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Autumn's POV
Life is like walking on thin ice. One minute, you're okay; the next, you're drowning.
The sharp ring of my phone jolted me awake. I groggily turned my head toward the clock—1 a.m. I had school in a few hours.
I sighed, tempted to let it ring. The persistent sound grated on my ears, and I could hear Lee-ha mumbling something in Korean on the room beside mine—probably complaining. She never sounded happy when woken up.
Reluctantly, I reached for my phone, my sleep-addled brain barely registering the California area code. My heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t Cayden or Riven; they were both in New York. I almost ignored it, but then a chilling thought struck me.
What if something happened to one of them?
I quickly answered.
"Hello?" I mumbled, my voice laced with sleep.
Silence. Then a deep male voice broke through.
"Miss Valencia?"
I froze, suddenly wide awake. I sat up in bed.
"Yes? Who is this?" My voice remained calm, but an icy fear crept up my spine.
"Apologies for disturbing you, Miss, but you were listed as the emergency contact."
My breath hitched. Emergency contact? My mind raced. No. Please. Not Riven. Not Cayden.
"Emergency contact?" I repeated, dread coiling in my stomach.
"Yes, Miss. For Mrs. Carla Valencia."
My world tilted.
"My mom?" My voice cracked.
A slight gasp came through the line, quickly masked.
"Miss... this is Dr. James from the California Emergency Room. Your mother was in an accident. I’m sorry, but... she didn’t make it."
A sharp ringing filled my ears. The room spun. I shook my head.
"No... impossible," I whispered, my throat tightening.
"I’m deeply sorry for your loss. Someone will be in touch soon regarding further details."
The line went dead.
I sat there, the weight of his words crushing me. My breaths came in short, ragged gasps. Tears slipped down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying. Then, I was sobbing—full, body-wracking sobs.
Lee-ha burst into my room, startled.
"Autumn? What happened?" She crouched in front of me, eyes filled with concern.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My lips trembled.
Not my mom. Not my mama.
Lee-ha started pacing, muttering in panic, before she ran to the kitchen. My hands trembled as I reached for my phone. I didn’t think. I just dialed the number.
---
Riven's POV
It was noon in New York when my phone buzzed on my desk.
"Mr. Black, no phones in class," my professor chided, peering at me over his glasses.
I sighed, pulling my phone out to turn it off—until I saw the name flashing on the screen.
Autumn.
She knew I was in class. She wouldn’t call unless it was important.
A bad feeling settled in my gut. Without thinking, I shot up from my chair.
"Mr. Black, sit—"
"Family emergency," I blurted out, already rushing toward the door. I barely heard the protests as I picked up the call.
"Autumn?" I said, pressing the phone to my ear.
Silence.
Then, a soft, broken sob.
My stomach dropped.
"Autumn, talk to me. Are you okay?" I tried again, panic seeping into my voice.
Nothing. Just quiet cries.
"Princess, please, say something," I pleaded.
A choked sob. Then, a whisper.
"My... mom."
A cold dread washed over me.
"Your mom?" I echoed, confused. Did she call you?
Silence.
Then, a heart-wrenching answer.
"She’s dead."
I nearly dropped my phone.
"What?"
"The hospital called. She got into an accident. She’s dead, Riven," she sobbed, and with those words, my heart shattered.
Autumn had already lost her dad. Now her mom? My hands clenched into fists. I knew what it was like to lose a parent, but both? No one should go through that.
I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I’m so sorry, princess."
I listened as she cried, feeling utterly useless. I wanted to be there, to hold her, to tell her she wasn’t alone.
And then, without thinking, I said the only thing I could.
"Pack your bags. We’re flying to California."
---
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I just realized my book is getting views !
I don't know who you guys are ,but I'd like to thank you for reading. You don't know how happy it makes me to see that people are reading something I wrote.
You guys aren't a lot ,but you're more than enough for me. I hope you liked this one, too.
(Also ,i might post with less rapidity these days as I have to deal with my personal life, too.)
-Cho ♡
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Unspoken Promises
RomanceFate sure has its own way of returning what you have lost...
