Chapter 48: Three Months After

Jane took a deep breath and Avery knew what the answer was. She leaned back in her chair while Jane sat in front of her. “So what now?”

Avery looked at her friend, she didn’t want to sound like she was giving up but she was running out of ideas. Jane looked at Avery as she recalled what happened in Carson’s office.

Jane smiled and nodded. “She did. She wanted to talk to you but you know how Avery can be.” Carson lightly smiled but she can sense that he was sad and hurt. “I can’t meet her, Jane. I don’t know what she told you but I can’t trust her anymore.”

Carson sounded exactly like Avery. That’s when Jane understood how her bestfriend fell for the man. “I know it’s hard, especially after what she did but Avery isn’t the type to fix relationships. She usually runs away since she doesn’t care. I know that might be hard to believe, but she is doing everything she can to just talk to you. She even talked to your sister.”

His eyes widened when he heard the last line. But he didn’t react and kept quiet. Jane smiled and nodded. She knew she had done her part.

Jane looked at Avery who seemed to be thinking of another plan. This was the first time she saw Avery like this and it made her happy. Not because Avery was suffering but because she was going out of her shell. She was finally making an effort to make someone stay.

Jane held Avery’s hand. “He’ll come around. Maybe he just needed time.” Avery looked at the building from the window. She knew Jane was right. Maybe she needed to give him some space for everything.

3 months later, Avery was working on her business. She decided that it was time she let go of her targets. Using the money she got as Carson’s assistant and the remaining money from Mark, Avery bought a small space near her apartment.

With the help of Jane and Brix, Avery opened a small coffee shop. The shop has a classy and homey vibe. It was like the coffee shop that Carson and Avery went to but Avery’s shop was modern.

She studied coffee making as she couldn’t afford to hire anyone yet. Alexander also offered to help in terms of buying furniture.

“You should go change! It’s our opening in a while and you should look presentable!” Jane commented as she pushed her friend out of the coffee shop. Avery looked at them with worry.

“Don’t worry! We’ll get everything ready” Brix commented as he finished arranging the balloons. Jane nodded in agreement. Avery took one last look at the café, sure it has everything, but something feels missing.

But she knew that the couple were right. She has been working hard preparing for the opening that she looked like a mess. She smiled at Jane, “Thank you. I’ll be right back.”

Since the shop is nearby, she decided to walk. The breeze is cool in this time of month and people are starting to wear jackets. It was the perfect time to open a coffee shop. She then paused when she saw a bus with a banner of Carson’s face.

She thought of inviting him for the opening but she knew that he was busy as he would be Lee Technology’s CEO next month. Besides, he probably won’t mind her at all. She looked at her phone. In the past 3 months, he would randomly call her at 2 am but she wouldn’t hear his voice. It was the same routine. She would hear his breath and the bottles beside him. She never bothered messaging him or saying anything on the other line.

They would just stay in line for a couple of minutes then he would hang up. It was weird but Avery took it a sign. He was healing and he needed time. She knew he would come around if he wanted to and right now, her priority was herself.

The opening of the coffee shop was successful. A lot of people came and the place was full. Avery wore a white long dress that showcased her figure. Her hair was curled and the color was back to blonde. She looked like a Greek goddess.

As she entertained the customers, Jane and Brix were taking care of the orders. Considering the amount of people who would come, Alexander just decided to send wine. He didn’t want to cause any trouble even if he and Avery were just friends.

“WOW. That was awesome” Jane commented as she laid on the sofa. The café was now empty and Brix was busy moping the floor. Avery smiled as she cleaned the tables. “Thank you for your help.”

“If this continues, you need to hire people.” Jane commented while Brix nodded. “Yeah, I think so too. I’ll try posting some ads tomorrow.” Avery said as she tied the black garbage bag. Jane smiled, “I’m so happy for you, Ave. You’ve come this far.”

Avery smiled. Yes, she was happy. She never imagined that she would end up in this position. It was truly amazing but a part of her knew that she wasn’t happy too. “I’ll just take out the trash” She said while the couple just nodded.

The night breeze was colder than before but she didn’t mind. The trash container was just nearby and a little cold won’t be bad for her. She was about to throw the bag in the container when she heard someone.

“Need help?”

Avery paused and looked at the direction of the voice. She heard footsteps coming near her. She couldn’t see him but when he passed by the streetlight, her eyes widen. Carson smiled at her, “It’s been a while, Avery.”