-thirty-three-

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A V E R Y

'Long time no see, stranger.' I smiled at my best friend and the familiarity of her face.

'What's up?' Maddie asked, sipping on her drink. We were lounging outside in the garden, drinking milkshakes and basking in the sunlight.

'What do you mean?'

'You look like you had your heart ripped out. What the hell happened?' She sat up suddenly, a fierce look in her eyes. 'It was that idiot, wasn't it? Oh, what a bastard. I hope he makes the most out of life now, seeing as he won't be living for-'

'Maddie.' I said forcefully, laughing a little at the over-protectiveness, 'It wasn't him. It was me. I said stuff I shouldn't have said and he left.'

Her eyebrows rose. 'He left? Like a little pu-'

I laughed and shook my head. 'No, as in he said he wanted to give me time to think, and when I was ready, to call him.'

'Are you ready?'

'I don't know.'

And that was the thing. I didn't know what I was doing. What we were doing. Was it something serious, or would I look back at this time in a few years and smile at the memory of what we had? 

Was I in some stupid teenage love story, going crazy over a boy that either didn't actually like me that much, or didn't see a future with me?

Ugh. I slumped down even further and sipped my drink, the cool liquid sliding down my throat and leaving an aftertaste of chocolatey heaven. Not to mention it did wonders for my now receding cramps.

Mason made really good milkshakes, I had-

NO. Stop thinking about him for one second you dumb shit. Focus on something else!

Like how today I was going to tell Damien, Martha and Maddie the truth... about everything. The kidnapping, the whole situation with Mason. All of it.

No holds barred, except for the details that were a little too much for me to think about now.

I felt sick. Physically sick, like I was going to throw up everywhere. This stuff terrified me. Opening up parts of yourself was scary, no matter who you were sharing it with. It didn't matter if it was you mum, your dad, or even your best friend, one you've known since you were in nappies.

It was always scary.

I was scared of Damien's reaction, and Martha's... but Maddie's?

I was practically shitting myself.

I had a feeling she'd be mad at me, but I was the sole blame for that. As always.

So I was going to do it today, before I chickened out and left it for another year or something. And I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Not this time. 

I mean, there was nothing wrong with crying. But for me, I was done crying; I'd poured out my pain long ago and I'd learnt from it. Learnt to be stronger, better, faster.

Harder to catch.

'Earth to Avery.' Maddie called in a sing-song voice, looking up over he sunglasses. She mistook my sadness for Mason, and said, 'Look, girl, you're going to be fine. I'm sure of it. You have fought every single thing that has come at you and come back smiling, so a lovers' tiff isn't anything hard in your books.'

I smiled at her and sipped the last of the milkshake up before completely lying down and bathing in the sun. I think I fell asleep, because the next minute Eric was shaking me awake.

'Rise and shine, you slacker. Time to get to training.'

I grumbled, but stood up, running into the weapons room to find my training gear. It was hung up next to the guns. I pulled it down and slipped the clothes on, stretching the material over my legs to get it up.

Once that was done, I grabbed the training weapons left beside me by Eric and slung them over a shoulder, starpping the knives to my back.

When I met with Eric for the first time, it was after the kidnap. After I snooped around and realised what Damien's job really was. Eric had taught me to fight when I was a little girl, and for all of the benefits it had provided me with, I would forever be grateful.

One of the annoying things, however, was his ability to manipulate and cheat his way into winning. He did something every time we trained together, whether it was hitting me when I wasn't expecting it or just good old theft so I didn't have any weapons.

When I was fourteen, he taught me how to shoot with a gun. My first one ever, actually.

I sucked at it. So badly that Eric regularly cried himself with laughter. So I snuck back in at night to train, harder and easier under the cloak of darkness.

And I got good.

Like, really good.

I would never forget the first time I beat Eric in hand-to-hand combat. He was so surprised I thought his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline.

'Ready to start?' Eric asked, grinning as he spun a knife in his hand.

'You mean ready to kick your ass?' I smiled back, 'Then yes, I am so ready.'

Eric's smile was a little sly this time. I palmed two knives in my hands and leapt forward, the blades glinting in the lights. The sound of blunt metal on metal echoed around the training room. 

Five minutes passed, and I was sweating like hell, droplets sliding down my temples. 

'Give up, Eric,' I said through my teeth, gripping the hilt of the blade hard enough to indent my palm. 

'Why don't you give up?' he fired back, pushing forward until he was at the advantage. 'We all know that I'm the weapons master, don't we?'

I snorted and hit his blade harder this time, hissing as the indents started to ache painfully. We pulled back and circled each other. Eric, infuriatingly enough, was still grinning like a lunatic. Or a Cheshire cat. One of the two, anyway.

I lost my balance for one second and Eric took the opportunity to knock my blade to the floor and then did the same with me. I glared at him from my position on the ground and he laughed.

'Try harder, next time, princess,' he snorted, holding a hand out to help me up. 'Go get changed and we can go get food.'

I stood, wiping a towel over my face. 'No, I- I have to go to Damien to talk to him about something.'

Eric smiled. 'Okay. You okay, though?'

'When am I not?'

Eric shrugged and walked away with a little salute. I cleared away the rest of the training equipment and stripped off my shirt so I stood in a sports bra. I was boiling.

