The Escape Clause (18 page)

Pete’s eyes grew wide as he moved to her and grabbed her arms. “Avery, you slept with the man.”

She nodded, but it hurt to admit it.

“Did you consent to it?”

His eyes had softened and she could feel his gentle touch on her skin.

“I don’t know. We were drinking wine with friends. We went back to his room and kissed. Then…”

“Oh, Avery,” he pulled her to him. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Pete, you can’t say that. I was there. I let him kiss me—touch me. I…”

“You’re going to marry me.”

She pulled back and stared at him. “You don’t want to do that.”

“I do. I think it’s the right thing to do. Like you said, if we need to we can annul it.”

She nodded. “Right.” She squeezed her eyes closed. “Pete, I do still love you and I don’t expect after all of this for that to be enough. But, as your best friend, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve been your escape clause to get you out of something you didn’t want to do. Let’s see where it goes.”

Chapter Twenty

There had always been one great thing about Peter Grant being Avery’s best friend, he was great with making plans.

The fact that it was already mid-day on Saturday, they’d need to wait to get a marriage license. However, if they caught the next flight to Vegas, they could obtain a marriage license the moment they got there.

It seemed cheap and cheesy, but Clara and Warner had eloped in Las Vegas.

She shook the thought from her head. This marriage wasn’t real. It was convenient. Pete sat next to her on the plane with his arms crossed over his chest. It certainly wasn’t going to be a romantic wedding.

Their plans were to return seven hours later to Nashville and then—well, who knew what would be next.

They hadn’t told a soul where they were going, except Jill.

Of course, Avery had already decided she needed to buy a dress when they arrived. She couldn’t just get married in her yoga pants. She didn’t need anything fancy, just something that made Pete look at her as he once had. Once, before they’d fallen in love. She’d settle for that.

The moment the plane landed they stood to disembark. Without any luggage, they were able to just move from the plane and out to catch a cab.

Pete pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it back on. “You should check in with your parents.”

“I’ll have to use your phone.”

“Where’s yours?”

“Mine is in the ocean.” She looked down. “The one Marcus bought me I left there.”

He nodded. “We’ll get you a new one,” he said with a near smile. “Here.” He handed her his phone. “Just call them and let them know you and I are hanging out, but you’re safe.”

Avery nodded and made the call.

“You’re with Pete?” Her father asked.

“Yes. We’re spending some time together. But I’m okay. I’m safe.”

“Where are you? I don’t want that man coming after you.”

Avery winced as she lied to her own father. “We’re just going to hang out at Pete’s and then go downtown. But I wanted you to know where I was.”

“Okay,” he said and she sighed. “I know you’re safe.”

As she said her goodbyes Pete secured a cab. She turned off the phone and handed it back to him.

“You know, that’s the worst lie I’ve heard you tell since our junior year,” he said helping her into the cab and then following her.

“What lie was that?”

“When we all drove to Kentucky to camp at the lake.”

The lake. She closed her eyes and remembered the weekend he was talking about.

“I hadn’t thought about that in a long time.”

Pete nodded, again crossing his arms over his chest as if it were his way of keeping them tied up and away from her.

“I think about it a lot. Technically it was the first time we slept together.”

She laughed as she nudged him with her elbow. “Right, because I went up with…what was his name?”

“Troy,” he said as if it were on the tip of his tongue.

“Right. I went up with Troy and he had other ideas about what that weekend was about.”

“You didn’t want to so you slept in my tent.”

“Has there ever been a day you weren’t there for me?” The moment she said it she regretted it. “I’m sorry. I know you’re the better friend.”

“It’s not a contest, Avery.”

But she felt as though she owed him.

The driver took them straight to the county clerk’s office.

The moment they walked through the door Avery gasped. “Do you suppose all these people are in a rush to get married tonight?”

“Looks like it,” Pete chuckled. “Maybe they all have some mad man chasing them,” he said as he took a number and waited for them to call them up.

With that, Avery sat silently next to him. It was an obvious reminder of why he was there with her at all.

