Just One of the Guys
Chapter Four

Averi

I'm sitting in the chair at a hair salon as Agent Hernandez and another agent sit across the room, watching as the hairdresser continues threading long golden brown extensions into my hair after having dyed my hair a matching color. "That's a fantastic color on you, Emerson," the female agent, whose name I can't remember, comments, giving me a reassuring smile, "it really makes your blue eyes pop."

"Thank you. I tell her," glancing from her over to Agent Hernandez and replying snarkily, "I'm just glad to have hair again. If you had told me that I would have to chop all of my hair off again, I'd have been out. No deal."

"Good luck with that." Agent Hernandez says, chuckling, knowing me too well to take me seriously. "I'd just have hogtied you and buzzed all of it, if that were the case." "You would have to catch me first," I sass back, smirking.

"I think I could catch you." He remarks, covering his mouth with his hand trying to hide his smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you two were siblings with how you interact with each other." The female agent comments, glancing from me over to her partner.

"It's amazing the connections that are formed when you're put in dire situations, huh?" I say, cocking a brow at both of them. "He's the closest thing to family that I have anymore, so it seems fitting."

"Awe, you're melting my heart," he says, grasping ahold of his chest where his heart is located, "it's like she's the little sister that I never had," he says, grinning over at me, "and just enough of a pain in my ass to make me believe that, maybe in another life, she actually may have been my sister."

"You ass!" I say, snickering. Movement from across the room catches my eye. Glancing that way, I watch as Knox saunters out of the back room, looking exactly the same other than his wardrobe.

Where Knox usually dresses pretty nice when we're not in class, they have him dressed down, wearing a loose fitting pair of jeans, dark brown work boots, a t-shirt and a ballcap pulled lower over his forehead.

"So, he doesn't have to change his looks, only his clothes?" I ask, turning my glare at Agent Hernandez out of the corner of my eye, since I can't turn my head unless I want the hairdresser pulling my hair out.

"Pretty boy's features are too distinct to be able to really change them. Nothing that we do would look natural. You are like a chameleon, anything and everything works on you. Him," he says, nodding towards Knox, "however, is like an elephant."

I snort a laugh at that reference, causing Knox to glare at me as he tries to hold in his own laughter.

After finishing up with my hair, the hairdresser turns me around so that I can see myself in the mirror, "Aanndd we're done. What do we think?" She says, glancing from me to the three other people in the room.

"She's beautiful, as always." Knox says, walking over to stand next to me.

"You look fantastic." The female agent says, standing up along with Agent Hernandez as he mutters, "Meh, it's okay. I guess. I'd have gone for ice blue though. Oh, and wear ice blue contacts to match. You could have looked like a snow princess and I could call you Elsa," he folds over laughing, finding himself hilarious.

"See...just like siblings," the female agent says, shaking her head at Agent Hernandez.

"Anyway." Agent Hernandez says, his face growing serious, "So, do you both have a grasp on your new identities?" He looks back and forth between Knox and I, and we both nod in answer. "Averi Sarkisyan, she no longer exists. Corbin McEvoy, he no longer exists, and Knox Anders, he no longer exists either. Is that clear?" he asks with a raised eyebrow, directing the rhetorical question towards me.

I make one mistake and suddenly I can't be trusted, sheesh! I think, smirking to myself.

"Is there something funny, *Emerson*?" Agent Hernandez asks, putting emphasis on my new name.

"Well...now that you mention it, your face looks pretty funny." I tell him, biting the inside of my cheek and trying to not grin as he glares at me. "Emerson!" he growls, "playtime is over. It's time to get serious. We can't have another mistake. You may not get so lucky next time."

I lower my head, knowing that he's right.

I'm more than aware that what I did was stupid, and I've learned my lesson. My father is obviously very resourceful. But, if I hadn't gone out that night as myself, then Knox and I would have never been more than friends, and even that may not have happened because we only managed to cross that particular bridge because of his growing feelings for Averi and his guilt over his playboy ways. "Nash, are you good?" he asks, looking at Knox.

"All good," he says, smirking at Agent Hernandez, "my name is Nash Jennings. I was born in North Port, Fl. on February 12, 2003 to Cooper and Angela Jennings. Shortly after I was born, we relocated overseas, which is why I have a British accent. From England, we moved to Bryan, TX during my freshman year of high school, when my dad was transferred to the Army National Guard base there. Emerson and I met during our sophomore year in high school. We have had our ups and downs but now we are both enrolled to attend Texas A&M in the fall."

"Good. You forgot one thing though..." Agent Hernandez says, producing a small box and handing it over to Nash. "You two are engaged now, remember?"

Th-that is news to me..., I think as I try to get my breathing under control. Nash turns towards me and then gets down on one knee, holding out the most beautiful princess cut ring I have ever seen.

"Emerson Monroe, I know that this has been one heck of a crazy ride that we have been on since we first met, but I couldn't imagine my life without you in it. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" Nash is gazing up at me with love and adoration in his eyes and a huge smile on his face, that slips as I stand there staring at him, so shocked that it takes me a moment to realize that I haven't answered him.

"Yes! Oh my God, yes!" I tell him, closing the distance and wrapping my arm around his neck. Nash picks me up, spinning me around as Agent Hernandez chuckles.

"Congratulations!" He says, grinning from ear to ear right along with the female agent, Nash, and myself. "Now let's get you two out of here. You two have the rest of your lives to begin."