Can't Win For Losing Chapter Twenty
Later that night Avery sighed to herself as she sat on her couch. She was in her pajamas and she was watching some old black and white movie. It was after midnight and she half guessed that Zac wouldn't be coming by with as late as it was. It was a fact that made her sad even if it shouldn't make her sad. Zac wasn't her husband and she didn't love him.
"But I miss him," she spoke to herself right as she heard a knock at her door. Standing up she nearly ran to the door to open it though once she had she almost wished now that she hadn't because standing at her door was Natalie.
"I got your address from Diana," Natalie said seeing the confusion on Avery's face. "I made up some excuse and she bought it."
Avery just continued to look at Natalie confused, "And why would you do that? Why do you care where I live so bad that you had to ask Diana and why did you show up here so late?"
Natalie chewed on her lip at Avery's questions. She knew what she was doing here was betraying Brenda but she was only doing it so that she could keep her sights set on the woman in front of her's husband. "Because I wanted to tell you that Zac is out tonight with Brenda," she said as she crossed her arms. "It's a small world but in California I was friends with Brenda. She came to town because she wants him back and he agreed to go out with her tonight and talk things over. Right now according to a text I got from her before arriving here they are a hotel in town. Probably about to have sex if not having sex."
Listening to Natalie's confession Avery shook her head not wanting to believe Natalie's words, "You're lying," she accused the woman as she swallowed hard. "You just want to ruin my life."
"Trust me I don't want that. You are doing a pretty bang up job on that yourself," Natalie muttered before rolling her eyes. "But if you don't believe me then here," she said as she took out her cell phone and quickly pulled up her texts with Brenda. "Read and see for yourself."
Avery took the phone from Natalie and soon she began to read the text messages between the two women. As she did she felt that sad feeling again. That feeling she had felt before Natalie arrived. It was like her heart was slowly being ripped out of her chest and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Handing the phone back to Natalie she shook her head as she felt tears come to her eyes but she refused to cry in front of this woman. She refused to let Natalie see just how weak she felt right now.
"You know if you want to confront him I could stay here and watch your kids for you," Natalie suggested as she gave Avery a tiny smile. She still didn't like her but what she was offering to do was also for her own benefit as well.
Avery shook her head at Natalie's words, "No thanks," she whispered knowing she wasn't going to go and confront Zac. What use would there be confronting Zac. Brenda was his ex and while Zac may have claimed to love Avery seeing her could have changed stuff. They had spent a long time together and sometimes feelings never truly went away.
Natalie just nodded her head after Avery declined her offer, "W..well I'm sorry. I mean that Zac did this to you," she said before turning her back to leave. So much for her plan working like she had wanted it too.
Watching Natalie leave Avery shut her door and walked back to the couch where she sat down. As she sat down the tears she had been holding in finally came out and she held her knees to her chest again as she closed her eyes. It was when she cried that she felt cramps and she groaned inwardly. It was just what she needed while she was already down. A reminder that her period was coming in six days. A reminder that at least then if she went crazy from emotions maybe she could get away with murdering Zac and boy did she want too. She wanted to murder him for making her believe she had meant something yet the moment Brenda showed up it seemed she was nothing.
At some point during her crying Avery eventually laid down and must have fallen asleep because the next thing she remembered was being woken up as she heard Jonah calling her name. Opening her eyes she looked at him before yawning, "What is it baby?" she asked him as she saw the sun coming into the windows and she sat up stretching before yawning again. She was exhausted this morning but a part of her blamed that on sleeping on the couch as well as crying.
"I'm hungry," Jonah answered as he watched his mommy sit up. "Charlie is still asleep but I'm hungry."
"Then I'll go fix you a bowl of cereal," Avery said as she gave her son a smile and stood from the couch. Heading into the kitchen she heard Jonah follow behind her. "What kind of cereal do you want? We have Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms," she said as she reached up on top of the fridge and got both boxes down. Both boxes she had bought when shopping with Zac. He had practically begged her to get them.
Jonah stood there and looked at both boxes before finally pointing to the Cocoa Puffs.
