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Chapter Thirty: Hold My Hand

Our date turned out to be a rather successful one. At least, I though it did. Conversation flowed easily between us. He opened up to me, and I opened up in return. To an extent, anyway. He was a complete gentleman. Not once did he bother to check his phone, and I enjoyed the privacy the empty diner provided. Amy was super nice about the whole thing, too. She did tease us a few times, but I knew they were harmless comments. Amy was a good friend, and I was sure she was silently thrilled that I was having lunch with Avi. She was one of the people who had been bugging me to get a boyfriend.

"It's about time you got back, isn't it?"

Avi checked his phone and nodded. "Yeah, sound check will start pretty soon. I better get going."

I caught Amy's eye and nodded her over. "How much will it be, Amy?"

"I've got it," Avi interrupted.

I glanced at him. "It's not that expensive. I was the one that drug you all of the way out here. Let me pay."

Avi shook his head. "Kristin, I was the one that asked you on this date. I'll pay. No arguing."

I pouted a bit but said no more. "Fine, Avriel, but next time it is on me." I caught myself. "Uh, if there is a next time. I mean, if you want there to be. You're pretty busy, though, so it's unlikely but..." I trailed off, stopping myself before the rambling became too much.

"Kristin, quit," Avriel said after he paid Amy. "There is definitely going to be a next time, and as far as when it is, we'll make it work. Okay?" I nodded mutely. Amy came back quickly with his change, and he stood, thanking her. "It was nice to meet you, Amy."

Amy's eyes brightened. "Oh, definitely! Thanks for being so cool about the pictures and everything. Sorry if I fangirled too hard earlier." The two laughed. "It's not every day I get to meet a crazy talented and famous singer."

I stood and went to follow Avi out the door, but Amy grabbed me in a short hug. "You've got a good one there, girl. Don't let him go," she whispered into my ear.

I chuckled and returned the hug. "I'm not planning on it."

She winked. "If you do, give him my number. I'm still single, you know."

I giggled and said, loudly, "Goodbye, Amy."

She laughed as I stepped out of the diner, Avi holding the door open for me. I made a move to the car but stopped when a warm hand caught my wrist. I turned expectantly to Avi, seeing him scratch his beard with his free hand. "Um, just in case I don't get to do this later," he muttered before leaning in, kissing my cheek.

I froze. His lips lingered for a moment too long, and I greedily took in his scent. He leaned back and stared into my eyes as if he was searching for something. I stared back, entranced. He smiled, pleased with whatever he had found there, and a small smile played along my own lips in response to his. How could one man evoke so many feelings within me?

He cleared his throat, shifting his weight from foot to foot. I blinked, bringing myself back to reality. "Right. We should go." I climbed behind the wheel and started the car. Avi got in beside me. We made eye contact again, and I looked away first, blushing. There were so many things I wanted to say, yet I didn't feel like the timing was correct. Instead, I settled with, "Should I drop you off at the concert hall?"

Avi nodded and told me the address. I already knew where it was, seeing as I would be attending the concert and meet and greet later. Shit. I still needed to get ready for that, and I had to make sure Silver had all of his mess together too. That man was entirely too absentminded when it came to making sure he had everything he needed, no matter what the situation was. He couldn't really help it, though. His mind simply calculated things so fast that it was hard for him to remember something unless it was important. You could ask him a question, and if he didn't answer it immediately, his mind would escape to a completely different topic.

The silence for the first few moments wasn't uncomfortable, but I desperately wanted to hear his voice again. It seemed like he wanted to talk, because before I could get a word out, he did. "It was really neat seeing you work with horses like that."

I smiled. "I feel like I should warn you for future reference that I can literally go on for hours about horses. They have been the one constant in most of my life. I love them dearly."

"Music to me is horses to you."

I nodded, pleased he had remembered. "They weren't around for a lot of my childhood. I was actually pretty lonely growing up, so when horses finally came into the picture, I eagerly jumped at the opportunity to have friends, even if they did have four legs."

"You haven't talked much about your childhood," Avi noted.

I bit my lip. "It's not a happy story."

