eyes flickered with amusement and her lips pulled into a smirk. "Well Ivy, I guess that's what makes it interesting."

"So what's new with Ivy and you?" Nate said as he took a sip of his drink. Avery cringed slightly and pinched his arm to stop. "Nothing changed. We're still in that same awkward zone. I don't think anything will change from this point. I'm leaving in a week and it's not going anywhere. I might as well give up and live the rest of my life alone." Avery said bitterly. He already felt so alone without someone to go home to or share everything with. He wanted that feeling that Nate and Mason had every day of their lives. Time was ticking for him and he knew it was ticking fast. Nate smiled wearily and leaned back on his seat. "Don't think like that. We'll think of something to make it work." Nate said confidently. Avery groaned inwardly and forced a smile. "And what if this plan of yours fails completely?" Avery questioned. Nate smiled deviously and his blue eyes glittered furiously. "Have I ever failed you, honeybunch?" Nate said as he reached out his hand and laid it onto Avery's knee. Avery was traumatized and pushed Nate's hand away slowly. "Um I'm pretty sure you have before." Avery said as he inched away from Nate quickly.

Nate laughed melodiously and wiped away his fake tears. "You never cease to amaze me. I can't believe you can play along so well." Nate said happily. Avery tilted his head back and laughed loudly. When his laughter died out he turned back toward Nate. "I really hope this plan of yours works." Avery remarked with a smirk. Nate looked at him solemnly. "Who said I had a plan? But don't you trust me? I am one of the most help fullest people I know. Plus I'm your wing man. I got this." Nate said with a cocky grin. Avery rolled his eyes and averted his gaze to the women in the kitchen. They sat on the open stools and chatted vigorously about useless womanly things. "Tell me. How is it that Evelyn could like a smug man like you? I always thought she went for down to earth kind of guys." Avery said as he shot back a sip of his cool drink. Nate chuckled darkly and gazed at Avery coolly. "I'm just amazingly handsome and I guess she couldn't resist my charms. I guess it's also the fact that I'm just every girl's prince." Nate replied as he leaned in toward Avery.

Avery smiled and extended his arms above him. "Right now you're pulling a Mason. He's the only one who's supposed to be a prince." Avery commented as Nate frowned. "I could do it too you know." Nate pouted childishly. Avery smirked and closed his eyes. Avery couldn't help but think of how much this guy had changed from their youth. Once long ago, Avery had been extremely jealous of this man. Ivy had always bragged about how Nate could do this and that before they had dated. Ivy was completely smitten by him and was nonstop asking Avery questions about Nate, even if the both of them lived next to each other. Within time, Avery had learned how to control his feelings and he wooed Ivy into his life too. He was such an egotistical person though and he lost the one person he needed most. "Nate, am I a shallow person?" Avery asked. Nate thought for a moment and shook his head. "Nothing near it my friend. You wouldn't be a doctor if you were." Nate replied with a genuine smile. Avery nodded and averted his mind to another topic.

As day drew on, Ivy helped Nate cook dinner. Evelyn had wanted to help but Nate had told her to keep Avery company. Ivy had thought this would have sparked the fuel between them but it hadn't. Evelyn complied stubbornly and pranced off into the living room quickly. Evelyn walked up to Avery silently and plopped herself next to him on the couch. "So Avery, have you made a move on Ives yet?" Evelyn said as she leaned against Avery's slouching position. Avery groaned unconsciously and looked down at her. "You know, I regret telling you about how I felt about her." Avery said with a deep frown. Evelyn lifted her arm around Avery's waist and pulled him into an awkward hug. "Please. It's good you told me in the first place or else you would've burst from not telling anyone." Evelyn said as she squeezed him tight. Avery wiggled out of her grasp but her arms had locked around him.