Once Jonah had chosen his cereal Avery got down a bowl and poured the cereal in it before getting the milk out to pour for him. The moment she had opened the milk though and began to pour it into the bowl of cereal she made a face as the chocolate scent hit her nose the moment it began to mix with the milk and she did her best to keep from gagging.
"Here you go buddy," Avery said as she picked up the bowl and sat it on the table for Jonah before making a beeline to the bathroom. Shutting the door she went to the toilet and bent down as she started to dry heave over the toilet. Maybe her exhaustion wasn't just because of sleeping on the couch. Maybe she was coming down with something.
Standing up when she didn't get sick Avery walked to the sink and ran some water before moving her head down and splashing the water on her face. That action made her feel some better though she was still tired. She knew if she still felt like crap tomorrow she'd probably end up calling Taylor and having him come get the boys. She really didn't want them getting sick with whatever she was coming down with.
After splashing her face off with water Avery opened the bathroom door and made a confused face as she heard Jonah talking to someone. Going down the hall slowly she felt her heart beating a little faster with each step she got and the more she heard Jonah talking. She wasn't sure who he could be talking too mainly because no one else was here except for Charlie who had been asleep when she ran to the bathroom and she felt that if Charlie had woken up she would have known because he would have came to the door asking her help for fixing his cereal.
Making it to the kitchen she came to a stop though when she found Jonah sitting at the table and her blood boiled as she saw someone beside him. A person she hadn't been wanting to see today. "W..what are you doing here?" Avery asked Zac her tone cold.
Zac who had been talking to Jonah looked up at Avery when she asked him her question and he felt a chill run down her spine at how bitter it sounded. "I wanted to talk to you," he said as he gave her a smile hoping that helped warm her some. "Jonah let me in when I knocked on the door. He said you ran to the bathroom and you looked all green," Zac again smiled as he knew Jonah's exact words were she looked like she was gonna hurl and that it would be sick if she did. The minds of five year olds these days.
Avery looked at Jonah when Zac said that he had let him in, "Jonah what have I told you about opening the door?" she asked her voice going stern with him.
Jonah looked up at his mommy after he took a bite of cereal, "To ask who it is before answering," he said with his mouth still full.
"He did that too by the way," Zac told her as he smiled still not sure how he had understood a word the boy had said but he had. "He asked who I was."
Rolling her eyes Avery just shook her head. It wasn't her son she was really mad at it anyway. It was the man sitting beside him, "Well you wanted to talk then talk," she nodded towards Zac. "Tell me what you wanted to talk about."
Zac sighed and stood from the table as he walked to where Avery was, "Not here," he said shaking his head before grabbing her arm and leading her to her bedroom. When they made it there he shut the door behind them and locked it. "I'm going back to California."
Avery looked down as she listened to what Zac had told her the moment he had shut and locked her door. He was going back to California and she figured why. "Because you got back with Brenda?" she asked him as her voice cracked which surprised even her.
Taken aback by Avery's question Zac raised an eyebrow, "H..How did you even know it was because of her?"
"N..Natalie came by," Avery told him as she crossed her arms. "Her friend is Taylor's ex and apparently she wanted to inform me of your meeting last night. She even showed me the text where Brenda said what hotel and room number you had."
"Oh," Zac whispered before looking away from Avery. Knowing that she knew he had met with Brenda just made him feel more guilty. "I still love her Ave."
Avery felt tears sting her eyes when she heard Zac say that he still loved Brenda, "What about loving me?" she asked as her voice cracked again. "I thought you loved me."
Zac smiled sadly, "I did but I guess I love her more," he said knowing that the talk with Brenda had made things obvious that maybe he wasn't exactly as over his ex as he thought he was. "I feel like I need to try one more time with her you know. I invested so many years with her that I'm not sure I can let a second chance go," he shrugged before looking back at Avery. The sad look on her face killed him.
"Anyway this will give you the chance to go back to your husband and fix your marriage," Zac said knowing that was probably best. "I mean you still love him and he still loves you so make it work."
