I woke up to the beautiful sight of Avery lying close to me, her chest rising and falling with every breath. I stared at her pretty face for a while, taking in the peaceful expression she wore, her lips slightly parted. She looked like an angel, and I felt a flutter in my chest, a feeling I'd never experienced before.
I reluctantly got out of bed, not wanting to disturb her, and decided to check on my friends Liam and Jason. I hadn't seen them after the bonfire night party yesterday, and I wondered what they were up to. I made my way to the sitting room, and as I approached, I could hear their voices arguing about something.
Immediately, I walked in, and they stopped, starting to disturb me about being a playboy, listing all the ladies I had been with since before we came to Willow Creek. The truth was, since I'd met Avery, I hadn't been interested in anyone else. She had me hooked with her innocence, her smile, and everything about her.
But I decided to play along with my friends' antics, saying what they wanted to hear. "All you have to do is tell them what they want to hear, and they're putty in your hands," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. They hailed me more, but this time, I felt bad about making that statement. My feelings for Avery were genuine, and I had never felt this way before. Yesterday was the best sex I'd ever had, and it wasn't just about the physical connection.
I decided to check on Avery, make sure she was okay, but as I walked back to the bedroom, I was surprised to find she wasn't there. I looked around, thinking maybe she'd gone to the bathroom, but she was nowhere to be found.
I didn't have time to dwell on it, though. My phone started ringing, and it was my little sister, Emily. I sighed, wondering what she wanted. Hope she doesn't want to convince me to let her join us on the vacation, I thought. Her words won't change my mind.
I picked up the call, ready to tell her what's on my mind, but then I realized she was crying. "Em, why are you crying?" I asked, my tone softening.
The next thing she said shocked me, made my heart skip a beat. "Mom's been involved in an accident, Ethan. She's in the hospital."
My world came to a standstill. Mom? In an accident?
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, the air knocked out of me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. I had to get to my sister, to my family.
I rushed out of the house, dialing the phone to arrange for a flight. I had to get to New York, to my mom's side.
As I waited for the car to arrive, my mind was racing. What had happened to Mom? Was she okay? Would she...