Everlasting Love // Jack Avery

The Phone Call // C21

"It's not running away if you're going back home" - Paul Acampora

Scarlett's POV:

The sun set my eyelids on fire as it leaked through my curtains. I sat up with a pounding migraine, is this what feeling heartbroken feels like?

I threw my covers off to the side, becoming vulnerable to the cold morning air. I groaned as I checked my phone, I really didn't want to get up today. I saw that it was 3:40 pm, I really need to stop sleeping in so late.

"8 MISSED CALLS FROM MOM?!?" I stated to myself in panic. "I'm a dead woman..."

I quickly called her as anxiety started to creep up my throat.

"Hello sweetie!" my mom said cheerfully.

Okay maybe I'm not dead, yet.

"Hi mom!" I replied, trying to not sound as heartbroken as I was.

"We heard about what happened to you" my mom mumbled.

"Oh..."

I should've known that a mother knows everything and that the news here would eventually circle back to her. I walked over to my bed and sat criss-cross applesauce.

"Honey, you are strong and so vibrant, don't let that imbecile shake you."

My mother's advice and her voice soothed my anxiety. I forgot what it's like to have your mother comfort you in times of distress.

"But I love him, mom, Jack is probably the best and worst thing that's ever happened to me."

I started to pick at the stray strands of cotton from the comforter as I heard silence on the other end.

"Wait, I was talking about that guy who tried to assault you...what does Jack have to do with this?"

Oh crap, I could tell my mother was suspicious. My mother was very protective over me so I knew if I told her the truth, Jack would be a dead man.

"N-Nothing" I hesitated.

My heart squeezed at the thought of the pain Jack brought me last night. The empty void that he left intensified and I began to long for his presence. Ugh, I'm so stupid...why do I still want a guy who broke my heart?

"Honey, you can't hide your emotions from me. I know you're hurting, just tell me what's wrong."

I sniffed as a tear rolled down my cheek, "he, um", I paused as more tears threatened to fall,  "he chose another girl."

I took a deep breath as my mother sighed.

"I'm going to beat him up and your brother is going to hold him back."

I laughed before I remembered that Alex doesn't know of the pain Jack put me through. "Wait! Don't tell Alex! You know he will literally fly out here and beat the crap out of Jack."

"Sweetie, he's already pissed at that guy who tried to assault you. The only thing he's been doing for the past few days is pacing and he recently installed another punching bag in the old shed. Let's just say he's already broken two punching bags so I'm not going to give him another reason to break another."

I smiled at the thought of my brother being silly. Wow, that's the first time I've smiled in the past few hours. I began to grow homesick, I longed for my family's presence. A few more tears ran down my cheeks, I was really getting sick of crying.