When Zac mentioned making it work with Taylor it was Avery's turn to look away from him, "You know when I called you yesterday I had just taken my rings off," she revealed as she looked down at the finger where her engagement ring and wedding band had once been. "I took them off because I realized that I loved my husband but I wasn't in love with him. I realized that I didn't just miss you because I grew accustomed to you being her every night but I missed you because I'm in love with you."
Hearing Avery's words Zac just frowned some as he ran a hand through his hair. Those words he had wanted to hear from her for some time now but now they were too late. He had already told Brenda they could work things out. He was going to put his notice in at the college and then he was flying out to California with the woman he wanted to try a future with again sometime next week.
"I'm sorry," Zac spoke knowing that was the only words he could give Avery. "I'm sorry but at least we have some good memories right?" he asked her before nodding. "The night in my truck. The night we first made love to each other. Me coming on to you before I even knew you were separated. Those are all good memories."
"So I'm just supposed to be stuck with good memories?" Avery asked him as she raised her voice. "I ruined my marriage for you. I was willing to lose everything for you and I did. I lost my husband my kids lost their father and I fell out of love with him," she said as tears went down her cheeks now. "I fell out of love with my husband. A man who did no wrong and in love with you. A man who is willing to hurt me and you just expect me to go on good memories of you?"
Zac again frowned as Avery almost yelled at him now as he spoke, "I didn't know you were in love with me when I agreed to get back with Brenda."
"Would it have changed things if you did?" Avery asked as she reached a hand up to brush her tears away harshly.
Zac shook his head no though to be honest he wasn't being entirely honest because he wasn't sure if it would have changed things. Brenda had been in his life since he was a naive eighteen year old boy. She had made him the man he was today but then again Avery had been changing him from that man. She had made him see that maybe there was more to the life he had lead in California and even had tried to keep while here.
Seeing Zac shake his head no Avery just sat down on her bed, "Just go," she told him as more tears came down her cheeks again. "Go and run off into the sunset with Brenda. Go live your life of being with her. Go back to being a swinger and have your fucked up fairytale."
When Avery told him to go Zac waited until she was done speaking before unlocking her door, "I'm sorry," he said to her one last time before leaving the bedroom and then her apartment. He hated that he had hurt her but he really hadn't meant too. He hadn't expected her to say she was in love with him. He had thought she was still in love with her husband.
After Zac left Avery just fell back on the bed and cried for a bit longer though she couldn't cry all day. She had to eventually suck it up and go about the rest of the day for her children. She had to just keep one foot in front of the other while again things seemed to fall apart.
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Taylor parked his truck outside Avery's apartment on Sunday. She had called him this morning and said she had felt like shit and thought she was coming down with something and she hadn't wanted the boys to get it and could he please come and get them. Of course he had agreed because he too didn't want their boys getting sick especially since yesterday he had just found out that his parents wanted to have a 4th of July thing at the lake and that was five days away. They also or well his mom also wanted him to invite Avery but he was unsure of doing that. For all he knew she could have plans with Zac.
Getting out of his truck he walked to her apartment and knocked on the door. When she opened it he raised an eyebrow at the sight of her in her pajamas and her hair all a mess. That had been when he thought she looked her best though she always denied it. "You really do feel like shit don't you?" he asked as he went inside once she moved so he could.
"What gave it away?" Avery asked sarcastically as she shut the door once he was inside.
"You are still in your pajamas."
Avery shrugged at his words, "I'm exhausted. It took all I had to even get out of bed to call you or to get off the couch to answer the door," she muttered rolling her eyes.
"Is that your only symptom?" Taylor asked watching as she walked down the hall probably to get the boys and tell them he was here.
Shaking her head no Avery stopped just outside of Jonah and Charlie's room, "I'm nausea's too and the smell of milk on any kind of cereal or even the sight of milk itself makes it worse," she frowned knowing she had trouble with milk again yesterday when she had to make Charlie's cereal when he eventually woke up. He had wanted Lucky Charms and of course the moment it had hit the cereal it had made her gag much like it had with the Cocoa Puffs.
"I think it's just some stomach bug probably. It's been going around at work and I really don't want the boys here when it fully hits," she shrugged as she made a face. "For me and for them," she finished before opening the door to the room and finding that Jonah had done like she asked and gotten a bag together for toys for him and Charlie to take. They had clothes still at Taylor's so they would be fine with not taking any.
