This World is Outrageous { BOOK 2 }

Chapter 44--Avery

Chapter 44

Avery

Willow yanks the earpiece frantically from her ear as she stands beside me.

I stare at her, puzzled. Before I can further question it, she shoves the earpiece into my hands.

"What the hell Willow?" I hiss.

I am trying to board the shuttle with dozens of Jotunn in trances when she shoves it into my hand. I look around before I briskly remove my helmet, position the earpiece in my ear and secure the headpiece back on before anyone can notice. In a trance or not, I'm not taking any chances.

"What is this about?" I ask Willow, still confused as to why she gave me the earpiece so hastily.

"Listen!" She instructs.

I roll my eyes but do what is told. Shortly after that I hear Casper talking to their Warrior buddy. Peak, was it? I can't even remember his name. But there is a name in their conversation that I do remember.

"Hadley Redgrove-Bunk."

My heart stops. He is asking for the files on her, if my Mom is still living. Tears well in my eyes as I anxiously await Warrior buddy's reply. It seems like decades before he speaks.

"Alive."

"Jotunn?" Casper says, his voice barely audible.

"Jotunn." The ally confirms.

I hear Casper let loose a sob. And for once, I do the same.

I sob.

I never cry. But to hear that Mom is alive after all this time I held it against Casper? I feel horrible. That was the number one reason I despised Casper even more so after being reunited. Not because he tried to kill me, but because I held him responsible for killing Mom.

Willow has me lean on her shoulder as I simply cry. Oh how good it feels to know there is hope to see her again. Whether or not she wants to kill me, that's another story. She's a Jotunn, and while that sucks, she is and will always be my mom. Without Mom, I don't know what I'd do.

Mom didn't know who my biological father was, so had my mom not been around, I don't know how I would've turn out. Arris Bunk was the first father figure I ever had. I wonder if he is still alive? I hadn't heard that part. But maybe Willow had.

"Willow," I croak.

"Yes?"

"Did they say if Arris was—"

"Yes," Willow murmurs.

"Is he?"

"No."

A strangled sob leaves my lips. Tears of joy are replaced with tears of anguish. Now, I know for a fact that Casper is overjoyed his father is gone. It sounds horrible, but to Bunk, he was always a crappy father. Rumor has it that he treated his first wife, Rosita, like hell itself. Casper witnessed it all. And because of that, he grew to where his dad was his worst enemy. But Arris always treated my mother like a queen. I admired him. He was all I'd ever known as a dad, and he was gone.

I'll admit, Casper had it rough. And by all means, I didn't make it any easier on him. But there was something about Arris I adored, but something about Arris that Casper despised. I suppose it's safe to say, Casper and I, we are polar opposites. And, honest to God, I am okay with that.

"Think of it this way," Willow whispers, "your mom is alive."

"My mom is alive," I say.

I continue to repeat this to myself. My name is Avery Renee Redgrove. Nebraska is gone, but my mother survived. She's out there somewhere. I intend to find her, even if I die trying.