AUTHORS POV
Dark clouds gathered over Beverly Hills when Ethan exasperatedly exited the house. Sydney didn’t wait a second and ran after him.
He was a fast runner to Sydney’s dismay.
” Ethan, stop, please!” Sydney shouted, increasing her speed but it wasn’t enough to catch up to him.
Her heart raced with fear. She didn’t want any of her kids to experience what she went through while growing up. It broke her heart knowing Gavin would go to such an extent of almost hitting his kid because of… Avery?
Was she more important to him than his children?
He didn’t even take the liberty to chase after his son!
” Ethan please stop. You’ll hurt yourself.” Sydney cried out. It was raining already, people saw them, and we were quick to recognize who they were.
The Reed family is playing chase and catch! Well, isn’t that some news?
Now, it wasn’t only Sydney and Ethan running. Various people followed them with their cameras in action.
Sydney felt embarrassed and weary from the flashy camera lights; she didn’t realize the rock was lying on the ground before she threaded on it and fell to the ground, letting out a painful cry.
That was enough to get Ethan to stop.
Ethan’s eyes widened when he saw his mother on the ground and surrounded by paparazzi. He ran to her, crouching over.
Sydney’s head was bleeding and she struggled to keep her eyes open. Yet, no one was helping her.
” Mummy, I’m sorry. ” Ethan cried. He looked around, disoriented, and shouted. ” Can you stop taking pictures?!”
No one stopped. Getting the latest news about celebrities’ lifestyles was a pathway to fame. And besides, no one would dare help this errant woman. She was a disgrace to womanhood for cheating on her husband.
Ethan covered his mother’s face with his arms and barked. ” Please stop! Somebody help her can’t you see she’s bleeding?!”
Sydney managed to raise her hand to touch his. Her head throbbed greatly.
” E- Ethan… Call Sofia.” Sydney breathed with a wince.
Ethan scrambled through his mother’s pocket till he found her phone. By, the time he was done calling Sofia, Sydney had already passed out.
Meanwhile, Gavin was taking care of his supposed mother of his child.
Avery gripped firmly to the couch as Gavin massaged her legs with a hot towel.
Immediately, Sydney chased after her son. Gavin was ready to charge after them, but Avery began to scream that she was in immense pain, and Gavin didn’t have the heart to leave her.
” I wonder what sort of poison Sydney is feeding your children. Ethan would be a nuisance in the future if you don’t take him from that woman.” Avery growled leaning into the chair.
Gavin scowled. He was in no mood to hear anything about Sydney unless he would lose his mind. He’d had sleepless nights and barely put any focus into his business lately ever since she started going out with that man from the restaurant. Whatever his name was.
She’d been so happy lately, and it killed him. It was another man who caused her happiness. He was pretty sure she went out with him today!
He couldn’t deny it, he wasn’t happy she was moving on.
” Gavin, darling, are you hearing me?” Avery voiced at Gavin’s silence.
His eyes finally met hers; Dark with envy. ” I’m done. You can go up to your room.”
” But, my leg is sore. I can’t walk up those stairs myself. Or do you want our baby to die?” Avery wheedled.
” Rest here a little, I’ll be back. I have to put Emily to bed.” Gavin stood.
Avery felt the tickling urge to curse at him. How could he leave her in pain to cater for that little brat?
Gavin picked Emily, who was asleep on the bean bag. His heart twisted seeing the dried tears on her cheek. He was ruining his family with his own hands.
Emily’s eyes fluttered open as Gavin laid her on the bed and put the duvet around her.
Gavin smiled wryly when he saw she was awake. He hesitated but ran his hand through her beautiful red hair. At least she didn’t hate him like Ethan did.
” Go to sleep, sweetheart,” Gavin said lowly. His face was rigid, he tried to compose himself before he could break down in front of his child.
” Where’s Mommy and Ethan?”
” They… They are outside getting some fresh air.”
” Is Aunty Avery and her baby okay?”
” Yes.”
” Are you okay?”
Gavin laughed, it almost came out as a cry. He was bad at concealing his emotions anyway.
” I’m fine, sweetheart. Go to sleep and stop asking questions.”
Emily nodded, her gaze not peeling from his. It was raining outside; she hoped her mother and brother weren’t in the rain.
” Stay with me please.” Emily held Gavin’s hand before he could leave.
” I have some things to attend to sweetheart.”
Emily sat up and started to cry again. Gavin’s eyes widened, and he quickly picked her up and placed her on his lap.
” Why are you crying, Emily?”
” I’m scared Daddy.” Emily sniffed. ” There’s a witch who always comes in my dreams to take you away from mommy. She even killed Mommy. I’m scared please don’t go.”
Gavin’s heart skipped. He wrapped his arm around his daughter and pulled her into his warm embrace.
He looked out the window and his heart paced by the second. It just occurred to him that his wife and child were out in the storm.
He shut his eyes and said silently.
God, please let them be fine.
________________
Gavin didn’t realize he had slept off until his phone rang in his grey slacks, waking him up.
Groggily, he pushed his hair off his face, yawned, and then glanced at the alarm clock to see the time.
3:45 AM.
He gently placed Emily on the bed and left the room. He checked if Sydney was back, and to his dismay, she wasn’t. Neither was Ethan and it was still raining cats and dogs outside.
He ran a hand through his hair. Where were they? Did Sydney take Ethan to her lover’s house?
Apprehension grew in Gavin’s heart by just that thought. The last thing he wanted was for his kids to see another man as their father.
Gavin’s phone rang again, fueling his anger. He felt the tingling urge to throw the phone to the wall.
With his grip firm like a vice, he placed the phone to his ear after accepting the call.
” What the hell is it?”
” Er… Mr. Reed… Um, Good morning.” Archer stuttered.
Gavin rubbed his brows, trying as much as he could to quell his anger.
Archer spoke when Gavin didn’t say a word. ” Mr. Reed, I’m sorry if I disturbed your shut-eye -”
” Can you get to the freaking point already?” Gavin cut in sharply.
Archer cleared his throat before he poured out, ” Your wife, Mrs. Reed, is she okay? I was up late watching late-night news when I saw a cap shot of Mrs. Reed lying unconscious on the road. ”
Gavin’s eyes widened on impulse. His mouth hung open as he tried to phantom what Archer said.
” Archer if this is one of your stupid pranks, I swear I would fire you.”
As if Archer would ever dare play pranks with his stringent boss.
” I’m not pulling your legs, boss, you can switch on-”
The sound of bewailing cut Archer off. Gavin’s eyes instinctively flew in the direction of the cry to see Avery crying in pain.
Gavin ended the call before Archer asked what was wrong and ran to Avery.
” What the hell happened again?” He demanded looking disorientingly at her twisted leg.
Avery wailed. ” I was going to my room when I slipped.” She lied easily.
She had overheard Gavin’s phone call with Archer and she had an intuition Gavin would leave chasing after Sydney. She couldn’t let that happen.
Gavin ran a hand through his hair stressfully. He looked back and forth confused about what to do.
Avery added to his turmoil. ” I told you I would fall, yet you left me. What if our baby got affected, Gavin?”
” I’m sorry, I’m sorry okay! Shit, how bad does it hurt?” He asked frustratedly.
” Very bad Gavin, I need to see the doctor, Gavin, ah!”