Jonah looked up at his mommy when she opened the door, "Is daddy here?" he asked excitedly as he grinned.
Avery gave a nod of her head, "Your daddy is here," she smiled watching as Jonah and Charlie both ran out of the room and down the hall to where Taylor was. Following behind them she watched as Taylor picked them both up and smiled more seeing him giving them kisses on the cheek after they had done the same to him.
"Have fun with them," Avery said as she looked at Taylor. "And pray they haven't been around me long enough to get sick."
"Oh trust me I will," Taylor laughed as he held them closer. "Mainly because my mom wants to have some Fourth of July thing at the lake."
Avery sat on the couch hearing that Diana had plans for the family at the lake, "The cabins they own?" she asked knowing his parents owned a set of cabins at a lake not far out of town.
Nodding Taylor rolled his eyes, "They haven't used them any this year and mom wants too," he said as he sighed. "She also says you should come too. "
"Oh," Avery muttered hearing that Diana said she could come too.
"Yeah I figure you probably have plans with Zac," Taylor said as he looked away from her. "So it's okay if you don't come."
Avery shook her head feeling like she wanted to cry at the mention of Zac's name, "Zac umm he kind of left," she revealed as she shrugged when Taylor looked at her again after she said that. "He and I are done so I have no plans with him or my family. I actually think my father is going to be off at some revival in another state."
Taylor just took in what Avery said and he frowned. He could tell from her expression that she was hurt by Zac being gone and he felt for her even if a part of him wasn't too sad over that fact. "I'm sorry," he said honestly though his sorry wasn't that Zac was gone. His sorry was that she was hurt. "The offer stands to join us if you are feeling better by the fourth," he said giving her a smile in hopes to cheer her up.
After he had said that he soon left with the kids and headed back home and for once he felt proud of himself. Being around Avery hadn't hurt him nor had he felt himself longing for things to be different between them. Maybe Isaac was right and he could move on if he just took baby steps.
Later that night Avery sighed to herself as she sat on her couch. She was in her pajamas and she was watching some old black and white movie. It was after midnight and she half guessed that Zac wouldn't be coming by with as late as it was. It was a fact that made her sad even if it shouldn't make her sad. Zac wasn't her husband and she didn't love him.
"But I miss him," she spoke to herself right as she heard a knock at her door. Standing up she nearly ran to the door to open it though once she had she almost wished now that she hadn't because standing at her door was Natalie.
"I got your address from Diana," Natalie said seeing the confusion on Avery's face. "I made up some excuse and she bought it."
Avery just continued to look at Natalie confused, "And why would you do that? Why do you care where I live so bad that you had to ask Diana and why did you show up here so late?"
Natalie chewed on her lip at Avery's questions. She knew what she was doing here was betraying Brenda but she was only doing it so that she could keep her sights set on the woman in front of her's husband. "Because I wanted to tell you that Zac is out tonight with Brenda," she said as she crossed her arms. "It's a small world but in California I was friends with Brenda. She came to town because she wants him back and he agreed to go out with her tonight and talk things over. Right now according to a text I got from her before arriving here they are a hotel in town. Probably about to have sex if not having sex."
Listening to Natalie's confession Avery shook her head not wanting to believe Natalie's words, "You're lying," she accused the woman as she swallowed hard. "You just want to ruin my life."
"Trust me I don't want that. You are doing a pretty bang up job on that yourself," Natalie muttered before rolling her eyes. "But if you don't believe me then here," she said as she took out her cell phone and quickly pulled up her texts with Brenda. "Read and see for yourself."
Avery took the phone from Natalie and soon she began to read the text messages between the two women. As she did she felt that sad feeling again. That feeling she had felt before Natalie arrived. It was like her heart was slowly being ripped out of her chest and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Handing the phone back to Natalie she shook her head as she felt tears come to her eyes but she refused to cry in front of this woman. She refused to let Natalie see just how weak she felt right now.