“Is there anywhere specific you want to stop to look for a dress?” Pete asked as they finally left the clerk’s office, marriage license in hand.

Avery shrugged. “I don’t know this town very well.”

Pete managed a cab and as they drove away he asked the driver to take them somewhere she could go shopping. Fifteen minutes later the driver dropped them off at the shops at Caesar’s Palace.

“This place is wild,” Avery said as she looked around.

“I’d take lower Broadway any day,” Pete replied blandly.

Avery looked at the shops as they passed through the eclectic mall. “You don’t have to shop with me. I’ll try not to be long. I’m sure there is somewhere you can wait.”

Pete stopped walking. “I don’t want to let you out of my sight.”

“Right.” She hadn’t thought about that.

As they passed by statues and the ceiling changed colors, she found a small shop with nice dresses hanging in the window.

“This looks nice. I think I’d like to go in and look.”

Pete gave her a nod and followed.

She searched the racks for dresses that weren’t too fancy, but would be useful in another situation someday.

“What about this one?”

She turned when Pete held up an elegant sundress. “It’s simple, but you’ll look radiant in it during the picnic season.”

Her heart nearly stopped. He’d picked a dress and not just one off the rack to get it over with. Pete had given it some thought.

Avery reached for it and held it in her hands. “I’ll try it on.”

Pete gave her a nod and walked toward a chair in the corner to wait.

The moment Avery slipped on the dress, she knew it was the one. It was gorgeous and only made even better because Pete had picked it out for her. She’d take her small victories.

He was standing at the register when she emerged from the dressing room, the dress in hand.

“I found a shirt and a tie. You get me in my jeans and boots, but…”

“I think that’s wonderful,” she said, hoping her smile conveyed how special it was.

Their time was running short. They had clothes and the license. Now they needed to find a chapel. “There’s one just down the strip that has an opening,” Pete said. “This is just a formality, so really it doesn’t matter which one, right?”

“Right. We just need to get it over with,” she clenched her teeth as she said it. When she’d thought about marrying Pete, it had never come with the bad feelings she was having now.

The chapel was tacky, but as Pete had said, it was just a formality. Avery changed into the dress and tucked her travel clothes into her purse. She pulled a brush from her purse and gave her hair a quick fix, added some lipstick, and even a spritz from her travel atomizer she kept in her makeup bag. If this were a
real
wedding, she’d certainly have gone all out. But for spur of the moment, she thought she looked pretty good.

When she walked out into the lobby, Pete stood there waiting for her. His new shirt still had the fold marks in it, but the tie matched her dress and she thought he had to be the most handsome groom she’d ever seen.

“Avery, you look amazing.”

She smiled. “Thank you. You do too.”

“What, this old thing?” he joked and she felt the relief that they could have a normal moment. “Are you ready?”

She nodded and took his arm as they walked into the chapel together.

There were miscellaneous guests seated in the pews. Witnesses, she reminded herself. These would be the people who would sign off on this
real
wedding, which would lead to their sham of a marriage.

The man dressed as a minister, with large
Elvis
- like sideburns, began the short and sweet ceremony, but Avery didn’t hear the words. Pete was standing next to her, his hands clasped in front of him. This was all just a promise to help a friend. It seemed cold and calculated.

“Do you Peter Grant take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Pete looked over at her and for the first time since she’d set eyes on him earlier that morning he smiled.

“I do.”

Her heart rate picked up and even in this crazy moment she wanted to cry.

“Do you Avery Keller take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

She took the breath and in her heart held on to the promise of the words. “I do.”

“May I have the rings, please?”

Avery moved to correct him that they had no rings when Pete held a hand up to stop her.

From his pocket, he pulled her ring out and handed it to the man.

He appeared to bless it—perhaps appraise it—then handed it back to Pete.

Pete lifted Avery’s hand and slid the ring on her finger where it had once adorned.

“Pete…”

“It was meant to be for you—my wife. This is no different.”

