On Friday during my lunch break, I saw I had a follow request on Instagram from Ryan Sander.

I froze as I looked at the follow request. His profile was public, and he was a nice looking guy. I could tell that he was tall, and he had dark hair and wore glasses.

Should I accept the request?

If things keep going the way they are with Avery I can't lead someone on who could be interested in me.

However, I didn't know what was going to happen with Avery.

So, I accepted the follow request, and followed him back.

I'll just see what happens.

After work I got ready to head to Naomi's for the girls night. As I got changed, I couldn't help but wonder if I should wear a cute matching underwear and bra set.

Just in case...you know...

I decided to do so.

As I drove to Naomi's, I found myself mostly being excited for one reason.

To see Avery.

It is crazy how one week can change everything.

Naomi lives in a townhome that is ultra modern, it has the feel of a luxury hotel you'd find in the city more so than a home. It's a far cry from my apartment that often feels like it's falling apart at the seams.

When I got to Naomi's, everyone was there except for Crystal. I gave everyone a hug, and Avery's hand lingered on my back for just a moment too long.

"Hey," she grinned at me, "Good to see you again, Isabelle."

Like I didn't see you or kiss you on Monday.

We were all crowded in the kitchen, where Naomi had a full charcuterie spread set out on the granite countertops.

"Brett says 'hello'," Naomi said, giving me a quick hug.

"He's not here?" I asked.

She shook her head, "He's out with his friends."

What a shame. Not.

Naomi looked around at all of us, and she then looked at Isla, "Did Crystal mention to you that she was going to be late?"

Isla sighed, "She's hardly late. Go easy on her, Naomi. It's okay."

Naomi popped a green grape into her mouth a shrugged, "Well, it's on her if she misses out on the food."

Crystal arrived not even five minutes later, and Naomi started pouring us each a glass of wine.

"To a fabulous girls night," she said, lifting her wine glass, and we all clinked ours together.

I was standing next to Isla, and she turned to me and asked, "Did Ryan send you a follow request on Instagram? I gave him the okay, with your permission."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Avery glance my way.

"He did," I nodded, "I accepted it."

"Who is Ryan?" JJ asked, obviously interested.

"He's mine, Avery, and Crystal's co-worker," Isla explained, "He came up to my desk when the three of us were looking at pictures from last weekend, and he immediately asked who Izzy was. He thought she was really cute. I was going to give him Izzy's socials immediately, but Avery suggested I ask her first."

I glanced at Avery, "Thank you for that."

As I locked eyes with her, I felt like we had a mutual understanding and she said back, "Not a problem."

JJ turned to me, excited, "That's great! Is he cute?"

My discomfort grew as I said, "I guess? It's hard to tell, he doesn't really have many pictures himself on his Instagram."

"Oh, he's hot," Crystal confirmed, "I've been trying to hook up with him for ages. I'm jealous of you, Isabelle."

Thankfully, her tone was playful.

"Well," Naomi said, "Show him to us!"

"Okay," I hesitantly took my phone out of my bag to pull up Instagram.

"No need," Isla said to me, holding up her phone, "I pulled up his LinkedIn, where he has a recent photo."

Nhi's dark eyes widened, "Oh, he's cute!"

You can have him.

"Agreed," Naomi nodded, and she then turned to me, "How are you not more excited about this, Iz?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, I guess I'll talk to him. I just don't know if I'm interested."

Isla put a comforting hand on my shoulder and looked at me, "No pressure."

I smiled at Nhi, "Maybe you should add him on Instagram and talk to him."

She smiled back at me, "If it doesn't work out between you two maybe I will."

Trying to change the subject, I turned to JJ, "Are you and Milo still talking?"

She smiled, "Yes, we are. He is going to come up here next weekend and take me out on a date."

Nhi's eyes widened, "All the way from Maryland?"

JJ nodded, "Yep. He seems like a real gentleman."

"You should accept anything less than that, JJ," Naomi looked at her.

Uh...you have. Look at your fiancé.

I could tell that JJ was thinking the same thing, however she said to Naomi, "I won't, thank you."

To my surprise, Naomi asked Crystal, "How about you, Crystal. Anyone you're interested in?"

Crystal took a sip of her wine, "Not really. I don't feel ready to settle down yet. I'm just having fun."

"How old you are, again?" Naomi asked Crystal, even though she knew damn well that Crystal was 27.

"I'm 27," Crystal said, "I'll be 28 in a couple of weeks."

"Gotcha," Naomi said in a somewhat disapproving tone and nodded.

Crystal frowned, however before she could respond, Naomi looked at Avery, "I know you haven't been single for long. Anyone caught your eye?"

Avery paused before saying, "Not really. I'm just going to see what happens."

Naomi then moved onto Nhi, asking her about her love life, and I noticed Avery texting on her phone.

A moment later, my phone vibrated. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that it was a message from Avery, who was standing across from me.

I glanced around to make sure no one could see my phone, and my face grew warm as I read the text from Avery.

It said: That was a lie just before. I'm interested in you.

I looked up to see that Avery's gaze was set on me, and I shot her a small smile.

"How about we all load up our plates and take this into the living room?" Naomi suggested, "We can continue talking more there."

We all took Naomi's suggestion. I put some crackers, cheese, and fruit on my plate and headed into the living room. Naomi has two couches, big enough for the seven of us. I sat down at the end of one, and Avery sat down next to me. The same as when we played truth or dare a week ago.

