{~~Avery Sterling~~}Today was not our day, it definitely didn't start with positive signs. Logan wasn't doing so well, and it made me tiptoe around him. The tension in the house was palpable, like a heavy fog that clouded every interaction and made every word a potential minefield. I didn't want to get myself hurt emotionally by either doing something crazy stupid that upsets him, or something none stupid that still upsets him. Logan's temper had become unpredictable, a storm that could break at any moment, and I found myself constantly on edge, trying to navigate the turbulent waters of his emotions. I should have gone to work without him, but the hurt in his eyes wouldn't let me. Hearing that my sister had remarried did not shock me that much, but it seemed to have gotten to Logan. He was heartbroken all over again, his wounds reopened and bleeding fresh pain. It was as if the news had ripped away any progress he had made in moving on, leaving him raw and vulnerable. I just don't
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I thought yesterday was hell, but the next day was even worse. This day dragged on even longer when a patient was brought in with a slit throat and some bruises. Did I also mention she was pregnant? The scene in the emergency room was chaotic, with nurses and doctors moving frantically, trying to stabilize her. The air was thick with urgency, every second critical. The CMO was calling for Logan, but he was nowhere to be found. We were rushing, we needed the medic alpha. I went in search of him, my mind racing with frustration and worry.This woman had my heart in shambles. She was begging us to save her baby, she couldn't even express how she got hurt or tell us to save her life. And the fucking medic alpha is missing. I was pissed. I don't mean the small kind of anger where you can cool off by breathing. No I was FUCKING enraged!!! Where is he? I thought he promised he'd do better after yesterday? A mother and child are relying on him to live!I found Logan on t
{~~Logan Grey~~}I fucked up. There's no other way to put it. I messed up, and I'm not scared to admit it. In my selfishness, in my sadness, I forgot what my job was. And now, I have to face the consequences.After ensuring the newborn child was kept under good watch, I was called into the CMO's office. I had never done anything to disappoint the people I work with, and this did not feel good. As one of the best medic alphas, it was a blow to my pride to be called out like this. Ryan was right about one thing: I let my love for Ava blind me. I'm disappointed at myself for my actions today. I didn't think it would hurt me that much, I thought that I could move past it. Ignore it and focus on trying to win her over within the year. Then I made the mistake of going back to get social media. She posted a flirty video, she was just in a towel. Her caption read: My first night as a married woman. I never knew love could feel this good.Tell me that wouldn't hurt any ex. I think it was the
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The day went by smoothly after Logan snapped out of his funk. It was like a switch had been flipped, and suddenly we were all graced with the better version of himself. He gave out orders with authority, handled patients promptly and efficiently, and his presence alone seemed to uplift the entire atmosphere of the hospital. It was a relief to see him back to his old self, the Logan we all knew and admired.Once our shifts were done, I was approached by some nurses. They invited me out for drinks, a tempting offer after the stressful day we had all endured. Normally, I would have declined, preferring to unwind in the comfort of my own home. But tonight, I felt like going out and just having fun. Still, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling of guilt, knowing that Logan was struggling with his own demons.I texted him to let him know my plans, hoping for some semblance of understanding or support. His response was cold and dismissive, saying he couldn't care less what
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Ryan I talked for hours until the nurses came to inform me that they were ready to go. I was the only one with a car so I’d driven them here. I get a little tipsy from alcohol, and I’m a respected driver. I don’t go under the influence. So I said goodbye to Ryan and spoke to the bartender about keeping my car in the parking lot.He said he’d tell the night guards, and I started to call a cab. One of the nurses started singing.“All aloneeee.” I giggled as the others joined her in singing some song about being left alone in a barn. I’m not a singer so I didn’t join in. The cab was eight minutes away. Ryan stepped out of the bar while we waited.“You’re not singing with your group?”“No. I’m not really a singer.”“Ohh, you don’t have any musical talents?” he inquired. His hands dug into the pockets of his jeans, and the smile he’d had on all night returned.“I played the piano all throughout middle school and elementary. I had to drop it in high school because it wa
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Logan wasn’t going to give up and let me sleep. And I’m tired. So tired. I just wanna sleep and forget everything. I held my breath, holding the duvet and tugging my body all around with it so he wouldn’t be able to get me down.But apparently, logan wasn’t going to take me trying to cocoon my body away from his touch.I was flipped onto my back and pinned to the floor with such force that the wind was knocked out of me. Logan loomed over me, his expression a mix of annoyance and confusion. The duvet, now crumpled and discarded, had been yanked off in the struggle. His arms clamped around my hips, effectively trapping me beneath him.“Get out of my room,” he sneered, his eyes blazing with frustration. But I scoffed at his demand, refusing to be intimidated. This was my room, or so I thought in my intoxicated haze. I held my body together, huffing defiantly at him.“You’re not going to bully me out of my own bedroom, i will not allow it. Fuck off.” I growled back a
