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POV Gabriel
I stared at the edge of the forest from the lake house sliding door.
The cool wind slipped through the slightly open window, making the curtains shiver, ruffling my hair, but failing to calm the turmoil in my mind. I stayed still, yet my thoughts spun relentlessly.
Avery was gone.
I replayed the last few hours over and over, searching for the exact moment I should have realized. The silence that had lasted too long. A door closed without a sound. That fleeting sense that she was preparing something.
How had I missed it?
The door behind me burst open. Lauren entered, unable to calm herself.
"Where are the keys?!"
She practically ran into the room, her face tight, drawn with worry mixed with blazing anger. She crossed the living room swiftly and started searching the kitchen, opening drawers one by one.
"Lauren, calm down," Will tried, following her. "We'll find her."
She spun around sharply.
"Calm down? You want me to calm down while my daughter is out there, alone, after everything that's happened?"
Her voice shook. She continued searching, nearly overturning a chair. The keys were still nowhere to be found.
"Shit…" she swore.
Daniel, standing nearby, tried to soothe her.
"Mom, calm down. She'll come back. I don't understand why you're all so worried."
Lauren froze. The look she shot him was unambiguous. A gaze loaded with fear she no longer had the strength to hide.
"She'll come back," Daniel added, less certain. "Safe and sound."
Lauren didn't respond. She simply turned her gaze toward the outside, as if expecting Avery to appear from the forest at any moment.
I took a deep breath.
"I'll go get her," I said, grabbing my jacket from the couch.
I stepped out before she could say anything.
Barely had I crossed the threshold when Will caught up with me.
"Wait. Take the keys. I've been holding them," he said, tilting his head slightly to check if Lauren had heard.
"No need. The car will only slow me down."
"Maybe. But how do you plan to bring her back?"
I stopped dead in my tracks.
"With…," I began, then fell silent. The answer made no sense.
"Fine. Give them to me."
He handed me the keys, then briefly grabbed my arm.
"And keep your cool."
I nodded.
But keeping my cool in this situation was almost impossible.
Avery was stubborn. I knew that from the little time I'd spent with her. But she wasn't stupid. Not after what Lauren had told me about what happened with Killian the night before.
I got into the car and started immediately.
Questions swirled in my mind, clashing with each other, leaving me no respite.
Was she okay?
Where had she gone?
How had she escaped us?
And why?
But one answer imposed itself above all: I had to find her as soon as possible.
The only place that seemed most likely… was her home.
A few minutes later:
I arrived at the property. As soon as I stopped, a car parked nearby immediately drew my attention.
I approached the vehicle. Nothing dangerous. A familiar scent, unpleasant but reassuring. No real threat.
Then my eyes fell on the house.
Yellow police tape surrounded the façade.
All the relief I had felt evaporated.
I rushed to the porch. As I got closer, the acrid smell of dried blood hit my nose. Not helping.
Voices.
I instinctively slowed, straining to listen.
Avery. And a boy.
The boy from the hospital. His friend.
I took one step too far.
The floorboard creaked. Alerting them. The boy stepped out to check. Avery stayed inside.
I took the moment to slip inside as well, moving with near-automatic stealth.
But she wasn't there.
My heart skipped a beat.
I searched the house quickly, methodically. Each empty room heightened my worry.
Then a sound:
A click.
Sharp. Clear.
I rushed toward the study.
Avery was coming out.
She held something tightly against her chest.
When she saw me, she jumped.
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A chest pressed against her chest, too heavy for her trembling arms.
A notebook clutched against her, as if it were living proof she was trying to hide.
Her shoulders were stiff, her gaze defensive, but her voice—when she spoke—couldn't mask her fear.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded sharply.
I stared at her, incredulous.
"Do you really need me to answer that?"
She straightened slightly, forcing herself to regain composure. Then she half-turned, ready to turn her back on me.
"You didn't need to come get me. I was coming back anyway."
Her words snapped like nothing had happened.
"Are you serious? Do you even realize the worry you've caused?"
She turned abruptly to face me.
"No," she said. No regret.
"If you really cared about me, you would've told me the truth. But you didn't. So don't look at me like that now."
She turned away again.
My jaw tightened. I took a slow, forced breath.
"If you're done…" I exhaled. "We're leaving."
"No."
One word. Sharp. Final.
She placed her foot on the first stair of the staircase.
"What do you mean, no?" I asked.
"As you heard. I came alone. I memorized the way. You can leave now."
"Wait."
I grabbed her wrist before she could climb further.
"We need to go immediately. It's important."
"What I came for is just as important as…?" she snapped, trying to pull away.
"Stop. Come down. Now," I said, annoyed.
I tightened my grip despite myself.
"I told you no."
"Stop your tantrums," I said, my voice harsher than intended.
"I told you—"
She didn't get to finish.
I yanked her abruptly down the stairs.
"What are you doing?!" she shouted, surprised.
"I told you no!" she struggled with all her strength.
"And I told you we're leaving!"
I pulled her toward the exit, her body resisting mine, the chest bumping against her arm. Every step was a struggle. She fought, panting, furious.
We were almost at the car.
Almost.
A sudden, sharp pain shot through my wrist.
I spun around abruptly, letting go of Avery unintentionally.
And I noticed another hand gripping my arm.
Strong. Determined.
I met the gaze of her friend.
He stared at me without blinking, face closed, ready to intervene.
"She told you she wasn't going anywhere."
The tone left no room for discussion.
And at that precise moment, I realized the situation had just become far more complicated.
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