I was very aware of how close she was to me, and my heart thumped.

"You smell nice," Avery murmured to me, just soft enough that only I could hear.

"Thank you," I whispered back to her.

Crystal spoke, "As I mentioned, I'll be 28 in a couple of weeks. How about we all hit some clubs for my birthday?"

Nhi was the first to nod, "That sounds like a lot of fun."

We all agreed, and Crystal seemed pleased, "Awesome! I'll plan it."

At least I know I'll be seeing Avery there.

The rest of girls night was a good time. Besides some underlying tension between Naomi and Crystal, everyone got along really well.

It was nice to not feel alone and be surrounded by a group of women. I hadn't had that since college.

At around 10:30 PM we all started to make our way home.

Well, in my case, to Avery's.

I gave everyone a hug goodbye and as I hugged Avery she whispered so softly that I could barely hear it, "See you soon, Isabelle."

When I got into my car, I put Avery's address that she had texted me earlier into my maps and started driving to her apartment.

When I pulled up to her complex, she was getting out of her car.

"Looks like the maps took you a different way than they did me," she said as I walked up to her, "I'm glad you're here. I've been waiting for this all night."

Even though I had just hugged her to say goodbye at Naomi's about 15 minutes before, Avery pulled me into a hug again. She held me for a moment, and the only thing I could hear was her heartbeat.

When we pulled away, she smiled at me and gently tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, "Let's go inside. I'll show you around."

I had learned prior that Avery didn't have any roommates, however she did have a cat. When we walked inside, the most adorable gray cat with a pink collar greeted us.

"This is Madeline," Avery said, getting down on the cat's level and petting her.

I did the same and looked at Avery, "She is absolutely adorable. You know, I've thought about getting a cat so many times but I don't know how my roommate would react even though she's never home."

"They're best," Avery said with a smile, "I adopted Madeline from the shelter two years ago when I moved in here. She's my best buddy."

"How old is she?"

"The shelter approximated her age to be three years old when I got her, so she's around five now."

Avery and I stood up, and she started to show me around her apartment, which was much nicer and more updated than mine. There were hardwood floors, new kitchen appliances, and Avery decorated place with a minimalistic yet chic approach.

"Your place is really nice," I said as we walked into the kitchen.

She grinned at me, "Thanks, Isabelle. I appreciate it."

I grinned back at her, leaning against the counter, "You can call me Izzy, you know."

"Okay," Avery nodded, "Do you prefer that over Isabelle?"

"I don't really have a preference. Just know you can call me that."

"Good to know," Avery said, and then her gaze swept over me, "You look really pretty, by the way."

"So do you, as always."

Avery chuckled, "You're cute, thank you. Now...are you hungry? I said I'd cook you something."

"You know, I am still pretty hungry. While the charcuterie Naomi had was great, it wasn't the most filling. Plus, I want to see what you've got for your dinner skills. Breakfast was already great. Best avocado toast I've ever had."

Avery laughed, "You flatter me, Izzy. Is there anything you don't like? I'll whip us up something, I just want to make sure it's to your liking."

"No, I'm easy," I said to Avery, and then realized what I actually said as Avery chuckled and raised her eyebrows.

"I didn't mean it like that!" I laughed, "I'm easy in terms of food. I'll eat anything, really."

Maybe I'm pretty easy otherwise considering how fast I hooked up with Avery...

"Okay," Avery nodded, "I have an idea in mind."

I stood by Avery as she started to pull ingredients out of cabinets and her refrigerator.

"I'm going to make chicken lettuce wraps with a homemade sauce," she said, "Easy, yet really delicious.

"That sounds great, Avery," I said, and then asked, "How did you learn to cook, are you self taught?"

"My mom taught me pretty much all I know about cooking. She was a great cook," Avery said, turning on the stove.

"Was?" I asked her gently.

"She passed away when I was 21," Avery said to me, "Both of my parents are gone, actually."

My heart sank, "Oh, Avery. I am so sorry to hear that."

"My dad wasn't the best guy, so don't feel too bad about that. But my mom...yeah, that was really rough. Still can be."

I was quiet for a second and then said, "I wouldn't have expected that. It's truly crazy how you never know what someone has gone or is going through."

As Avery cooked on the stove she glanced at me, "What's something about you that no one would ever think you're going or have gone through?"

"You promise you won't judge or get freaked out?"

"Try me," Avery said, "I won't."

"Okay. I got diagnosed with bipolar disorder not long ago after struggling for a long time. It's not something I really like to disclose...but I feel like I can tell you."

"You can absolutely tell me," Avery responded, looking at me, "Thank you for trusting me with that, I know it must not be easy to tell people."

"It's not. Plus, my parents hardly even think it's real, which doesn't help matters."

Avery cringed, "Yeah...Isla has told me about your parents."

"They don't really believe in mental illness. Which why they never got me the help I needed when I was younger, and I had to figure it out on my own."

"I'm sorry," Avery said earnestly, "That's really difficult. Mental illness is very real. I know that firsthand."

To my surprise, Avery put her free hand that she wasn't cooking with on mine and said, "I know these are heavy topics...but it's really nice to talk to you."

I glanced down at Avery's hand on mine, my heart fluttering.

I wonder where the rest of the night is going to take us?