{~~Logan Grey~~}After our initial discussion and dinner, Avery excused herself once more. I thought she'd be back.Ryan sat me down in a comfortable area of the living room, a space filled with the comforting hum of a home well-lived in. We waited for Avery to show up, but as the minutes ticked by, it became clear she wasn’t coming. “She’s tired. Let her sleep,” Ryan said, his tone final. He was always so bossy. Acting like he owned me, and like he was always right. Never wrong about a single thing. Which is untrue.“Why the fuck did you bring her to your house?” I demanded, the frustration and confusion boiling over.“She called me. Someone slashed her tires and broke every window in her car.” Ryan’s words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What do you mean by somebody slashed her tires and smashed every window in her car? What in the fuck?”“Exactly what I said. I can't imagine why someone would do that.”I hadn’t had the faintest clue that she had been going through something so s
{~~Avery Sterling~~}This was the first nightmare where I was standing in front of a crowd speaking my words of truth. Words I hadn't written, but I listened to them as my physical body narrated them.“In the shadow of your light, I stand,A figure dimmed by your grand command.You walk in brilliance, proud and free,While darkness wraps itself 'round me. Each step I take is less my own,Bound by a fate I've never known.Your laughter echoes, bright and clear,As I reside in constant fear. The world sees you, a blazing star,While I remain a distant spar.Your achievements, loud and grand,Leave my efforts lost in sand. My voice is but a whispered plea,Drowned by your symphony.My dreams, they pale, they fade, they fall,Overshadowed by your thrall. I trace your steps, a weary path,Haunted by a silent wrath.For every glance that turns your way,Is a reminder of my dismay. You shine so bright, you blind my eyes,And in your light, my spirit dies.I am the shadow, ever near,Invisibl
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I left Ryan’s house the next morning. My flu wasn’t gone but I was feeling better, and besides, I couldn’t leech off him when I had a place of my own to stay. He offered to drop me off, but I insisted on taking a taxi. I thanked him, and he told me to expect a call from the precinct about my car. They’d get somebody on it, and keep me updated.To my surprise, my car wasn’t in the hospital parking lot. I should have gone straight home, but I wanted to take pictures of it before sending it to the tow truck. Logan had just arrived when I had stepped out of the taxi.Where the fuck is my car? Anger surged to me, and that coupled with my body feeling too hot and yet cold, the last thing I wanted was to be standing out in such cold weather searching for my car. Unbelievable.“Are you okay?” Logan’s voice made me jump, although I’m not sure why. I saw his car pull into the parking lot, I knew he was there. And yet I’m jumpy.“Sorry, I can’t find my car. I’m sure it was p
{~~Logan Grey~~}She was out of it. Something about it worried me. The way Avery struggled to stay awake. She didn’t have a basic flu. Her test results came in. She had toxins in her stomach. Toxins that can induce an allergic reaction. She must have been careless, or she hadn’t checked what she was eating.I had Doctor Shawn Cassidy run the test because lab work is his forte. My mistake, he used that opportunity to talk my ear off.“The toxin comes from a specific type of coffee bean. The enzymes in the bean can be found in some flowers.” he frowned as he relayed to me everything I just read. “You know, Avery is allergic to the Blue Lotus. But it’s commonly used in the preparation of a diet coffee-flavored granola bar. I hope she’s not the one this test is for.”“What are the side effects?” I said, glossing over his words like I didn’t care. I don’t but I can see the challenge in his eyes. They have some sort of history, I just know it.“It’s slow working for those who are allergic t
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I woke up in a hospital bed, it wasn’t where I thought I would be after waking up so I was definitely shocked. Even more shocked to see my parents seated by my bed.“Avery, oh my god. You scared us all. You’re awake. Honey, get the nurse.” my mother’s voice was wavering, and genuinely, I was confused. What in the hell am I doing here? I shouldn’t be here. I’m fine. I’m healthy, I had a simple flu, how did it evolve into this mess? I groaned, trying to speak.My stomach hurts.“Wait, let me get you some water. Don’t strain yourself.” She walked to the dispenser in the room to fill up a cup for me. A room with a dispenser is an expensive, extensive care room here at the Heart Inc. Rooms like this are for patients of wealthy families or backgrounds, or people undergoing complex treatment.“Wha-” I coughed. “What happened?” my voice was barely above a whisper. What happened to me? The last thing I remembered was my dream about answering Logan’s phone when Ava called.
{~~Avery Sterling~~}“Double check everything you eat from now on. Eat nothing that isn’t home-cooked. If someone is watching you, then they’ll memorize everything that you do.” Logan said, going on to list out things I should do to make sure I end up in a position where he has to take care of me. I think I fell asleep during that talk, and I was happy about it.I did not want to hear more about why he did this, and I should be grateful that he did what he had done. I just want to rest. Someone tried to kill me. Which is insane. Had it not been for the drugs keeping my brain and body in a state of numbness I might have been panicking. And unable to sleep.When I woke up from my very long, troubled nap, Logan was still there. Only he’d pulled up a chair and was working on something on his tablet.Without alerting him that I was awake, I slowly turned my head around to observe him. I will never get over how attractive he looks with his glasses on. He seemed focused on whatever was on th
Trigger Warning: Sensitive Discussion of child grooming. Proceed with caution.{~~Logan Grey~~}I’m not even sure I can stand to be around myself right now. Out of everything I thought would happen today, I never expected Avery to shatter the small hope I was holding on to. Ava was playing me from the start. Sure, her letters to that weird guy were proof that she was never truly interested in me, but fuck, to find out she knew she wasn’t the one I was talking about and she still-I looked at Avery, she’d woken up again. She’s being discharged by 7 am and it is currently 4 am. I’m here early because I have some questions. And I just.... I just need to know. Avery was watching something on the television in her room, from what I know she’d eaten and was over being stuck in this bed.“Hey, what are you doing here?” warm welcome, nice. I forced myself not to roll my eyes. I think I’ve made enough of a fool of myself in front of her. Might as well start acting my age.“I just have some que
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Being discharged was the best thing to ever happen to me. I was asked not to eat solids for a while, and I was prescribed medicine. On my first day back, reeling from my conversation with Logan, I slept throughout the whole day. Logan only allowed my parents to say a few words before taking me home. He was now furious with them but he didn’t tell them why.I woke up late in the evening, hungry and feeling even more tired. My mood only switched when I stepped out of the room and a sweet scent filled my nose. I dug my fingers into the pockets of my pants and headed downstairs.The living room was a mess, that was the first thing I noticed. I spotted the box, and some other cardboard boxes laid around the coffee table. Logan stepped out of the kitchen, our eyes meeting.“You’re up?”“Yeah, I can’t sleep forever. No matter what my medication says. What’s all this?”“You said you could translate, I was hoping you would.” right, I was hoping he’d let that conversation g
{~~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