His Butterfly

Chapter 22: Best Friend Moments

Avery's POV

"Well, well, well, look who decided to resurface," he drawled sarcastically. "Emily, brace yourself for the long-awaited return of our dear Avery," he boomed, his voice dripping with melodrama.

"Just what I needed," I muttered, steeling myself for the inevitable barrage of inquiries from both him and Emily. I could already feel the onslaught of questions hurtling towards me, like an unstoppable force.

"You deserve much more than just a scolding for not reaching out to us for two whole days," Emily sternly expressed over the phone. "A simple text to let us know you're alive and well would have put our minds at ease, but you couldn't even manage that." She continued, her frustration evident in her voice. "I never imagined that you, out of all people, would leave us worrying about you, no matter how amazing the sex is or how wealthy and attractive the guy may be." She let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Wow, Emily, I'm away for just two days, and all you can think about is my sex life," I replied, activating the speakerphone. "It seems like you're the one in dire need of getting laid."

"I can assure you, my man knows how to satisfy me. He really rocked my world last night and even tonight..."

"Emily!" Brendan exclaimed, cutting off our lighthearted conversation. "Seriously, I need to find some new friends." He grumbled, then asked me, "So, what have you and Reese been up to these past few days?"

"Not what you two dirty minds are imagining. So, let's keep it clean," I responded, secretly wishing I could relive last Friday night with Reese. "Brendan, for a straight guy, you seem awfully curious about Reese's life these days!" I playfully teased him.

"Come on, don't mess with me like that. You know I have no shortage of romantic encounters. In fact, I've had more sex in the past two days than you've had in your entire life. I'm all about the PUSSY," Brendan proudly declared. I could almost envision him pounding his chest like a caveman as he made his final statement.

"Oh my goodness, my ears are bleeding. TMI, Brendan," I cringed.

"Let's get back on track here, how are you holding up?" He suddenly asked, shifting the conversation. "Last time we spoke, you were in quite a frantic state, to put it mildly."

"I'm fine," I sighed. "You guys know me, after a couple of days of rational thinking, I'm back to my usual self."

"Who are you trying to convince, yourself or yourself? Because I sure as hell know you're not trying to convince Emily and me of that massive lie," Brendan blurted out, causing Emily and me to burst into laughter.

"Why bother asking me how I'm doing if you won't believe me when I say I'm okay?" I chuckled, still amused by Brendan's skepticism. "Since you're so convinced that something's wrong, why don't you two enlighten me and tell me what you think is going on with me?"

"Come on, if we knew what was wrong, we wouldn't be on this call asking you these pointless questions," Brendan retorted, his tone a bit harsh. "So let's cut the crap and get to the real reason why you called us so early this morning."

"Wait, Brendan, before she answers that, I need to know why she's not at the business meeting with Reese," Emily interjected.

"To answer both of your questions, I'm just not feeling great this morning," I replied, offering a half-truth.

"When was the last time you called us this early in the morning because you were sick? Never, that's when." She interrupted before I could respond. "Let's try this again. What's really going on with you that made you call us so early?"

"Did that creep call you again?" Brendan growled, already getting angry before I could even answer his question.

"Well... He called me last night, and someone even left a few bouquets of roses outside my room door," I replied, leaving out the part about the unsettling note they left and the feeling of being watched while I slept in my suite.

"Damn it, Avery! I've been telling you for ages that we should have reported this problem to the police. Now look at the mess it has become. It's completely out of control. I'm heading to Jamaica to stay with you for the rest of this trip," Brendan exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice as he unleashed a string of expletives. Emily chimed in, equally upset, "I'm coming too!"

"And when I get there, I swear I'll find the bastard who's been stalking my best friend and give them a taste of their own medicine," Brendan threatened, his anger palpable through the phone.

"Come on, Brendan, just take a deep breath," I pleaded, my mind drifting back to the first time I met Brendan and Emily on my very first day of kindergarten at Hopkins Elementary School.

{Flashback begins}

"Hey, look at this snobby little girl acting all high and mighty. I bet she thinks she's too good to play with us regular kids," Toby Beale taunted, shoving me roughly to the ground near the monkey bars. I winced as my knees scraped against the hard dirt, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Leave her alone, you big bully!" I heard a small Asian boy yell at Toby from my right side me. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" he sneered, his fist clenched.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Brendan, before you end up like her," Toby retorted, turning his attention back to me. "So, you think you're too good to play with us?" Toby asked, grabbing one of my pigtails and yanking on it, while his friends joined in, pushing and pulling me.

"I said leave her alone, Toby!" Brendan shouted as he rushed towards Toby, knocking him to the ground beside me.

"Yeah, leave her alone!" a skinny, loud girl screamed, jumping in to help Brendan and me fight against Toby and his gang.

{Flashback ends}

"Hello, Avery! We need you to hop on the friendship train at the next stop," Emily said, while Brendan laughed heartily.

"I'm back," I chuckled, feeling the warmth of their friendship enveloping me.

"So, what hotel are you staying at in Negril, Jamaica, and what's your room number?" Emily asked, her voice slightly muffled.

"Room number 309, and we're staying at Hotel Atlantis, Emily."

"Well, I'll be on the next flight heading your way," Brendan declared before bidding me goodbye. I hung up the phone feeling a sense of relief knowing that my friends would soon be by my side.

Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the brevity of this chapter, but I sincerely hope that you found some enjoyment in it. Your continued support through voting and commenting means the world to me, and I encourage you to share this story with anyone you think would appreciate it. Above all, please stay safe and take care until we meet again. To all my wonderful readers, thank you.

JJNILES…