The Ones Who Saved Us

Chapter 46

Avalee's POV

This morning, Alessandro had taken me for my driver's test, which I had passed with flying colors according to the grader. Papa wanted to take me, but I wouldn't even spare him a glance, blaming his actions on Teddy's nightmare. No matter how much it hurt me to give him the silent treatment, I wouldn't budge when it came to Teddy and his safety. My little brother was and would always be my number one priority. Some people were worth making sacrifices for, even if others were hurt in the process.

Alessandro, so proud of how far I had come, had gifted me a car, and the first thing I wanted to do was treat Arya to something since as of now, Arya had taken the lead on most of our dates. Arya and I were at the movies, and I planned on making a full day of it, especially after everything that had happened the past few days with Eden and Teddy.

Eden had seemed more at ease lately with her father gone, but that changed after Luca had a talk with her. Since then, he kept a tight hold on her, making a point to keep her away from me. I knew he was trying to protect her from his family, but it only worried me further.

What had they done to them?

But I needed to be in the moment with Arya and ignore the complicated relations of my family, just for now. As I held Arya's hand and as she rested her head on my shoulder, I kept my eyes focused on the screen, but my mind couldn't focus on what was happening as I tried to think of things to do after this.

Arya's Arangetram was a few days ago, and while Arya was happy for it to be over, she had been so stressed with her mom constantly bugging her about college-related things. It was even worse with her dad in India since there was no one to provide an ounce of sanity in her home. I needed to make today a good day. I planned to spoil my girlfriend.

Maybe lunch and then rolled ice cream afterward, and maybe a walk through the park. The weather is nice...

My train of thought was broken when I heard a set of vibrations coming from Arya's phone. Arya groaned and declined the call before placing her head back on my shoulder as she hugged my bicep. It was less than a minute before the buzzing started again, and Arya declined the call again. And then it happened again, and then again. And by the fifth time, Arya sighed and said, "I should probably take this. I'll be back soon."

Five minutes passed as my gaze drifted from the movie to the theater entrance in search of Arya, but she didn't appear. I sent a text only for it to be read with no response. Worry crept into me, a strong feeling settling into my gut that something was wrong.

I left the dark theater and into the hallway lined with a dozen other rooms, looking on either side for a sign of her. But she wasn't there. I couldn't find her.

As I neared the exit of the theater, I finally spotted her on a bench outside, her phone held to her ear and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands were shaking, and I felt the urge to hold them, to tell her that I was right here. That I would never leave her.

Walking outside, the first thing I registered was the raw pain in Arya's voice, the kind of pain that only the ones you loved most could cause. "Mom, please don't do this. Where do you expect me to go?" she asked, choked sobs leaving her mouth.

I could hear the sound of yelling on the other side, my heart clenching. I felt the urge to hurt the person who made my love cry, but I couldn't do that. It was Arya's mom, and hurting her would only hurt Arya.

"I love her," she said. "I can't choose who I love, but I'm still your daughter. I'm the same person I was this morning and the same person I've been all my life." There was another pause filled with more yelling before Arya let out a dry laugh, roughly wiping her tears. "Fine. I'll leave my keys on the kitchen counter. I love you."