Chapter 62: A heartbeat too late

Aveline’s POV

I was standing at the front door of the Carter house. The summer break was officially over. I stood in the entryway, I was heartbroken, i badly needed a hug. Inside, the living room My mother, Evelyn, sat stiffly on the edge of the couch. She didn’t look up immediately, but the tension radiating from her was something else.

"You do as please," she began, her voice dangerously quiet. "I never gave you permission for any summer trip, Aveline."

I froze, my hand still resting on the doorknob. "Mom, please. Not right now."

"Then where were you?" She finally looked at me, her eyes sharp, "I called your friends from your school. They haven’t seen you. In fact, they told me you haven’t been in school in a very long time."

I swallowed hard, my lie finally catching up to me. I couldn't find the words to defend myself.

She stood up, "Where did you go, Aveline? Why are you doing this to me when I am drowning? I am out here struggling every single day to save your brother's life and keep my job, and you are out doing whatever you want!"

Something inside me snapped. The years of being the invisible twin, the afterthought, and the emotionally sidelined. "Oh, so you are noticing me now?" I screamed back, "You actually see me standing here?"

"Aveline, do not use that tone with me!"

"No, Mom! You only care when it's about Asher your perfect sweet son!" I was fed up, exhausted and the secrets I had carried for years were finally out "You want to know where I’ve been? I was actually on a trip with Asher’s friends. I cut my hair. I took his clothes. I’ve been attending Asher’s school this whole time!"

Evelyn was full of shock and confusion. "What... what are you saying?"

"I did it for revenge!" I yelled, and tears finally filled my eyes. "I went to Crestwood to find out who did this to him! While you were busy crying at his bedside, I was actually doing something!"

She slapped me, and the sound echoed through the living room like a gunshot. My head snapped to the side, my cheek immediately turning red i stumbled back a step, my hand was on my cheek.

Evelyn stared at her open palm, shaking, but her expression quickly hardened into anger. She had never raised a hand to me in my entire life. Until now.

"You foolish girl," she said, her voice trembling with rage. "You absolute, foolish girl! Do you want to ruin your brother's future? Have you completely lost your mind? What happens when he wakes up? What happens to his scholarship, his reputation, his whole life?!"

"His life?" I choked out, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "What about my life?"

"Listen to me, this nonsense ends today!" Evelyn shouted, completely ignoring my tears. She grabbed her purse from the counter, "I am putting a stop to this insanity right now."

"Mom, what are you doing?" Panic seized my chest, replacing the anger.

"I am going to Crestwood," she said coldly as she walked towards the front door. "I am going to report exactly what you did and end whatever sick, twisted game you think you are playing."

"No! Mom, wait! You can't!" She slammed the front door open, stepping out.

"Please, listen to me!" I cried, chasing after her. I sprinted down the steps, my sneakers thudding against the concrete path. "If you tell them, everything that Asher worked for will be gone!. Just stop!"

Evelyn didn't slow down. She walked down the sidewalk, her heels clicking aggressively, driven by pure, unyielding anger. I ran hard, reaching out to grab her jacket, desperate to pull her back.

Suddenly, Ring Ring

.

It wasn't just one phone. It was both of ours.

Evelyn stopped instantly. I pulled back, panting, pulling my vibrating phone from my pocket. The screen flashed with the name of the hospital. I looked up and saw my mother staring down at her own screen. The anger on her face instantly melted

With trembling fingers, she pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

I pressed my phone to my ear too, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

"Is this the family of Asher Carter?" a female voice asked from the other end.

"Yes, I'm his mother," Evelyn whispered.

"We are so sorry to inform you... But your son suffered a sudden cardiac arrest moments ago. We attempted resuscitation, but we couldn't bring him back. I am so sorry. Asher is dead."

The world seemed to stop spinning. It felt like I was breathing my final breath.

"No..." I breathed, the phone slipping from my fingers and clattering onto the floor "No, no, no..."

Across from me, Evelyn let out a horifying sound that didn't sound humane. It was a hollow, choked wail of absolute agony. Her phone dropped into the dirt.

Before I could even reach out to catch her, her knees fell to the ground completely. Evelyn collapsed forward, falling heavily onto the hard, cold road, she was still in disbelief that Asher was gone. My mother’s favourite son and my sweetest brother was no more. Now our world was completely destroyed.