“You walked in, I'm a physical wreck”

Ava was so excited to go home, because yes she had three homes now and Mak's house was one of them, that she was almost vibrating with excitement. When Uncle Frank's driver came half an hour later than expected, she was almost having a meltdown, especially because no one had bothered to text and say they were going to be late.

But it was all good and well when she actually got there because Felicity was as welcoming as ever, the twins were a little excited to have company other than each other and when Mak finally came back from her weekend job, they hugged out whatever anxiety had remained.

"Dad's gonna be late today so Mum said we'll eat when he gets home. Is that fine?"

Ava nodded at Mak's question, eyes flitting to the door then to her phone for the twentieth time that evening. The kids were all sitting around the dining table playing Uno and Ava had been ridiculously distracted, wondering where Adam was.

Mak frowned. "I'm only asking because you keep glancing at the front door and I thought maybe you were waiting for Dad."

Ava felt a flush of guilt and quickly shook her head, paying attention to the cards in front of her instead.

"No, no sorry I was just thinking."

Luckily, Mak was distracted by the +2 card that Sarah had set down, cackling in delight when she placed her own +2 and sending an evil grin Ava's way.

She narrowed her eyes. "I thought we were friends, Mak. But I see that all along it was a plan to betray me."

She sniffed exaggeratedly as she picked up her four extra cards and turned to pout at Noah. "Please annihilate your sisters. Have no mercy."

Just then, the sound of a motorcycle pulling up caught their attention and Ava forced herself not to react. Mak was already suspicious and she didn't need to confirm anything. She heard the door open and her heart flip-flopped in her chest before she casually lifted her head to see who it was.

And then she died. Because Adam had just walked in with blue hair!

Mak expressed her feelings quite loudly on the matter which was a good thing because Ava was officially disintegrating on the sofa. His ripped jeans hinted at muscled thighs and he was grinning as he pulled off his motorcycle leathers, eyes catching hers and winking.

Dis. Inter. Gra. Ting.

"You didn't tell me…" she trailed off, staring at his electric blue hair that went shockingly well with his olive complexion.

Mak, bless her heart, thought she'd been speaking to her and said, with all the indignation in the world, "I didn't know! Adam, what did you do to your hair?"

His teeth flashed as he grinned and ran a hand sheepishly through said spectacle. "There was a charity thing this morning and I was gonna just do my tips and strip them later but I saw this colour and yeah, it just happened. Do you like it?"

He asked the question whilst looking at Ava and she gave a small, wide-eyed nod but Mak answered anyway, once again thinking it was for her. "Uhm, yeah I guess it looks cool." She touched her own dark hair and pursed her lips. "Maybe I should get mine dyed too."

Sarah and Noah were already in Adam's face, peering up at him and actually trying to tug at his locks much to Ava's amusement when they were interrupted by a gasp.

"Adam! What did you do to your hair?"

All four kids turned to look as Felicity walked in, mouth dropped open and hand to her heart. Ava felt a flash of worry before realising that Felicity was not Jordi Espín and no one would be dying that evening.

Adam shrugged and touched his hair again. "Charity. For the Vets Rehabilitation Centre."

Felicity's eyes softened and she nodded before coming forward and squeezing his arm. "I didn't know you were coming home. It's a nice surprise. With you and Ava here, our house will be full again."

Noah groaned and Sarah rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the rest of your kids are just chopped liver. Thanks Mum."

But they were grinning so Felicity knew they didn't mind and besides, they were just as happy to have their big brother and honorary sister there as well.

Ava, for her part, was mostly trying not to stare at Adam and was finding it quite difficult. They'd both been a bit over the top in their excitement to see each other but now that she was actually there, it felt all kinds of awkward. Mak had already planned their evening and it would be odd for her to sneak away to talk to Adam. And it felt weird to talk to him in front of everyone, especially because as far as they knew, the two of them weren't even friends.

Thankfully, this was her second family and soon enough, everyone was busy with their own thing, getting in each other's way, bickering, laughing and having a generally normal Friday evening. After a few more tension-inducing rounds of cards, the twins slipped away to play video games and Mak joined her on the sofa as they flipped from one app to another.

Uncle Frank came home an hour later and supper was another boisterous affair, everyone starving and almost wolfing down the food. Mak announced the desire for dessert and that was how after their movie, nearing midnight, they all found themselves in Uncle Frank's car.

