His Butterfly

Chapter 47: Shaken

Reese's POV

As I settled into the driver's seat of my sleek Ferrari, my thoughts were consumed by the glistening tears streaming down Avery's face, tightening my chest with an unbearable ache. The weight of this anguish intensified as I pulled away from the driveway, each passing mile amplifying the pressure within me. It felt as though I was losing grip on my very essence, as if the vibrant hues that had colored my existence for the past few months were abruptly snatched away, plunging me into an abyss of darkness.

My vision blurred, and my breaths grew shallow, prompting me to swiftly maneuver the car to the side of the road, desperate to avoid a catastrophic collision. Exiting the vehicle, I hastily retrieved my phone, the door slamming shut behind me in a fit of frustration. Collapsing onto the cold, damp pavement, I rested my head against the passenger side door, seeking solace in the tangible chill against my skin. In this moment of despair, I found myself fervently praying for a guiding light to navigate me through the chaotic labyrinth that had become my life. The overwhelming surge of anger, stress, and desolation threatened to consume me entirely, leaving me teetering on the edge of my own sanity.

My mind succumbed to the overwhelming weight, causing my thoughts to falter and my eyelids to droop in sync. But then, like a burst of radiant sunlight piercing through the stormy clouds, a breathtaking vision of Avery materialized before me. The darkness that had enveloped my world mere moments ago dissipated, replaced by a luminous day. I remained motionless, frozen in awe, afraid that any movement or blink would shatter this ethereal moment, causing Avery to vanish into thin air. Rationality eluded me, and I no longer cared if this was a figment of my imagination. In this fleeting instance, everything surrounding her exuded tranquility, as if we had been transported to our own private paradise. My heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of joy, simply from gazing upon her radiant smile.

"Come to me, Reese," her voice beckoned, her hands outstretched in a tender, loving gesture.

With a determined grip on the car door handle, I strained to lift myself from the unforgiving pavement. My legs felt burdened as if shackled by an invisible weight that my eyes could not perceive. Tears welled in Avery's eyes, a silent plea etched upon her face as she realized I was not moving towards her. In that heart-wrenching moment, it seemed as though we were drifting further apart, our connection slipping away. Her desperate cries for me to join her grew louder, bordering on screams, yet my attempts to bridge the distance grew increasingly futile.

Then, as if time itself had halted, the world around me fell into an eerie silence. A chill crept up my spine, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end like sharp spikes. The stillness was shattered by a piercing, gut-wrenching scream that sliced through the night air. Avery crumpled to the ground, her delicate features marred by a pool of blood seeping from the right side of her head, staining her once beautiful face.

The radiant glow that had illuminated our world mere moments ago was cruelly snatched away, fading along with the light in Avery's eyes. I was plunged into a desolate darkness, a void from which I knew there was no return. The prospect of a world without Avery seemed unbearable, a place I had no desire to inhabit.

Startled awake, my body drenched in a cold sweat, I gasped for air, my heart pounding in my chest. I scanned my surroundings, desperately searching for any trace of Avery, but found only my solitary figure seated on the pavement beside my car. A wave of relief washed over me as I realized it had all been a dreadful nightmare, conjured by the depths of my subconscious.

Shaking my head vigorously to dispel the lingering remnants of those haunting thoughts, I rose to my feet and climbed back into my car. It was clear that I needed to confide in someone before I truly lost my grip on reality. The question remained, however, as to who that person would be. Glancing at my watch, I noted that it was now eleven o'clock at night.