~Avery's POV~
As I and Alice walked towards the stairs she stopped mid-track and grabbed both my hands and she looked me in the eyes with that same warm smile. I just couldn't help but feel like there was something behind it like it was a mask or a facade, nevertheless, she was incredibly nice and caring so I would just swoop those thoughts under the rug.
" I hope you don't find me too forward or anything, but the way you make James act, I have never seen him act that way. He's giggling and blushing when he's around you and it's rare. I am really glad that you are coming home with us, even if it is just for a few days. I'm sure it makes James quite happy, and the rest of us too. We have all taken a liking to you."
Alice's kind words truly made my heart smile, as well as my face, seeing as I was smiling like a fool the entire time she spoke. I was surprised that I didn't scare the woman.
" Thank you very much ms... I am so sorry I don't know your last name," I said, I could feel my blood rushing towards my face making my entire appearance that of a tomato.
" That is because we are on a first-name basis my dear, I don't want any of that 'ms' nonsense, you call me Alice and nothing else, are we clear?" I could feel the blood flowing back down at her words and all I wanted to do was embrace her in a big hug, so that's what I did. At first, Alice stood there all stiff, probably surprised by my arms quickly going around her waist as I hugged her, I almost felt the urge to cry. I didn't know why. Perhaps I wasn't all that used to the love Alice had shown only these two days of knowing me. One day if we get really picky since we met yesterday and it was still morning.
Why am I thinking about this? I shook my head and pulled away from the warmest hug I had felt in a long time.
Alice chuckled before she spoke.
"Oh dear, I was not at all prepared for that. It was nice, and something tells me you needed it just as much as I did."
I smiled at Alice and decided to keep walking to the stairs but Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me back.
" What's going on?" I asked with a smile and tried to suppress my worried voice.
"I was just thinking... do you think we could just talk for a bit? I have some things I need to get off my chest and I thinkyou're just the person to help me out," she said, and however hungry I was, and I was hungry, my stomach was making sounds I had never heard before but I couldn't deny her what she was asking for. I'm a helper, I like helping people and she has been nothing but nice to me since I got here.
"Of course, what's up?" I asked and Alice started talking. If I didn't know any better it would seem as though she was stalling and making everything up that she was talking about, but nevertheless, I let her ramble on.
After fifteen minutes she thanked me for listening and giving her my advice on the matter that I still wasn't sure what it was about, but finally we were making our way to the dining hall.
We simply smiled and walked together the rest of the way in silence. It was nice becuase I was getting a little grumpy from not eating.
As we made our way into the dining hall it seemed as though we had interrupted a conversation they were having and all eyes turned to us. And there to my right was James in all his glory. He was dressed in a plain, grey t-shirt, displaying his muscles quite well if I may say so myself, and a pair of black jeans. His hair looked as though he had just gotten out of bed and still he looked so hot that I wanted to take him right here on this table not caring if anyone watches and just. Hey, hey, hey no! get it together woman. But he did do things to my body without realizing it himself. Just him staring into my eyes it was as though my temperature rose to a hundred degrees.
I glanced over everyone sitting at the table and turned my eyes back to James as I said
"Good morning, everyone." James replied and pulled out a seat beside him and asked me to join him.
Before I took my seat I quickly remembered the events that took place last night and decided that he was not about to get his way, partially because he had been a douchebag and also because I wanted to tease him the way he had been teasing me. However, my teasing would probably be no fun for him, but that was the point.
"Thank you, but I'd rather sit on the other side so I can speak to everyone without having to lean over the table," I said and went to the opposite side of the table where I saw Alex was sitting. I pulled out a chair next to him, right in front of James and sat down. As I did so all eyes went directly to James who did not look happy, but I couldn't care less. If he thought he could just toy around with me as he pleased, he was about to think twice before doing it again.