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“Boys, give her some space. She’ll wake up when she’s ready.” Tessa. She was here? Where was my dad? Had something happened to him?
I needed to wake up. I needed answers.
But it was so damned hard. I just wanted to stay like this. Floating between. I felt pain, but as long as I didn’t move, swallow, or breathe too deep, it was fine. Tolerable.
If this was like the last time, then when I opened my eyes things would be worse. I didn’t want to face whatever truth was waiting for me.
“Please, Ave. Be okay.” Luca’s voice cracked, and it was like a knife to my heart. He sounded broken.
But why? I was fine. Kind of. I didn’t think I was dead, so that was good.
Warmth pressed against my forehead, and it took me several seconds to register it was a kiss.
“Take your time, baby.” Another kiss. “Just rest.” That was Vince. Why did it sound like he was leaving?
No. I didn’t want them to leave.
“I love you, Ave,” Sky whispered in my ear. I tried to turn my head toward the sound, but my muscles refused to cooperate.
Warmth crossed my cheek. “Be strong, Ave. We need you.” Noah. His voice was like a caress.
“Come back to us.” Gavin. I wanted him. I needed to be in his arms and feel his quiet strength.
I tried to reach out and lift my hand enough for any of them to know I was here. I was trying. I didn’t want them to leave.
Please. I didn’t want to be alone.
“I’ll stay with her. You guys need to go get some rest,” Tessa spoke. She was still here. She was staying.
Silence filled the room as time passed. It could have been minutes, hours, or days. I didn’t know. Had no way of telling.
“Avalon, I know you’re tired. I know you’ve already been through so much, but these boys need you. We all need you. I know it’s hard, but you have to fight. You have to want to survive.”
I did. It was just so draining. The closer I got to the surface, the more severe the pain. If I stayed just like this, maybe it would be okay.
My hand lifted, and something squeezed it. Tessa was holding it. I wanted to move my fingers to let her know I was here, but nothing happened when I tried.
“You’re probably in a lot of pain, but I promise it won’t last forever. Things will get better, and you’ll have us by your side every step of the way. You have to make the first choice. You need to wake up.”
I was trying. I wanted to be with them. I wanted our future, but it was too hard. Slipping back into the darkness, resting, was so close. It would be so easy to give in and fall away.
“Where is she?” A loud voice broke through the silence. “Avalon? Sweetheart?”
My other hand was squeezed, and I fought through the dense fog to identify that voice.
Dad.
He was here. He was safe.
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, baby.” He was sobbing out the words. Why? What was he sorry for?
No. I remembered. Juliet wasn’t who she said she was. She was bad. A liar. A cheater. I had to tell him. I couldn’t let him marry her.
It would be even more painful than waking up, but I had to do it. I had to save him from her. He had to know the truth, and I needed to be the one to break the news. I couldn’t let him find out from someone else. We were all each other had left.
This would be the worst thing I ever had to do. The hardest thing for us to survive, but I had to be there for him.
I gathered all my strength, all my will, and pushed through the fog and heaviness pressing down on me. I fought to the surface and opened my eyes.
“Dad.” My voice was barely audible, but he jumped and put his hand on the top of my head.
“Oh, Avalon. Oh, my sweet girl.” Tears streamed down his face while he brushed back my hair.
“Daddy, I have to tell you.”
He shushed me. “Relax, honey. It’s okay. You’re okay.”
I couldn’t move my neck, but I looked to see if Tessa was still there. She was sitting next to me, with wet cheeks and glistening eyes. “We have to tell him.”
She nodded and smiled, holding my hand to her chest. “We will, honey.”
