Avery P.O.V.
I am staring at my brother--face to face. I can't believe it. I can't believe he is alive and here. "Eddy? I said, crying with happy tears. I can still feel his arms wrapped around my waist. I have my face deep into his shoulder. Thank God, I am not dreaming. I lifted my face and stared into my brother's eyes. Edward, I can't believe you're here?" I told him with a tear in my eyes.
"Little One, I have been here the whole time. I have been watching over you and Mom and Dad," he tells me, and I know my parents heard him say. "So, if you were here the whole time? "So, why did you hide from us?" I ask him. But he didn't say anything. But instead, he dropped my waist, walked back, and took a couple of feet from me. So he moved away from me. He didn't want to tell me and tell our parents. But when he opens up his mouth, he tells us what happened that day after he went back under the water on that awful and dreadful day.
"Avery, when I saw you having trouble staying out of the water. I knew I had to get you out of there. I knew it was going to be someone who wasn't going to make it. And I decided it was going to be me. I wasn't going to come out alive," my brother told me. So, when I saw the guys with you, I knew you would be safe and okay." So, I did the only thing I could think of.
That was going under." I heard my brother say. Why would he do that? I don't understand. I thought to myself. "But if you knew I was safe and onshore, why wouldn't you try to get out?" I ask my brother in a confused and demanding voice. "You just did something so selfish!" I cried at my brother. Why did you do that to me?" "Do you have any idea what I with through? "I thought I killed my brother. I thought you were dead!" I tell him.
"Little One, look, it's just- " "No, you don't get to talk," I tell him with tears falling down my cheeks. "You listen to what I have to say," I tell my brother. "When I saw you going under the water and didn't return. I waited for you for hours, waiting to see my big brother pop out with his smile and tell me that you're okay." But no, I waited for something to happen.
But you didn't come up." I tell him with so many emotions and hurt in my voice. I didn't want to show my brother the broken and hurt in my eyes. But it was too late. He had already seen it. "Hey, little one, he pulled out his hands and wrapped them around my waist again, and he kissed on top of my head.
"It's okay, and I am here." I should not have hidden from you and Mom and Dad." He told me inside my hair. "I am so sorry little one," Can you forgive me," he asks me with so much emotion and kindness in his voice. I should let my brother speak more, but I want to leave and get away from the past was a nightmare when I lost my brother. But now I should be happy, but right now. I want to get away from here. Little one? I hear my brother say.
But I pulled away from his holds. I looked away from my brother and ran out the door. Don't! You have no idea what I went through since you were dead!" I had to deal with people looking at me like someone is under their shoes all my life." I had to deal with people pushing me around and telling me I was nothing!" I told him, crying. Why could you be here threatening the people that hurt me? You tell them to leave me alone, or you pop a good one or hold my hand walking into the school because I was scared and nervous." But no, you weren't here!" Because I killed you!" I knew it, and everyone around the packhouse knew it too.
That I was the girl that killed her brother!" I cried out my emotions about how I felt when someone thought I was a monster and had nothing to care about. But I could not stand here. I had to get away, and that's what I did. By the time I climb down the stairs and run toward the front door. I rip it open and run past the yard and into the woods. There is only one place I am thinking about... That's where it happened. The Lake...
Once I got to the shore, I watched the water move back and forth. I am trying not to think about that awful and dreadful day I saw my brother Edward die in front of my eyes. I am so glad he's alive, but why did he let me think he died? And I was guilty every day because of my stupidly that day I didn't listen to him about not staying home.
I should have listened to him. I wish I had listened to him. I close my eyes, trying not to think about that day. I regret that day I lost my brother. Now he's back out of all these years. Why couldn't he show up years ago? Why now! I need answers, but I don't want to be around him or my parents right now.
Why didn't our parents didn't say anything? Why didn't you tell me he was alive? Or they didn't know either. But when I saw Dad and him walking inside the room. My dad knew it was him. But I looked over at my mom. She knew that it was Edward right beside Dad. When I was thinking about what happened just an hour ago, that was when I didn't hear the leaves and rocks crushed under someone's feet. I didn't need to look behind me to know who it was...