Her tears wouldn’t hold back now. They welled in her eyes and he stepped in to wipe them away.

The minister concluded his ceremony with, “You may kiss your bride,” and Avery assumed Pete would kiss her cheek then step back.

Instead, he cupped her face and gazed into her eyes. “No matter the reason we’re here,” he said, “I love you, Avery Keller. I have since I was in the second grade. I’m proud to be your husband.”

His lips pressed to hers in the sweetest, warmest, most intimate kiss she’d ever had.

Chapter Twenty-One

Avery had fallen asleep on his shoulder as they flew back to Nashville. He’d caught her a dozen times looking down at her hand and admiring the ring on her finger.

If only it was all because they’d chosen to be together, Pete would be completely happy. But this was just to keep her safe. At what point would she need to
find herself
again? What would that cost his heart?

Once they arrived back in Nashville, they silently drove back to Pete’s.

“What are your plans?” he asked as they walked through the back door of the house.

“I don’t know. Would you consider letting me stay here? In the spare room that is.”

He nodded. “You can have the main room. Really this is your place.”

“Not anymore,” she said as she heard footsteps on the stairs from the basement.

“Am I interrupting?” Jill poked her head around the corner.

Pete smiled when he saw her. “No. Come up. Want something to drink?”

“No, I’m heading out,” she said quietly. “I wanted to let you know that guy came back by. He kinda just lurked around, he didn’t knock.”

Pete moved to her and took her hands in his. “He didn’t talk to you did he? He didn’t hurt you?”

“No. But I am going to go spend the rest of the weekend at my folks’ house. Maybe a few more days until you know he’s gone.”

“Jill,” Avery moved toward them. “I’m so sorry about this. I don’t mean to cause you any problems.”

“No problem. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” She looked back at Pete. “You can take care of her, right?”

“Always have.”

Jill nodded and backed away from Pete’s grasp. She looked at Avery. “Nice dress.”

“Thank you it’s my wedding…” She stopped and bit down on her lip. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”

“My idea, right? I can’t be mad.”

Avery moved toward Jill and extended her hand.

Jill studied her for a moment and then shook it. Avery said, “You are one of the most genuinely nice people I’ve ever met. I appreciate you and I’m glad you’ve been here for Pete. He deserved to have someone like you around.”

Jill smiled that genuine, infectious smile. “It was my pleasure.”

Once again, Jill descended the stairs—only this time they heard the unmistakable sound of the lock on her door.

Pete turned to Avery. “I’m beat. I’m going to turn in. Do you need anything?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be right up.”

Pete started for the stairs. His body ached from exhaustion and his emotions were ragged from the many ups and downs the day had brought to him. If he could simply sleep for a week, he thought he’d like to try.

“Pete,” her voice stopped him just short of the top of the stairs.

“I’m not sure I can ever repay you for what you’ve done for me today. I’m forever in debt to you.”

He looked down at her, still in the dress he’d chosen for her. “Avery, you make sacrifices for the people you love no matter how mad they make you and how long you hold on to the anger.”

Sleep was difficult for Avery. The spare bedroom was in fact very uncomfortable. Of course, it could have been that her head was still buzzing with everything that had happened in the past four days.

All of the chaos, the expense, the anger, the broken hearts—it was all her fault. She sure had let everyone she knew down.

At some point in the deep darkness of the night, she’d finally drifted into dreams. Dreams of childhood, where Pete had hit her with the football. Dreams of teenage dances and long walks with Pete. She dreamed of their wedding, the one she’d planned, not the one she’d had. Each dream shifted into the other and peace calmed her mind and body. Her dreams moved her back to the yacht and the sun on her skin. Pete brought her a drink and then pulled her in for a long kiss that made her knees weak. He turned her in his arms so they were looking out over the water at the railing. The waves began to build and the sky grew dark. She told him she was afraid. She wanted to go back home and that was when Pete shoved her overboard into the water. The waves crashed up over her and all she could hear was the raging laughter from the deck of the boat—from Pete—as she sunk lower and lower into the darkness.