Tangled

101 Ava: Calling Clayton

A plate of mixed greens, topped with an obscene amount of sliced chicken and shredded cheese, is slid

in front of me as I wait for Clayton to answer the phone,

There’s a lot of sound in the background, and I can hear Vester shouting that I’m on the line.

Stabbing a bite of salad, I crunch at it, the sound grating against my eardrums as I wait.

“Ava?” Clayton’s voice, usually so strong and assured, wavers with a vulnerability that catches me off guard. The sound tugs at my heart, a pang of guilt piercing through the layers of confusion that has settled

between us.

I should have asked Lucas to let me talk to him a long time ago. He’s probably been worried. He’s too responsible and caring to have just let things go without wondering how I’m doing.

I’m a terrible person.

I never really thought about him in this time.

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101 Ava Calling Clayton

“Hey,” I manage, my throat tightening around the word. “How… how have you been?”

Lisa’s eyebrows shoot up at the sound of my words, her gaze fixed on me with an intensity that suggests she’s hanging on every word. I ignore her, focusing instead on the static–laden silence stretching across the connection.

“How are you feeling?” Clayton asks, dodging my question with one of his own. “Are you healing alright?”

There’s a lump in my throat at the sound of his

concern. Damn. I swallow hard. “I’m fine,” I assure him, though the words feel hollow even to my own ears. “I actually called because… well, I was worried about Ivy. I wanted to know how she’s doing. And I wanted to talk to you.”

He’s silent for a long time. “Ivy’s doing well. She’s healing, but slowly. She doesn’t heal much faster than

humans.”

I know that pain.

my daily soreness

15:19

Calling

means or why my body’s

to

She loves a good romantic drama, and my current love life is her biggest

everything happened.

I want to know how you’re doing. If you’re okay, if you’re

healing.”

alone. I’m sure you know everything that happened by now, so I won’t rehash it. I’m glad I’m

he answered the phone, and I wonder what he was doing before I called.

you,

is so startling that I

15:19

Calling

supposed to answer? I don’t miss him? I don’t think of him very

much?

starting to feel awful about myself.

a lot… but a lot more than I ever think

Clayton.

his voice breaks my

nice person. Responsible. Steadfast. He took care of me, even

stranger.

away for my own safety, but it isn’t like Lucas has done much better.

to other things, like the sound of his voice in my ear, the way

head at Lisa as her eyes widen. She can’t hear him on the other end, so she has

you haven’t chosen Lucas?”

odd question. “About Lucas… I’m

15:10

von about him. Us It seems like the Aund of thing I should apologize

now, though

care. Ava is words are like a caress,

slightly different wavelengths. It sounds like I’ve said something that’s soothed him in some way. T’ll never hold that against you.”

website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in

response, and that niggling feeling inside of me grows.

what it is.

I guess I’ll let you

your number, so I can

at me.

I call you

planning on talking to him again today, but how can I say no when