Avi grabbed my hand, which was resting on the gear shift. Electricity ignited, and I quickly looked over at him in surprise. I found comfort and reassurance in his warm eyes. "I'm here, if you want to talk about it."

I gulped, fighting back tears as I stared at the road. Licking my lips, I attempted to form words. "Don't let go," I managed to whisper.

His response was to intertwine our fingers together, tightly encasing mine with his own. My hand was so much smaller than his; it was almost comical. Our fingers were both equally callused: mine from working at the barn and his from strumming a guitar. It was amazing how the simple gesture made me feel like I was flying yet grounded at the same time.

And with a sigh, I told him a condensed version of my time in South Carolina, which consequently led to my current residence in New York. Avriel remained silent during my monologue, but in fear of seeing a negative reaction, I never risked a glance in his direction.

Shortly after I finished telling my tale, we arrived at the large arena. It was rather empty, seeing as the concert wouldn't start for another couple of hours. I parked as close as I could, and we sat in silence for a few minutes. "I hope I'm not too bold in saying this, but you amaze me."

I released a breath I didn't know I had been holding. "What?" I asked, startled.

Our eyes met. "To have gone through what you did and to be so positive still, I can't believe how strong you are."

My mouth quirked as I spoke with sarcasm. "In this world, you either swim to shore or you drown. There's not a lot of room to simply tread water."

Avi shifted in his seat and reached his free hand over to grab my chin. A gasp escaped me as he gently forced my head to move so I was completely facing him. "Don't bring yourself down."

I flinched. "I try not to. It is one of those things that are easier said than done."

He leaned closer to me, and I froze. Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to kiss me? We had only known each other for a few days, and we had just finished our first date. Did people usually kiss on their first date? Were we rushing into it? I didn't know. Luckily, it was a false alarm. I supposed he wanted to ensure his point was going to get across, and that was why he was so close that I could feel his breath against my skin as he spoke. "You are an amazing woman, Kristin. I haven't known you for long, but I know without a doubt that you are incredibly talented and smart. You have no reason to be ashamed or insecure about anything. I never want you to feel like you are anything less than perfect, especially when you are with me."

No one had ever said anything similar to me before. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pressed my face into his neck. "Thank you, Avriel," I whispered. He held me for a while, but I knew that he really needed to get going. He did as well. "You have to leave, now."

Avi pulled back, and I frowned sadly. "Hey, wipe that frown off of your beautiful face. It doesn't suit you." He kissed my forehead, and I smiled involuntarily. "I'll talk to you later?" I wasn't sure why it came out as a question.

"Text me whenever you're not busy. If I'm up, I'll call you." He nodded and exited the car. I watched him walk away and waved when he glanced back over his shoulder. "Good luck, Avriel. I'll see you soon." I chuckled to myself. "Sooner than you think. I sure hope you and the others are surprised."

Before starting the car back up again, I texted Quicksilver. Kris<3: Pietro, if your ass isn't dressed and your shit isn't together by the time I get back to the apartment, I am going to melt all of your ice cream.

It wasn't long before I received a reply. PietroXOX: Not the ice cream!

I laughed to myself. That man loved his ice cream. He had never really had any in Sokovia before, and when Tony first introduced the twins to the cold confection, Pietro was instantly hooked.

PietroXOX: What should I wear?

Kris<3: It's a concert that's going to mainly contain teenage girls. Wear whatever you would like.

PietroXOX: Do you think people are going to ask about my hair? Should I go incognito?

Kris<3: I'll change my hair to purple. How about that?

Kris<3: And I'm probably going to change into a tank top of the band and jean shorts. Does that help?

PietroXOX: Yes!

PietroXOX: Okay, I'm changed. How long will you be? I'm lonely.

PietroXOX: Love?

Kris<3: Pietro, I'm driving. I'm about half of an hour out. Don't go anywhere.

PietroXOX: Why? That's such a long time. I could go to California and be back in time.

PietroXOX: Kristin?

Kris<3: Pietro, I'm right outside. Stop texting me.

PietroXOX: Oh! I see you!

Kris<3: Pietro?

PietroXOX: Yes, dear?

Kris<3: Shut up.

PietroXOX: You're no fun.

Kris<3: Tell that to Wanda.

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