Avery's POV
The ringing of my phone shattered the silence in the room, slicing through the tension that clung to me like a second skin. I jolted, the sound so sudden and sharp that it made my pulse race. For a moment, I just stared at the screen, the bright glow illuminating my face in the dim light of the room.
It’s him.
Aaron. Of course, it was him. It was always him. My thumb hovered over the screen for a second as I fought the instinct to throw the phone across the room. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, frustration, confusion—but when I looked up at the cracked mirror across from me, I saw nothing but a reflection of a person who had reached her breaking point.
I felt weak, drained—tired of pretending everything was fine. Tired of always being the strong one. My gaze flicked back to the phone, and before I could stop myself, I answered the call.
"Hello?" I said, forcing the words out despite the tightness in my chest.
There was a brief pause on the other end before Aaron’s voice broke through, sounding steady, though I could tell he was trying to hide something in his tone. “Avery,” he began, “how’s everything going? You good?”
I couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic chuckle. Good? After everything? “Oh, yeah. Just peachy,” I said, my voice dripping with bitterness. “I just had the pleasure of seeing Violet. You know, your new best friend.”
There was a sharp inhale on his side, and for a split second, I almost felt bad for the way I was talking to him. But then the memories came rushing back—the way he had so easily let Violet out of the dungeon, the way he was willing to risk everything for her, without even thinking twice about it.
“Avery,” Aaron said, his voice lowering a bit, “I told you to make sure you were keeping your distance from her. You’re not supposed to engage her. You know that.”
I clenched my jaw, my grip on the phone tightening. “Oh, I didn’t engage her, Aaron. She was just standing there, looking like she owned the place, as usual.” I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me again, and I let it pour into my words. “You really trust her, don’t you? You think she won’t turn on you? You think she won’t destroy everything?”
There was a long silence, and for a brief moment, I wondered if he’d hang up. But Aaron was never one to give up so easily, even when I knew it wasn’t going his way. “Avery, please,” he said, his tone a little more pleading now. “Just trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
I let out a harsh laugh, my eyes burning as I spoke. “Oh, really? Because right now, it doesn’t feel like you know what you’re doing at all.” I turned away from the mirror, walking to the window and staring out at the night sky, though I barely saw it. My mind was a mess. “I don’t understand, Aaron. How could you let her out? She’s dangerous. She’s only using you, and I’m the one who has to stand by and watch you make mistake after mistake.”
I could almost feel him on the other side of the line, running his hand through his hair, trying to find the words. “Avery,” he said again, more softly this time, “you need to trust me on this. It’s part of the plan. Violet—she’s... important. You just don’t see the bigger picture right now.”
The plan. I couldn’t believe it. He was still hung up on this plan—whatever it was. The idea of trusting Violet, of using her as some sort of pawn in whatever game he thought he was playing, was starting to suffocate me.
“Important?” I spat, my voice rising. “What plan, Aaron? You’re gambling with everything—our family, our pack, everything we’ve built—on someone you don't know? You can’t honestly tell me you think this is a good idea. You can’t.”
“Avery,” Aaron’s voice softened, almost desperately now. “I need you to trust me. Just keep doing your part. Stay focused, and make sure the plan works like we discussed. We can’t afford any mistakes, not now.”
I felt a lump rise in my throat. I wanted to scream at him, tell him that I wasn’t going to sit back and let him ruin everything. But at the same time, I knew he wasn’t going to hear me. He never did. He was too deep in this twisted mess he’d created with Violet to see it clearly.
I could already feel the pull, the way his words twisted into some kind of weak, comforting mantra. The plan. The plan. The plan. It was like a lifeline to him, but it wasn’t real. I could see it. I could feel it in my gut—this wasn’t going to end well.
“I’m doing my part, Aaron,” I said quietly, the words heavy in my mouth. “But I’m telling you right now—this isn’t going to end the way you think. You’re making a huge mistake.”
There was a pause, and then I heard him let out a long breath. “I know you don’t understand, Avery. I know this isn’t what you want. But I need you to trust me, okay? Please. Just stick with it for now. Everything’s going to work out.”
I clenched my eyes shut. Trust him? How could I trust him when everything about this plan made my skin crawl? But the last thing I wanted was for him to see how shaken I was. I had to sound calm, like I wasn’t ready to burst into flames.
“Fine,” I said, my voice colder now. “I’ll stick with it. For now. But if I see one more sign that she’s playing you, Aaron, I’m out. I’m done. And I don’t care what kind of ‘plan’ you think you have.”
There was a brief silence, and I could hear him breathe out, the weight of my words hanging in the air. But he didn’t argue. He never did.
“Alright,” he said after a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. “Just... just keep doing your part. Please. For the pack.”
I felt a wave of frustration wash over me, but I swallowed it down. “I’m not doing this for you, Aaron. I’m doing this for the pack. So don’t screw it up.”
The call ended with a soft click, and I stood there, staring at the phone in my hand. The weight of his words still pressed heavily against my chest. But the anger was fading, replaced by something colder, more dangerous—doubt.