Gone // Spider-Man: Far From Home [Book 4]

twenty-eight {Third Person POV}

Arya placed her hand on the door handle to her bedroom. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the handle down after a few seconds. She placed her backpack on her bed, crinkling the neatly made sheets. Her suitcase was put against the closet before Arya sat down next to her backpack, taking the photo frame from her bedside. 

A choking sob erupted from her throat and she didn't make an effort to stop it. Hot tears streamed down her face. 

"Arya? Arya! What happened?" Pepper called, rushing into her room. 

"He's gone. He's gone. He's gone," Arya repeated through thick sobs, shaking uncontrollably while hugging the photo frame to her chest. Pepper's heart broke and she pulled Arya close, her own eyes pooling with tears. "I don't want him to be gone. I want him to come back," Arya sobbed. 

"I know, honey, I know," Pepper whispered. "He's still with us-" 

"Don't say that! He's gone, Pepper! He's dead!" Arya raised her voice, ripping away from Pepper's grasp. "Tony Stark is dead and he will never come back!" Lightning sparked from her hands as she had trouble breathing.

"Arya," Pepper said softly, rising up from the bed. 

"Don't do that," Arya warned her, her voice cracking. 

"Do what?"

"Tell me to calm down." 

"I wasn't going to," Pepper said softly. "I was going to tell you that you are right. He's gone, and he's not coming back. And yeah, it hurts, it really does. But he wouldn't want you to wallow over him. He'd want you to be happy." 

"But I can't!" Arya exclaimed, flailing her spark-loaded hands through the air. "I can't be happy! He was the only constant in my life and now he's gone. How am I supposed to go on?" 

Pepper smiled softly and came up to her. She put her hands on the side of Arya's face, wiping away the tears. "Focus on the other constants. You have me, Morgan, Peter, Skye. They're not going to leave. I know that," she said. 

Arya closed her eyes, letting Pepper pull her in a hug. 

The sound of a phone ringing broke the silence in the room and Arya pulled back, clearing her face from any leftover tears. She took her phone from the dresser and frowned when she saw the caller ID.

"Who is it?" Pepper asked.

"Sam," Arya muttered, pressing the green button and holding the phone to her ear. "Sam?" 

"Hey, kid," Sam Wilson's cheerful voice said. 

"W-Why are you calling me?" she asked, her voice shaky. 

"I saw the news about London and I instantly recognised my Sparky," he said and she smiled at her old nickname. She hadn't heard that in years. "I just wanted to say, good job, kid. I'm proud of you." 

"Sam, thank you," she muttered. 

"Is it okay if I come to see you soon? I think we have enough to talk about," he asked. 

"Yeah, that's great, actually. I really need someone to talk to that isn't my boyfriend," she joked. 

He laughed shortly. "Okay, I'll call you when I know anything." 

"Okay," she agreed. "Talk to you later, Sam." 

"See you soon, Sparky." 

Arya ended the call and turned to Pepper, who was looking at her with a smile. "See? Things will be okay," she pointed out. 

Arya chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Pep," she said softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm sorry I scared you." 

"It's okay, honey. You're gonna be okay," she said, running a hand over Arya's head. "You should get ready, it's nearly five," she then pointed out.