"You know if you want to confront him I could stay here and watch your kids for you," Natalie suggested as she gave Avery a tiny smile. She still didn't like her but what she was offering to do was also for her own benefit as well.
Avery shook her head at Natalie's words, "No thanks," she whispered knowing she wasn't going to go and confront Zac. What use would there be confronting Zac. Brenda was his ex and while Zac may have claimed to love Avery seeing her could have changed stuff. They had spent a long time together and sometimes feelings never truly went away.
Natalie just nodded her head after Avery declined her offer, "W..well I'm sorry. I mean that Zac did this to you," she said before turning her back to leave. So much for her plan working like she had wanted it too.
Watching Natalie leave Avery shut her door and walked back to the couch where she sat down. As she sat down the tears she had been holding in finally came out and she held her knees to her chest again as she closed her eyes. It was when she cried that she felt cramps and she groaned inwardly. It was just what she needed while she was already down. A reminder that her period was coming in six days. A reminder that at least then if she went crazy from emotions maybe she could get away with murdering Zac and boy did she want too. She wanted to murder him for making her believe she had meant something yet the moment Brenda showed up it seemed she was nothing.
At some point during her crying Avery eventually laid down and must have fallen asleep because the next thing she remembered was being woken up as she heard Jonah calling her name. Opening her eyes she looked at him before yawning, "What is it baby?" she asked him as she saw the sun coming into the windows and she sat up stretching before yawning again. She was exhausted this morning but a part of her blamed that on sleeping on the couch as well as crying.
"I'm hungry," Jonah answered as he watched his mommy sit up. "Charlie is still asleep but I'm hungry."
"Then I'll go fix you a bowl of cereal," Avery said as she gave her son a smile and stood from the couch. Heading into the kitchen she heard Jonah follow behind her. "What kind of cereal do you want? We have Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms," she said as she reached up on top of the fridge and got both boxes down. Both boxes she had bought when shopping with Zac. He had practically begged her to get them.
Jonah stood there and looked at both boxes before finally pointing to the Cocoa Puffs.
Once Jonah had chosen his cereal Avery got down a bowl and poured the cereal in it before getting the milk out to pour for him. The moment she had opened the milk though and began to pour it into the bowl of cereal she made a face as the chocolate scent hit her nose the moment it began to mix with the milk and she did her best to keep from gagging.
"Here you go buddy," Avery said as she picked up the bowl and sat it on the table for Jonah before making a beeline to the bathroom. Shutting the door she went to the toilet and bent down as she started to dry heave over the toilet. Maybe her exhaustion wasn't just because of sleeping on the couch. Maybe she was coming down with something.
Standing up when she didn't get sick Avery walked to the sink and ran some water before moving her head down and splashing the water on her face. That action made her feel some better though she was still tired. She knew if she still felt like crap tomorrow she'd probably end up calling Taylor and having him come get the boys. She really didn't want them getting sick with whatever she was coming down with.
After splashing her face off with water Avery opened the bathroom door and made a confused face as she heard Jonah talking to someone. Going down the hall slowly she felt her heart beating a little faster with each step she got and the more she heard Jonah talking. She wasn't sure who he could be talking too mainly because no one else was here except for Charlie who had been asleep when she ran to the bathroom and she felt that if Charlie had woken up she would have known because he would have came to the door asking her help for fixing his cereal.
Making it to the kitchen she came to a stop though when she found Jonah sitting at the table and her blood boiled as she saw someone beside him. A person she hadn't been wanting to see today. "W..what are you doing here?" Avery asked Zac her tone cold.
Zac who had been talking to Jonah looked up at Avery when she asked him her question and he felt a chill run down her spine at how bitter it sounded. "I wanted to talk to you," he said as he gave her a smile hoping that helped warm her some. "Jonah let me in when I knocked on the door. He said you ran to the bathroom and you looked all green," Zac again smiled as he knew Jonah's exact words were she looked like she was gonna hurl and that it would be sick if she did. The minds of five year olds these days.
Avery looked at Jonah when Zac said that he had let him in, "Jonah what have I told you about opening the door?" she asked her voice going stern with him.
