Page 141 of Lessons In Grey

“Your mom and Charlie were in an accident involving a drunk driver, they didn’t make it.”

I laughed and shook my head, pulling my phone out of my pocket. “You’re lying,” I said, my hands shaking, my heart breaking. “Why would you do that? Why would you tell such a fucking lie?”

“Emily, don’t,” Ash warned.

I walked away from her, finding Charlie’s number in my phone. “She’s not dead, she’s not fucking allowed to be dead.” I hit call.

The number you have dialed is no longer in se—

“No, no,” I said, calling her again. “She’s not dead.”

The number you have dialed is no—

“No,” I snarled, calling it again.

The number you ha—

I felt something inside of me snap. A switch being flipped in the wrong direction.

I couldn’t feel anything. Physically. Everything went buzzy and numb as my eyes shifted from her phone number to Ash.

She was saying something. Her mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying. Something important. Something serious. Her eyes were red, cheeks damp. Over and over again, the same thing.

I shook my head, turning back to my phone. She wasn’t…dead.

But I could feel it. I could feel it in my bones. Yes, she was. She was dead, and I had missed her anniversary.

Why did my mind let me forget that? Why had my brain let me forgetthat?

Arms were wrapping around me. Not Grey’s, no, Ash was too nimble, a little shorter. I could never mistake the two.

Her arms wrapped around me tightly, her quiet sobs shaking me. She was sad. Why was she so sad? I knew this. I knew about Charlie, she was dead.

She had died a year ago.

She and my mom. A drunk driver, Travis, 22-year-old idiot who had been designated the sober driver, but he had decided that a few drinks wouldn’t hurt.

It was a head-on collision. He had been going eighty through the city, and my mom had just made a left turn. Her light had been green. She had trusted the city, had trusted the other drivers. She had trusted everyone and everything, and the world had failed her.

“Stop,” I said.

But she held on tighter. Maybe she needed it, but I suddenly felt as if I were suffocating.

“Stop,” I said again, a little harsher this time. “Ash, stop it. Stop,” I shoved her back.

She sniffed, her brows pulling together, confusion growing. “Emily.”

“Just stop,” I told her, shaking my head as she wiped her cheeks. “I’m fine. It’s fine,” I said, looking between the three of them, angry that Syn and Ash were crying, that Grey was just standing there. Why was he juststandingthere?

I laughed, shoving my hair back, my mind whirling, my heart racing. “I’mfine. I don’t know why you all are acting so weird. It’s fine.” I couldn’t feel my hands. “Grey, why thefuckaren’t you on the fucking phone?” I snapped, finding his eyes. “Please, just…can everyone stop looking at me as if it just happened. I’m fine.”

“Emily,” Ash tried, reaching for me.

I avoided her, walking around her towards the bathroom, the air too thin, my mind too fucking broken. “Get on thegoddamn phone!” I snarled and slammed the bathroom door behind me. Fuck. I was fine.

Everything was fine.

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