Life After Taylah(76)

I turn and walk away. There is nothing else to say. Nothing else to hear.

“Avery!” he screams, shaking the bars.

There is no turning back.





CHAPTER 32


NATE


“Why can’t I come with you?” I say, narrowing my eyes.

“It’s easier if I go alone,” she says, crossing her arms and rubbing them, darting her eyes away.

“You are seeing your doctor about a sickness. I am your husband; I don’t understand why I shouldn’t come.”

“Nate,” she whispers, “I just want to go alone.”

“But why?” I bark.

“Just drop it, okay? It’s hard enough dealing with this as it is without you breathing down my throat.”

My phone rings beside me, and it takes everything for me to drop this conversation with Lena. Something doesn’t feel right to me, but she’s not giving me the chance to figure out what that is.

“This isn’t finished. Go, but know that I am coming next time.”

She quickly nods and turns, rushing out the door. I answer my phone, pressing it to my ear.

“What?”

“Is this Nate?”

I narrow my eyes. “That you, Max?”

He sighs deeply. “It’s me.”

“And you’re ringing me because?”

“Nate, something happened tonight. I know I shouldn’t talk to you or call you but . . . fuck . . . she won’t let anyone else in. I know that.”

My heart clenches. “What’s goin’ on, Max?”

“Avery’s father was arrested tonight, because he confessed to the murder of her mother.”

My entire world stops spinning as I rasp, “What?”

“She’s gone home, but she won’t answer calls, won’t answer the door. I’m worried sick, Nate. She didn’t even cry. She’s completely dead. I’m terrified. I can’t find Liam, but I’ve got Kelly onto that. I need—I need to know she’s okay.”

“I’ll go around now,” I say, already heading towards the front door.

“Thank you,” he whispers, hanging up.

I call out to Macy and we rush out together. Lena is gone, so I drop her off to a close friend while I go and check on Avery. I put my foot down the entire way to Avery’s apartment. I skid into the driveway and turn the car off, leaping out and rushing towards the front door. I pound on it, over and over, but there’s no answer. I look up and see the bathroom light is on. She’s here. I go to the front window and I lift my foot, putting it straight through the glass she only had replaced a few weeks ago.

I climb in, feeling little shards pierce my skin. I don’t care.

The minute my feet are on the ground, I run up the stairs. I go straight to the bathroom and twist the door handle. Locked. I begin pounding on it.

“Avery!” I yell. “Avery!”

I pound harder. Shit, what if she’s not here? I pull out my phone and I dial her number. The moment I hear the buzzing in the bathroom, I know she’s in there. A sick feeling courses through my body as I lift my foot and kick the door.

It takes me a grueling ten minutes before it busts open. I charge in and skid to a halt when I see her. She’s curled in a pool of her own blood.

“No!” I cry, dropping to the floor beside her, my knees slipping in the red liquid.

There’s a knife lying on the tiles beside her, and her wrists are bleeding from deep gashes she’s created herself.

No, Avery. No.

“Baby,” I rasp, lifting her into my arms, covering myself with her blood. The strong copper scent burns my nose. “Baby, wake up.”

She’s floppy in my arms. Oh fuck, oh God, no. I press my fingers to her neck and check for a pulse. It’s there but it’s faint. I run down stairs, dialing an ambulance as I go.

“What’s your emergency?”

“My girl has cut her wrists, she’s bleeding. Please.”

“What’s your address?”

I give them the address and they assure me they’ll be there in less than ten minutes. What if she doesn’t have ten minutes? I lay her on the couch, and my tears hit her cheeks as I rip off my shirt, tearing it and securing it around her wrists. She’s covered in blood and so am I. I lift her into my arms again, pressing her close.

“Don’t you die on me, baby. Don’t you die. I’m so sorry. I love you; do you hear me? I love you, Avery.”

I rock her backwards and forwards until I feel a hand on my arm. I look up through my blurred vision to see an ambulance officer by my side. He takes her from my arms and I hear them speaking to each other, saying things I don’t understand. They wheel her out on a stretcher and I follow, though my body is completely numb.