Ava was still blushing from her faux pas. When they'd announced their intention to go out, she'd gone to wait in the driveway not realising that everyone had gone to the garage to get into the car. It wasn't until she'd heard them shouting for her that she'd realised her mistake and Adam had laughed himself silly. He'd texted her one word before starting the car.

Blondie.

Now they were laughing like crazy people in a McD's drive-through, probably driving Adam mad with their indecisions.

Fifteen minutes, four McFlurry's, one coffee and a large coke later they parked outside a gas station that was hosting some event in the field next door, and ate their ice-cream, car hushed in the darkness.

"What's even going on here? Looks like every frat boy in a hundred mile radius has landed in this place."

Adam shrugged in answer to Mak, sipping his coffee like a man drinking ambrosia. Ava passed her own coke over to Noah who nodded in thanks before taking a long slurp much to his older sister's disgust and twin sister's amusement.

They continued talking but everytime Ava asked Adam something, someone else would answer and vice versa, to the point where she felt like she was having a conversation with a translator present. It was weird because it had been hours since they'd seen each other and they'd barely said two sentences without someone else joining in.

They eventually drove home when Sarah looked like she was about to fall asleep on Noah's shoulder. It wouldn't have been a problem except that she'd noticed the Sharpie that Noah had found in the cubby and was not taking any chances.

The next hour was spent getting ready for bed and Mak pulled her to the room because she was exhausted from work and had tutoring to do the next morning. When Ava finally collapsed onto her pillow, she was almost glad for it. Grabbing her phone, she checked to see that Mak had tucked herself in before checking her messages. For reasons unknown, Adam and her both were acting like people shouldn't know that they spoke.

Adam: Ping

Adam: Pong

Adam: Ding

Adam: Dong.

Adam: Lol dong.

Adam: Sorry that was dumb.

Adam: But still funny. So now I take back my apology.

Adam: Where are you, god, are you still talking to Mak? You've been with her for ages. Answer my messages.

Ava grinned and rolled her eyes before replying.

Ava: You are a mess. Do you have a patient bone in your body?

Adam: Ah she arises from the dead.

Adam: Hey ❤️

The simple greeting had Ava shoving her face into the pillow to smother her smile. Her crush had reached ridiculous levels over the three months they'd been talking and sometimes she was embarrassed about the way Adam could make her feel.

Nina couldn't get enough of it and said that now she finally knew what it was to really like someone and she no longer had the right to tease her about Raphael. But come on. The guy had the name of an actual angel. Of course she had to tease Nina about that.

Ava: Hey 😋

Adam: So. You were right.

Ava immediately grinned and took a screenshot of the screen before telling him so.

Ava: Heads up. I've taken a screenshot because this is a miracle in itself. The fact that you've admitted to me being right? What is this? Christmas?

Ava: What about?

Adam: You are such a child sometimes. 🙄 You don't even celebrate Christmas!

Adam: This will be the first and last.

Ava: See, this is why I had to keep proof. Now tell me. What was I right about?

She could almost hear him sigh through the phone.

Adam: It was…weird seeing you after so long and knowing that I've spoken to you all this time but not actually face to face.

Ava read his message and nodded to herself. She understood exactly what he was saying.

Ava: Yeah I told you didn't I? Why is it like this though?

At the same time that she sent her reply, Adam messaged her.

Adam: Why is it like this tho?

Ava: 😂 samesies

Adam: Gonna pretend you didn't say that.

Adam: Yeah okay so I don't know but let me tell you. I was so frustrated tonight. It was like everytime I tried to talk to you, someone else would say something.

Ava: I know!! I felt the same.

Adam: Was it always like this? Do they just assume that the two of us cannot have a civil conversation?

Ava: Well…

Adam: Yes, I know. We haven't really spoken much before. Blah blah. Life blah and all that jazz.

Ava was about to reply when she saw that he was typing again. She waited for his messages but it was a long time coming and when the message came, she could imagine him typing and deleting a hundred times before sending.

Adam: Listen…

Ava: Yeah?

Why don't you come to the little den? We could chill and talk there for a bit. Everyone is sleeping and if anyone should wake up, they wouldn't come down that way.

