Chapter 4
That night Avery checked flights from New York to Spain. She’d just paid when Ethan barged in with Sophia.
“Hey Avery! Big news-Sophia and I are together now.” He grinned smugly. “See? Telling my buddy first. That’s what bros do.”
Avery glanced at their intertwined hands and nodded with a hollow voice.
“Congrats.”
Sophia’s eyes sparkled with happiness. “Thanks so much! Your mom said you got hurt pretty bad. Feeling any better? I made fish soup. Want
some?”
She nudged Ethan to serve it.
Avery watched him jump to follow Sophia’s orders. After a stunned moment, she finally found her voice.
“Thanks but… I don’t want any soup.”
Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Seriously?” he snapped. “Sophia made this herself. I didn’t even want to share it with you! But she cares about your stupid injuries. God, you’re such an ungrateful bitch!”
He roughly shoved a bowl into her hands, demanding she drink it now.
Avery tried to explain but he grabbed her wrist. In the struggle the bowl flipped over. Hot soup splashed all over her wounds.
“AHHH!”
She gasped in pain as cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Her face twisted in agony.
Sophia jumped back horrified. She frantically grabbed napkins to help.
Ethan yanked Sophia behind him. “Babe, don’t! This isn’t your fault. Avery’s always been tough. She’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Avery’s hands shook as she clutched the tissue. Her chest felt like it was being crushed.
Her father burst through the door. Seeing her wound bleeding again, he yelled for a nurse.
Her mother rushed to explain to Sophia.
“Honey, Avery is allergic to seafood. She can’t have fish soup. But thank you for thinking of her.”
Ethan froze. His face flushed with embarrassment.
“Why the hell didn’t you say something?” he muttered.
Avery stared at her bloody bandage. He used to remember her allergies. Every time they ate out he’d bug the servers: no seafood, no onions, no
cilantro.
But now, his attention were only on Sophia. No attention left for these little details about Avery. A heart only for just one person. The one he truly loves.
After a long silence she finally whispered:
“You didn’t let me speak.”
11:44
Eight Years of Maybe, One Day of I Do-Bride Swapped, Deal With It!
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The room fell silent. Sophia looked ready to cry.
Ethan just grabbed Sophia’s hand and stormed out without a word.
The infection kept Avery in the hospital three more days. With moving day approaching, her whole family rushed to pack up their lives.
Her parents were too busy so they sent Avery to the Millers with a goodbye gift.
The second she walked in, Ethan’s parents swarmed her with apologies.
“Avery we’re so sorry! Ethan and you are good friends, but he only protected Sophia in that crash. We are so sorry you got hurt because of him. We’ll let him apologize to you.”
Avery shook her head with a tired smile.
“Sophia is his girlfriend. Of course he protected her. I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about it.”
They seemed relieved. After some small talk Avery told them about her family plan to move abroad.
Their jaws dropped.
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