Jonah looked up at his mommy after he took a bite of cereal, "To ask who it is before answering," he said with his mouth still full.
"He did that too by the way," Zac told her as he smiled still not sure how he had understood a word the boy had said but he had. "He asked who I was."
Rolling her eyes Avery just shook her head. It wasn't her son she was really mad at it anyway. It was the man sitting beside him, "Well you wanted to talk then talk," she nodded towards Zac. "Tell me what you wanted to talk about."
Zac sighed and stood from the table as he walked to where Avery was, "Not here," he said shaking his head before grabbing her arm and leading her to her bedroom. When they made it there he shut the door behind them and locked it. "I'm going back to California."
Avery looked down as she listened to what Zac had told her the moment he had shut and locked her door. He was going back to California and she figured why. "Because you got back with Brenda?" she asked him as her voice cracked which surprised even her.
Taken aback by Avery's question Zac raised an eyebrow, "H..How did you even know it was because of her?"
"N..Natalie came by," Avery told him as she crossed her arms. "Her friend is Taylor's ex and apparently she wanted to inform me of your meeting last night. She even showed me the text where Brenda said what hotel and room number you had."
"Oh," Zac whispered before looking away from Avery. Knowing that she knew he had met with Brenda just made him feel more guilty. "I still love her Ave."
Avery felt tears sting her eyes when she heard Zac say that he still loved Brenda, "What about loving me?" she asked as her voice cracked again. "I thought you loved me."
Zac smiled sadly, "I did but I guess I love her more," he said knowing that the talk with Brenda had made things obvious that maybe he wasn't exactly as over his ex as he thought he was. "I feel like I need to try one more time with her you know. I invested so many years with her that I'm not sure I can let a second chance go," he shrugged before looking back at Avery. The sad look on her face killed him.
"Anyway this will give you the chance to go back to your husband and fix your marriage," Zac said knowing that was probably best. "I mean you still love him and he still loves you so make it work."
When Zac mentioned making it work with Taylor it was Avery's turn to look away from him, "You know when I called you yesterday I had just taken my rings off," she revealed as she looked down at the finger where her engagement ring and wedding band had once been. "I took them off because I realized that I loved my husband but I wasn't in love with him. I realized that I didn't just miss you because I grew accustomed to you being her every night but I missed you because I'm in love with you."
Hearing Avery's words Zac just frowned some as he ran a hand through his hair. Those words he had wanted to hear from her for some time now but now they were too late. He had already told Brenda they could work things out. He was going to put his notice in at the college and then he was flying out to California with the woman he wanted to try a future with again sometime next week.
"I'm sorry," Zac spoke knowing that was the only words he could give Avery. "I'm sorry but at least we have some good memories right?" he asked her before nodding. "The night in my truck. The night we first made love to each other. Me coming on to you before I even knew you were separated. Those are all good memories."
"So I'm just supposed to be stuck with good memories?" Avery asked him as she raised her voice. "I ruined my marriage for you. I was willing to lose everything for you and I did. I lost my husband my kids lost their father and I fell out of love with him," she said as tears went down her cheeks now. "I fell out of love with my husband. A man who did no wrong and in love with you. A man who is willing to hurt me and you just expect me to go on good memories of you?"
Zac again frowned as Avery almost yelled at him now as he spoke, "I didn't know you were in love with me when I agreed to get back with Brenda."
"Would it have changed things if you did?" Avery asked as she reached a hand up to brush her tears away harshly.
Zac shook his head no though to be honest he wasn't being entirely honest because he wasn't sure if it would have changed things. Brenda had been in his life since he was a naive eighteen year old boy. She had made him the man he was today but then again Avery had been changing him from that man. She had made him see that maybe there was more to the life he had lead in California and even had tried to keep while here.
Seeing Zac shake his head no Avery just sat down on her bed, "Just go," she told him as more tears came down her cheeks again. "Go and run off into the sunset with Brenda. Go live your life of being with her. Go back to being a swinger and have your fucked up fairytale."
When Avery told him to go Zac waited until she was done speaking before unlocking her door, "I'm sorry," he said to her one last time before leaving the bedroom and then her apartment. He hated that he had hurt her but he really hadn't meant too. He hadn't expected her to say she was in love with him. He had thought she was still in love with her husband.