The thought of being alone with Adam in the dead of night made her heart pound. They'd just be talking, she knew that, but any time after one was a weird time. It was a time of vulnerability and even as she thought all of this, she already knew she was going to agree.

Ava: Okay but you have to promise that if it gets awkward, we just switch off the lights and pretend like we're texting.

Adam: 😂😂 What? You crazy. I won't even switch the lights on, okay? The back light should be enough not to trip over your own big feet.

Ava: 😑😑 You literally wear like five shoe sizes bigger than me.

Adam: I know.

Adam: I'm waiting.

Adam: Come on.

Ava looked at Mak and sighed. She'd have to climb over her to get out of the bed and she didn't want to have to explain where she was sneaking off to in the middle of the night.

Adam: Come

Adam: On

Adam: Where are you?

Adam: Dying of loneliness.

Ava: Jesus. And you say I'm dramatic. Give me a minute, oh my god.

Adam: Cooooooooommmmmme.

Ava snorted back a laugh and finally managed to get off the bed, slipping on a soft t-shirt over the camisole she wore for bed. Wondering why her heart was running a mile a minute, she sneaked out of the room and tip-toed to the little den, noticing that Adam had been right. The backlight made the room glow through the lace curtains and she could see him just fine.

But it also gave the room a soft intimate atmosphere, the kind that lent to whispered secrets and soft kisses. She almost tripped over her own feet, haha Adam, very funny, at the thought. Nope. Friends. He was just her friend and it was more than enough for her.

He was chilling on the big couch, sitting on one end, tapping his phone against his knee as he watched her come in. Her heart was in her throat and the sight of his blue hair, turned purple in the dim light, smacked her in the face again. He was lounging in soft cotton pants and an old band t-shirt with a collar so stretched, it showed his collar bones. She swallowed.

"Hey." His soft whisper was followed by a bright grin that legit knocked her off her feet, thanking the lord for the sofa as she quickly sat down.

"Hey," she whispered back, rolling her eyes when his grin widened.

"Why are you acting so nervous? You think I'm going to eat you?" he asked, frowning a little as he watched her.

She was nervous. Her knee was bouncing up and down and her heart was racing.

"It's my gigantasophobia."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your what now?"

She grinned, laughter in her voice now that they were talking and it didn't feel so clandestine. "My gigantasophobia. You're so tall, it's freaking me out."

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound genuine but soft in the night. "You talk so much of shit, my god. You didn't seem very scared of me until now."

She shrugged. "Haven't you noticed how we haven't spoken before this? Not really anyway. Since you grew all tall and shit."

His eyes were shining with laughter, mouth open with a smile of disbelief. "Now I know."

She nodded. "Yips."

Adam sighed and fell back against the sofa. "Man, it is so good to speak to you properly. I was beginning to think that we'd have to have via-via conversations for the entire weekend."

Ava pulled her legs up onto the sofa and crossed them, tucking her hands into the space formed in the middle. "Only you would be crazy enough to suggest a Secret Seven meeting in the den."

He turned his head, hair flopping over his forehead as he smiled cheekily. "You're old enough to know Enid Blyton?"

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that. For your own safety."

They sat for hours, talking and laughing, Adam telling her about his ambitions for the years to come, Ava telling him about school and the house drama, the time slipping away without either of them noticing. It was only as the light coming through the window began to change that they realised how late, or early in their case, it had gotten.

Ava yawned, feeling the tiredness in her bones as she shifted. She caught Adam smiling at her and she wrinkled her nose. "What?"

"Think you need some sleep, blondie."

She shook her head. "I'm fine. Continue your story."

He shook his head. "I can hear you're tired. You've been replying with 'hmm' for the past ten minutes and that's not how you usually reply. Come on."

He stood up and offered his hand, pulling her off the sofa and letting go once she'd gained her footing.

"Okay, yeah I can feel it."

They walked out of the den, Adam teasing her when he noticed just how short she was compared to him, making her stick her tongue out. He actually walked her to her room and she had to slap herself before she mumbled something about it being like a date.

"Sleep tight, blondie."

She threw him another scowl but then grinned and waved tiredly before walking into the room.

She needed sleep and something told her that she'd be out like a light when she put her head down.

She was right. The moment her head hit the pillow, a smile flitted across her face and she fell asleep, missing the lighting up of her phone as Adam messaged her good night.