Aveline

Chapter Forty-Four

He didn't call me A.

Something is very wrong. I can feel it in my body that something is so very wrong.

I take a hesitant seat on the couch and Chase takes the one across from me. The room seems to be colored in a shade of grey.

Similar to the energy of his emotions.

"Chase, what's wrong?" I ask slowly.

He rubs his clenched jaw, his eyes hardening as he stares at the ground.

"He's gone."

Two words that completely shatter my world. Everything I did was for nothing. He still ended up dead.

Two words is all it took for my heart to break and a sob to be wrenched from my throat. I place a hand to my mouth.

Two words I will remember for the rest of my life.

"How?" I croak out.

Chase's head hangs low between his spread knees. He breathes heavily for a moment as if he has to stop himself from crying.

"He connected the dots not long after you left. He hunted down every single one of your aunts men and he thought he got them all. He came here to you after he was sure he got them all and he was going to tell you. Fuck—I don't know why he didn't. But he missed someone.

"They killed him. And they delivered his head to us," he explains.

I run to the bathroom to vomit. Chase follows me, holding my hair up as I spill my dinner into the toilet.

"He can't be," I sob out. "He can't."

"I'm so sorry, A. I'm so fucking sorry," he whispers, rubbing my back.

He lets me cry for a moment before he speaks again, "Leo made sure you were able to kill your father. He was there when you did it."

I guessed that much. But I didn't think about it once I saw my father. I was too blinded by my own rage.

Now I wish I saw him. I wish I was able to kiss him and hug him and tell him how much I miss him. I want to tell him how much I really regret leaving.

If there was somehow another way I could have found. If maybe there was a way I could have avoided leaving him.

They say that your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die. But for me—it's happening at my most heartbreaking moment.

Every single memory of mine that Leo healed and every memory that has him in it. All of the arguments but all of the love too. It all flashes before my eyes.

From the moment we met to moment he left my house three weeks ago.

And he's gone.

"He never stopped searching for you. He never gave up. He took down everyone who tore you both apart. I can't tell you how much your disappearance affected him," Chase murmurs, resting his forehead against my back.

"When you left," he adds. "We were all sad. You became a part of our family, A."

"I had to," I say through another cry.

"I know, I know that now. Leo knew that too. Your love for him was too strong to just abandon."

I can't say anything else because my throat is tightened and my eyes are watering and my head is pounding. I feel like I'm broken all over again.

Everything Leo helped fix. . .I feel as if it is all falling apart. And I'm frantically trying to catch all of the pieces before they disappear forever and I can never be fixed again.

I need to stay strong for Ink. I need to stay strong for myself.

But that's so hard when I suddenly feel so very weak.

"We are here for you," Chase tells me. "All of us."

"Aveline," he adds. "You're supposed to be the boss now. His wife. You take everything."

• • •

He enters my room and closes the door quietly. He's here late. I'm not sure why.

We did argue earlier and I still haven't spoken to him. I can hear him rustling as if he's taking off his jeans and shirt.

The blankets rise as he tucks himself into my bed. I wonder if he thinks I'm asleep.

I turn around, facing my body towards him and staring into his eyes. He looks exhausted.

And he came to me.

"Forgive me," he whispers.

I'm not ever sure why he wants forgiveness. For a disagreement?

"It's already done," I whisper back.

He reaches forward and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. My heart beats faster as he pulls me closer and wraps his arms around around me.

I breathe in deeply and exhale in contempt.

"I don't know what you are doing to me, Aveline, but I don't want it to stop."

Me either.

Because everything with him seems to feel so good. I don't ever want my time with him to stop.

My face is dry and I'm staring at the wall in the living room. Chase is seated next to me, his hands clasped before him as he leans on his knees.

My mouth is dry and my eyes burn from crying so much.

I'll never get to feel his hold again. I'll never get to hear his voice. Everything we once had is gone. And all I have left are memories and stupid stalker photos from Andrew.

And a little bit of something else.

"Chase," I say hesitantly.

He looks at me, waiting for what I have to say. For what I have to admit.