Chapter 19 Late Night

• "Thank goodness," Avery breathes a sigh of relief as she spots me entering at four in the morning. I gently close the door behind me, and she wraps her arms around me in a tight embrace. "I sent you a few texts and tried calling to check how long you'd be gone, only to realize that your phone probably died."
• "Sorry about that," I chuckle softly, hugging her back. "I didn't notice my phone had died until I was almost here, so I didn't bother charging it in the car."
• "No worries now. You're back, you're safe, and you look much better than when you left," she remarks, studying me closely. "That's all that matters." I wink at her, silently acknowledging the accuracy of her entire statement.