After Zac left Avery just fell back on the bed and cried for a bit longer though she couldn't cry all day. She had to eventually suck it up and go about the rest of the day for her children. She had to just keep one foot in front of the other while again things seemed to fall apart.
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Taylor parked his truck outside Avery's apartment on Sunday. She had called him this morning and said she had felt like shit and thought she was coming down with something and she hadn't wanted the boys to get it and could he please come and get them. Of course he had agreed because he too didn't want their boys getting sick especially since yesterday he had just found out that his parents wanted to have a 4th of July thing at the lake and that was five days away. They also or well his mom also wanted him to invite Avery but he was unsure of doing that. For all he knew she could have plans with Zac.
Getting out of his truck he walked to her apartment and knocked on the door. When she opened it he raised an eyebrow at the sight of her in her pajamas and her hair all a mess. That had been when he thought she looked her best though she always denied it. "You really do feel like shit don't you?" he asked as he went inside once she moved so he could.
"What gave it away?" Avery asked sarcastically as she shut the door once he was inside.
"You are still in your pajamas."
Avery shrugged at his words, "I'm exhausted. It took all I had to even get out of bed to call you or to get off the couch to answer the door," she muttered rolling her eyes.
"Is that your only symptom?" Taylor asked watching as she walked down the hall probably to get the boys and tell them he was here.
Shaking her head no Avery stopped just outside of Jonah and Charlie's room, "I'm nausea's too and the smell of milk on any kind of cereal or even the sight of milk itself makes it worse," she frowned knowing she had trouble with milk again yesterday when she had to make Charlie's cereal when he eventually woke up. He had wanted Lucky Charms and of course the moment it had hit the cereal it had made her gag much like it had with the Cocoa Puffs.
"I think it's just some stomach bug probably. It's been going around at work and I really don't want the boys here when it fully hits," she shrugged as she made a face. "For me and for them," she finished before opening the door to the room and finding that Jonah had done like she asked and gotten a bag together for toys for him and Charlie to take. They had clothes still at Taylor's so they would be fine with not taking any.
Jonah looked up at his mommy when she opened the door, "Is daddy here?" he asked excitedly as he grinned.
Avery gave a nod of her head, "Your daddy is here," she smiled watching as Jonah and Charlie both ran out of the room and down the hall to where Taylor was. Following behind them she watched as Taylor picked them both up and smiled more seeing him giving them kisses on the cheek after they had done the same to him.
"Have fun with them," Avery said as she looked at Taylor. "And pray they haven't been around me long enough to get sick."
"Oh trust me I will," Taylor laughed as he held them closer. "Mainly because my mom wants to have some Fourth of July thing at the lake."
Avery sat on the couch hearing that Diana had plans for the family at the lake, "The cabins they own?" she asked knowing his parents owned a set of cabins at a lake not far out of town.
Nodding Taylor rolled his eyes, "They haven't used them any this year and mom wants too," he said as he sighed. "She also says you should come too. "
"Oh," Avery muttered hearing that Diana said she could come too.
"Yeah I figure you probably have plans with Zac," Taylor said as he looked away from her. "So it's okay if you don't come."
Avery shook her head feeling like she wanted to cry at the mention of Zac's name, "Zac umm he kind of left," she revealed as she shrugged when Taylor looked at her again after she said that. "He and I are done so I have no plans with him or my family. I actually think my father is going to be off at some revival in another state."
Taylor just took in what Avery said and he frowned. He could tell from her expression that she was hurt by Zac being gone and he felt for her even if a part of him wasn't too sad over that fact. "I'm sorry," he said honestly though his sorry wasn't that Zac was gone. His sorry was that she was hurt. "The offer stands to join us if you are feeling better by the fourth," he said giving her a smile in hopes to cheer her up.
After he had said that he soon left with the kids and headed back home and for once he felt proud of himself. Being around Avery hadn't hurt him nor had he felt himself longing for things to be different between them. Maybe Isaac was right and he could move on if he just took baby steps.