And I was stalling. I had to go and talk to them now. Like, right now.

So I picked myself up and walked towards Damien's office, firing off three texts at the same time. Martha, Damien and Maddie were waiting inside Damien's office, all looking a little confused. Martha looked a little weirded out - she barely ever came here. The last time she did, Damien was bleeding from a bullet wound in his gut and she came per his request to see him.

I sat down before my legs gave out and I collapsed on the floor. Then I took a breath and looked up into three pairs of expectant eyes.

'I have something to tell you.'

***

When I was done, my voice slightly hoarse from all of the talking I had done, the room was silent except the sound of sniffing and the occasional gasp of breath. It had been like that the whole way through my story.

Maddie was looking at me with sadness. Tears streamed down her face, and she didn't bother wiping them away as she stared into my eyes and held on.

Martha was crying too, Damien grasping her hand as he listened to me with such sadness in his eyes. 

Sadness I had caused.

'I'm sorry,' I blurted out, nervously.

'What on earth are you sorry for, darling?' Martha gasped, wrapping me in a hug as soon as she got to my side. 'You are brave, my sweet girl, and I understand why you didn't tell us sooner. But I'm glad you did now.' 

Damien did the same as his wife, and as I nestled into his arms, he squeezed gently, letting me he was here for me in more ways than one.

When he looked at me, a question all over his face, I sighed and shook my head.

No, I didn't know who the man was. And seeing as it was years ago, I probably wouldn't remember what he looked like apart from the scars.

And that disgusting stench of honey.

'If you need me, darling, if you need us...'

'I know, Damien. I know.'

'And the whole Mason thing... The thing with GRAVITY...' I braced myself for his disappointment, but he smiled instead. 'If you trust your instincts, then so do I. They haven't been wrong before. Now we just need to figure out a plan to get the USB drive before anyone else does.'

I nodded, not regretting that I had told him.

Martha grinned at me. 'I want to meet him. Is he good-looking?' 

I bit my lip and nodded. Martha laughed and grabbed her husband's arm, pulling him towards the door. Damien relaxed with her, a little light entering his eyes again.

Both of them left the room, leaving me and my best friend alone. 

'Say something. Anything, Mads.' I begged, after she didn't speak for a good two minutes, desperation creeping into my voice, 'Say something, please.'

Watery eyes met mine. 'I'm so sorry, Avery. So fucking sorry for you went through.' A sob loosed from my mouth and I pushed the tears away. 

No more crying. You're stronger now, remember?

We met each other in the middle and hugged hard, both of us crying silently. I cried for the pain I put her through, and she cried for the things her best friend had to go through.

'I always knew you were hiding something,' she said, releasing me and sitting me down on the plush chairs. 'You never said why you bothered to join the Salvation. And that's why you always went on the missions with the girls. Because you-'

'Knew what it was like, yeah,' I finished, smiling a little. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Mads. I wanted to, so many times, but I just couldn't. I don't know why.'

She smiled, leaning her head on my shoulder. 'I get it. It's okay.' 

After a few minutes of sitting in a comfortable silence, Maddie looked up at me and frowned. 'You know you have to tell your sisters, Avery.'

'I know.' I ran a hand through my hair, stressed out all over again. 'I will.'

We lapsed into another silence, until Maddie chuckled to herself and began telling a story about me rescuing her from a badger when we were kids. The whole thing was stupid - but that's why I was laughing like a hyena by the end of it. Maddie was always good at cheering me up, no matter how shitty I was feeling.

She nodded and grabbed my hand, pulling me up. 'No more crying.' She wiped my face for emphasis. 'Shall we go get food now?'

'I could eat.'

We went to the canteen, our steps a little lighter; happier. As we dug in to our lasagna, Maddie looked at my phone on the tale pointedly and waved her fork at me menacingly. 

'Fix it, Avery.'

'Fix what?' I asked, pulling my innocent eyes at her. 

She rolled her eyes. 'Don't be a fucking moron, Avery. Pick up the phone and fix this now.'

I sighed and stared defiantly into her eyes. They blazed like burnt gold - she won the staring contest and smiled smugly as I picked up my phone.

Hey. I'm sorry for what I said. Can we talk? I miss you x

There. That was good, right? Straight to the point.

He replied after a few agonizing minutes.

Yeah, of course. How are you feeling? How are the cramps? x

I smiled happily. Even in the middle of a little argument, he was concerned for me. Too cute.

Oh my god. I was this close to fangirling.

Get it together, girl. Maddie will disown you if you fangirl.

Better now. Thanks. Can we meet up? I want to talk.

I was thinking the same thing. Tomorrow?

I can't do tomorrow. Going to the fair with my sisters.

The three little dots appeared and went for a few seconds, and when I saw his reply, I didn't hesitate with my reply.

Can I meet you there?

Yes.

***

Well, that was another interesting chapter. Are you guys glad she told Damien, Martha and Maddie the truth about GRAVITY, Mason and her past? What do you think her sisters will do when she tells them - if she tells them?

Thank you to @luxiferase for the votes! They mean a lot. so thank you love!

Reads are going up incredibly fast! Keep reading and commenting!

VOTE if you liked this chapter loves.

-M 💜

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