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I woke several minutes later, my body feeling like it had been put through the wringer.This is why I don’t drink. When I'm drunk, I don't really feel it, but the moment I come to, my head will ache like a fucking bitch. Ouch! I feel like I might pop a vessel. I slipped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom just as bile rushed up. I made it to the bathroom in time, clutching the toilet bowl as my stomach emptied its contents violently.The retching left me weak and trembling. I can't go to work with a hangover; I am not that careless. After what felt like an eternity, the nausea subsided, and I stood up shakily, leaning heavily on the sink. I turned on the tap and rinsed my mouth, the taste of vomit lingering unpleasantly. I grabbed my toothbrush, hoping the minty freshness would help me feel somewhat human again.I glanced in the mirror and groaned. My hair was a tangled mess, and my face was pale and drawn. The shirt I was wearing wasn’t mine, and I was pantyles
{~~Avery Sterling~~} I stretched lazily, feeling the stiffness in my muscles as I waited for Logan to step out for his morning run. My body was weary; I had gone back to sleep after... well, let's just forget about it. On a more positive note, I decided to use this quiet time to cook dinner while I reflected on the previous night. Curiosity gnawed at me—I wanted to know what had happened, and more specifically, what the sex with me had been like. Logan returned an hour later, his face flushed and his breath still a bit labored from the run. I told him I had prepared dinner, and in true Logan fashion, he grunted his acknowledgment before taking his sweet time in the shower. As the sound of running water filled the house, I busied myself setting the table, my mind racing with questions and nerves. When he finally emerged, he was shirtless, the defined muscles of his chest glistening slightly from the residual dampness. His wet hair clung to his forehead, and his low-hanging pants expo
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The waterfall is majestic and stunning. Logan suggested we go in naked since we’re the only ones here. I’ll admit, trusting a radically vegan hippie to plan my honeymoon was a bold and disturbing choice. Third year in college she lugged me off to the rain forest where we camped for six weeks so we could connect with the gods who brought us here.It was my worst summer vacation. Six long weeks. But I got so much work done that I felt like I came back even smarter. I love Agatha, but my goodness, her ideas of fun are always nature-like. The lack of wifi is going to kill me, but thank god I got another honeymoon present from Logan’s parents as an apology for the way they acted at the start of my marriage to their son.And that one is for two months on a cruise. We’ll be leaving for that after a week of getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.The water is cold, and the view is even better. I talk alot of crap about Agatha but the woman is far more connected to this world t
{~~Logan Grey~~}My honeymoon is not at all what I expected. It’s one of those situations where you step back and think, How did I not see this coming? But I guess that’s what happens when you go with the flow and don’t plan out every last detail, just trusting that things will fall into place. We decided not to bring Hope with us, even though part of me wanted her to be here. She’s spending the week with my parents—her grandparents—which feels like a huge milestone, not just for her, but for me too. Avery and I wanted this time to ourselves, to really celebrate our marriage without any distractions, to focus on us for a change.We’re an odd pair to most people, and I know some didn’t expect us to last, but we’ve made it work in ways that surprise even me sometimes. Over the last year, we’ve settled into this rhythm that’s become second nature. It’s a good rhythm, one that’s brought us closer, and made us stronger. It’s funny—when you think about it, but it feels like so much longer.
\One Year Later/{~~Avery Sterling~~}So, you know how little girls always dream about their wedding day? It’s supposed to be this big, magical event, where everything falls perfectly into place, and for some, it’s the pinnacle of their dreams, right? But not me. I never had those kinds of dreams. You know how my life was, how crappy my sister and parents treated me. There was never much room in my head for fantasies like that. Growing up, I couldn’t even imagine what marriage would feel like because I was too busy surviving and getting through the mess of my family. But, okay, maybe deep down, I had some dreams. Everyone does, right? I just never thought they’d come true.And marrying Logan Grey—that’s a whole different thing altogether. I mean, when we started planning the wedding, I was so overwhelmed. There were just so many details, and so many decisions, and with everything I’ve been through, I just didn’t have the energy to care about floral arrangements or seating charts. So, I
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The almost-car accident shakes me up more than I expected, but Logan is fine, and I’m fine. It all happened so fast, and yet I can still feel the pulse of my heartbeat in my throat when I think about it. That truck had come out of nowhere. The driver didn’t even slow down. Had I not tripped over that stone while I was looking for a signal on my phone and he’d come to check on me... logan would have died a painful death before my eyes.So of course I was a fucking mess. That driver is crazy. Did he not see the car? Why did the car even stop? What was wrong with the engine? I have like six million questions!He called Ryan to come get us. I was in his arms on the side of the road, watching as other cars drove around the wreckage. They don’t stop but look on surprised at the mess. Whoever that driver was I hope to god his truck breaks down and he’s fired. Because what the hell?He should have at least stopped. Panic fills me but so does anger. The panic wins though.