Evelyn laughed sweetly and gripped onto him tighter. "Stop moving!! I'm giving my pal a hug here!" Evelyn said as he wriggled away. Avery stood up and jumped behind the couch. "You won't be able to catch me!!" he said as he bolted towards the kitchen. "Avery Warren, you narcissistic dummy don't run away from me!! You know I can hurt you! That big bruise on your face proves it all. All I want is a stupid hug!" Evelyn yelled as she dashed toward him. "I'm so scared!" Avery mocked as he jogged away from her. Avery ran into the kitchen and grabbed Nate to stand in front of him as Evelyn entered the kitchen. Avery watched as Evelyn crossed her arms in front of her and pouted. She started crying and Avery felt Nate tense up in front of him. "C'mon man she's playing the both of us. You know she's good at faking her tears. Don't you dare move." Avery whispered to Nate. Evelyn inched closer to them and Avery stepped back, pulling Nate with him. "Nate, he's being a dummy." Evelyn whined dramatically. Evelyn advanced closer and Avery backed up, only to hit a wall. Evelyn walked up to Avery's man shield and kissed him smack on the lips.

Nate lowered his head toward her and kissed her back happily. Before he knew it, Avery had lost Nate to his girlfriend and he was left to think of another solution. After Evelyn had let go of Nate, she grinned at Avery mischievously and charged toward him for a hug. This time she had prevailed and held Avery in a death grip. "I gotcha! So what do I win?" Evelyn said with a glitter of amusement plastered on her face. They walked back to the living room slowly with Evelyn still gripping onto him. Avery looked down at her and sighed in defeat. "Who said you would win anything?" Avery said smiling. Evelyn grinned and let go of him. "I did so I know what I want from you." Evelyn said with a bigger grin. Avery gulped visibly and hung his head. "Oh please share." He said with forged enthusiasm. Evelyn smiled sinisterly and whispered it into his ear. "You are going to plan something with Ivy whether you like it or not. Got it?" Avery felt his heart flutter wildly and watched as Evelyn stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. Was he really able to be with Ivy a whole day without spilling his secret? He had done it before but if it was just the two of them it seemed impossible.

Before he was able to answer, he heard Ivy laugh overwhelmingly. He heard mini shrieks coming from her in the kitchen and listened to them intently. "She has such a pretty laugh." Avery said instinctively. Evelyn grinned at him happily and patted his shoulder lightly. "Think of it as me doing you the biggest favor of your life. This is what will seal the deal between you and Ivy. This is what's going to show what will happen to the both of you. I just want you to be happy." Evelyn whispered slowly. "That's very true. I'll think of something." Avery said with a faint smile. Within minutes, they both had been called by Nate and they headed to the dining room.

They ate dinner with a lively conversation about Nate's job and Avery stayed silent as he contemplated on what he was going to do. It was such a troublesome task. He played with his food involuntarily. He knew Ivy's likes and dislikes when they were younger and hoped her preferences hadn't changed. She was in love with sports and so was he. Her competitive lifestyle helped her throughout her life. Avery had tried beating her at her competitiveness but he fell short. It was too tiring for him. He remembered also how much she had been interested in music. Once she had wanted to learn how to play guitar but was already too busy in her schedule. She had been balancing school, sports, after school jobs, and she had tried to make sure she spent some time being with her friends everyday besides from school. To still be able to learn and spend time with her special someone he offered to teach her. He was amazingly skilled at playing it since he learned how at a young age.

They had many laughs and Avery's parents had chaperoned on those nights. Even Ivy had told him that those nights kept her alive. His parents had done the old "show your son's girlfriend his baby pictures" trick. It annoyed him but surprisingly, since it was Ivy, he wasn't as embarrassed as he thought he would have been. Her smiles from that night had been sealed into the depths of his brain and heart. He chuckled silently and looked up from his plate of food in front of him. Silence enwrapped his ears and he looked up at the worried faces of his friends. "Avey, are you alright?" Evelyn asked with a worried look. Avery smiled at her distraughtly and nodded slowly. "Never better." He whispered lightly. The night went on and as soon as it had started, the day had come to an end.