108 Lisa: Ava’s Absence (I)
LISA
Lucas is bigger than I thought he’d be.
The thought comes randomly as I stare at him across Ava’s bed. He never spares me a glance; he’s attuned to her every breath. There’s pain etched across his face that makes my heart ache for him.
I’m hurting, too. But this fated mate connection that
shifters have…
It’s on another level.
Kissing the back of Ava’s hand, I lower my head to pray for the hundredth time today.
Dear Lord, please hear my prayer. I know I don’t go to church and I don’t follow your commandments. I know
I’m a terrible Christian. I’m not even sure I am
Christian. But I know you’re supposed to care about all of us, so please–if you’re listening–please, save Ava.
She deserves so much more than this.
Of course, there’s no answer. Half of me is hoping for a miracle, but the other half knows the prayer’s
15:25
1/9
108 Lisa Ava’s Absence (1)
pointless.
There’s nothing any of us can do.
The doctors are confused. All they can say is that she’s stable and should wake up when she’s ready.
But why is she even in this bed in the first place?
We didn’t do anything extra strenuous.
She’s been healing fine.
So why?
Vanessa’s words about Ava’s wolf have me worried, but
about
secrets.
keeping the secret means Ava never wakes up? the logical
I don’t know.
because there
friends and family. My parents are still pissed at me, I’m pretty sure. Mom’s changed our group chat name from
16-20
2/9
Lisa Ava’s Absence (1)
her I was
bank account every week. He’s not thrilled, but he’s not about to let me go homeless or anything.
in Granite City, and now I’m
But there’s been so
even worried about being pregnant.
Wait. Pregnant.
get an answer on
she be
be why?
presence is intimidating on a good day, but right now, with Ava unconscious in the hospital bed
do you even bring up that kind of question? Hey, Alpha of the
15:20
3/0
Lisa: Ava’s Absence
the way wasn’t you, cause a girl
no. That’s not
my mind. Ava mentioned worrying about being pregnant, but we never really circled back to that topic. There was always something else going on, some new crisis.
hospital sheets, I can’t help but wonder if that could be the reason behind
like he’s barely holding it together as it is, his eyes never leaving Ava’s face, his hand gripping hers like he’s trying to anchor her to this world through
this
has to be someone else who can help, someone who
Vanessa.
15.20
Lisa Ava’s
I latch onto it like a lifeline. She’s the healer who’s been taking care of Ava, the one with the kind eyes and gentle
hand. “I’ll be right back,” I whisper, even though I know she can’t hear me. “Just gonna go ask Vanessa a
acknowledge me, but I get the sense that he’s aware of my every move. It’s unnerving, but also strangely comforting. At least I know he’s not going to let anything happen
hallway is quiet, the fluorescent lights casting
think. Or maybe
choose left, figuring I can always backtrack
Lisa Ava’s
my mind churns with questions and worries, each one
What could
my arms around myself,
Ava. Please wake
nearly collide with someone coming from the other direction. I stumble back, an apology already forming on my lips, but it dies
Vanessa.
just as surprised as I feel, her eyes widening as
my carefully planned questions seem to have vanished, replaced by a thick, choking lump
throat.
16:26
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!