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“Because…you’re the father.”
20
AMELIA
The bed is empty beside me as I finally wake from the nightmare of last night.
On the nightstand, the clock is showing ten in the morning. This is the latest I’ve slept in since who knows when, always an early riser. I twist my body sideways to reach for my phone, only for my limbs to ache like I’ve been run over by a bus.
A truck.
A god damn Boeing 747.
Instead of checking my phone, which is what I would do upon waking up, I decide to shower and change to gain some normality, then hunt down some much-needed caffeine. The last few days have been anything but forgiving on my body, and I need to get back on track. With a paper due in less than a week and classes wrapping up before summer break, there is a lot to focus on if I want to graduate with a law degree. It isn’t the end; however, I’ve come too far to let it all fall apart.
Dressing in a pair of jeans, white sneakers, and a baby blue ribbed tank, I tie my hair up into a messy wet bun and walk to the kitchen.
My parents are sitting at the large counter, as are Ava and Andy. When their eyes fall upon me, they all mirror a look of concern. It comes as no surprise, all four of them are protective over me, and after last night, I don’t blame them for worrying. If this were any other family member, I would feel the exact same. I just need to ease their worry; reassure them everything will be fine even if I have no clue what the future holds.
“You can all stop worrying about me,” I assure them, turning my back to find myself a cup to use. “I’m a big girl who needs to learn from her mistakes.”
“Honey,” Mom calls softly. “Can you sit down for a moment? There’s something we’d like to discuss.”
“Coffee first, please,” I plead, desperate from just standing next to the machine.
The machine does its magical thing, pouring me a cup of sanity with a bit of optimism sprinkled on top. With the warm cup nestled in my hands, I take a seat beside Andy and relish in the first sip. It’s glorious, heart-warming, everything I need in my life right now.
“Okay, now we can talk,” I offer with a half-smile, “but before you say anything, because I know this is about last night, I want you all to know I will get through this. This is not four years ago when I crashed my car or got addicted to sleeping pills. I’ve been hiding the truth for too long, and it’s time to have some honest conversations.”
“Amelia,” Dad begins, to stall momentarily, “something happened last night.”
I raise my brows but then start to worry. “What happened? Is everyone okay?”
My mind goes to Austin. Apparently, he was driven back to Manhattan by Uncle Julian. Was it an accident? Surely not, Andy is somewhat normal with his mannerisms to warrant anything happening to his father.
“Nikki and Will have flown to Orlando.”
“Orlando?” I question, then chuckle nervously. “Last minute trip to Magic Kingdom? I don’t understand.”
“No, Amelia,” Mom continues, “it's regarding Will.”
“Will?” I repeat, my heart racing at the possibilities. “What’s wrong with Will?”
“There was a car accident.”
I begin to choke on my words. “Oh my god, is Will okay?”
“Will wasn’t in the car. There was a woman, a woman he um…”
The four of them look at me with a pained stare. What the hell is going on? If Will wasn’t in the car, why are they staring at me like it’s the end of the world?
“What is it, Dad,” I raise my voice, annoyed at their reluctance to reveal the truth. “What happened?”
The muscles on his face are strained, unsure whether it’s of anger or concern. The fact that he is talking about Will would most likely be anger.
“There is a young woman he met back in London. She passed away in a car accident two days ago.”
My shoulders slump from the sad news but ease my worry, knowing Will is safe. “How awful.”