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Logan and I had left Hope in the hospital. The tiny bundle of life—so fragile, yet resilient—was resting safely in the nursery, surrounded by the quiet hum of machines and the gentle presence of nurses. We’d return tomorrow, once we were sure they’d had time to scan her brain and ensure she was truly safe for release. My heart ached to leave her, but it was necessary. Thank goodness she was a baby, still too young to understand fear in the way that we did. She wouldn’t know the anxiety, the sleepless nights, the never-ending worry. All she knew was warmth and the safety of sleep, cocooned in blankets too big for her tiny form.The snow had started falling again, soft and silent, covering the world in a layer of purity that felt both soothing and unsettling. Logan drove carefully through the winding streets, the heater on low, warming our chilled fingers. We didn’t speak much, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that sat between two peo
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I’m back in this beautiful pack, surrounded by familiar faces, and yet it feels so foreign after everything we’ve been through. the rain stopped while I was away and now we have a new season. The landscape is stunning, especially now, with the first snowfall of the season transforming the dense forest and the lake into a quiet, white wonderland. The snow blankets the ground in thick, untouched layers, making the whole world seem calm and serene, but cold—bitingly cold. It's as if the snow carries the weight of my worries. The weather has shifted dramatically over the past few days, moving from endless, gloomy rain to this sudden onset of winter. So, congratulations on freezing my butt off, even with all the layers I'm bundled in.Logan and I had spent last night at the lake house, a place of solace for us, trying to reconnect after everything that’s been thrown at us. It was bittersweet, those quiet moments by the fire, the crackling logs filling the air with warm
{~~Logan Grey~~}Avery is coming home today. Avery is coming home today. I’ve been repeating that sentence in my head for the past 48 hours, counting down the seconds like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. The excitement, the anticipation—it’s all bubbling up inside me, and I can barely sit still. I glance at the clock on my phone for what feels like the hundredth time, knowing it hasn't moved much since the last time I looked but somehow hoping the hands of time have sped up. It's been far too long since I’ve seen her.The air in the terminal is thick with the usual airport chaos—people rushing by, announcements echoing through the speakers, kids whining in the background—but it all fades into the background noise. I’m laser-focused, my heart pounding in sync with the roaring engines of planes outside. She’s been gone for weeks, and though it wasn’t that long, it feels like an eternity. We’ve been working tirelessly on the cure—sleepless nights, constant research, trial and error.
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Agatha and I had been at it for hours, possibly days, though the passage of time had become something of a blur in the dim, candlelit room. The air was thick with the scent of dried herbs and burning incense, their heady aromas mixing in a way that both calmed and invigorated me. I had never spent so much time in the presence of a witch doctor before—not like this, not in such an intimate setting where every movement, every word, every breath was part of a delicate and complex dance of life and death.I’d seen witchcraft before. In university, we had a professor who dabbled in the ancient arts, using it to enhance her knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies. It’s why i wished I’d been chosen to be a doctor, it would be so nice to be able to do so much than what a nurse can. But even she had never worked with the sheer precision and raw power that Agatha wielded. It was... mesmerizing. I couldn’t help but be drawn in, watching her every move, the way her
{~~Logan Grey~~}Two days without Avery isn't an eternity, but it sure feels like a long time. I’m surviving, or at least I think I am. Tonight, I’m having dinner at my parents' place, and the whole family is here to celebrate the newborns. Felix’s child, Marley, and my daughter, Hope. It feels good to be around everyone, even if my mind keeps drifting to Avery. The house is buzzing with laughter and chatter. The babies are in their playpen, tapping at toys, oblivious to the joyful chaos around them. My parents are practically glowing as they fawn over their grandkids, doting on every little coo and babbling like they’re treasures.I sit back in a rocking chair, watching the scene play out before me. My brothers are in the kitchen, joking around while they cook, and their wives are on the couch, chatting and laughing. And Ronan’s children are lying on the floor coloring something. It’s one of those moments that feels picture-perfect, like a scene out of some old family movie. Even Rya