TW: Graphic mentions of blood...

Avery and Jameson are currently out searching, its been two days since that awful dinner but time has moved on and we have searched for hours each and every day since. We'd already been searching for 4 hours in the dark when I declared I needed the bathroom I managed to slip out. 

I had received a text when we were outside and I knew exactly who it was. Dad. We had been talking a lot more recently, he wants me to send him money so he can get a flight to see me. I don't want anyone to know though because Avery and Libby don't trust him.

I send him a couple texts and head back outside after a while. I'm about an acre away from the spot they are working in when I hear it. The shot of a gun which echos through my ears. I freeze. Again. I can see them. Jameson pulled Avery to the ground and covered her from the shots. I let out a breath of relief when there are no more shots and they seem to both be ok. 

That is until Jameson leans over her and I notice blood on Avery's shoulder. At that sight I bolt towards the two. I get to them in seconds and kneel beside her, I look down at my terrified sister covered in blood. Both Jameson and I look up at each other at the same time sharing a face that is equally terrified and knowing. Our eyes linger on each other for a moment before springing into action. 

Oren runs passed us and in the direction of the attacker. My heart beats a million beats per second and my eyes blur. I take in a deep breathe of cold air and contain myself. Oren turns back accepting he won't catch the attacker. "Are you ok, Avery?" Oren asks and when he doesn't get a response he turns to us "Is she ok?" He asks. "She's bleeding" I state the obvious, that is all I can focus on right now. She is bleeding. She, my sister is bleeding. And not like 'I fell over and scraped my knee and its bleeding' kind of bleeding.

Jameson's hand meets her pale face and strokes down her cheekbone "Your face" he says shakily. "Did they shoot me twice?" Avery asks worriedly. 

"The assailant didn't shoot you at all." Oren says, my eyes dart to him having thought my sister was shot. He inspects her body to make sure there isn't too much damage. "You got hit by a couple of pieces of bark." He informs her probing at the painful looking wound.
"The other cut's just a scratch, but the bark's lodged deep in this one. We'll leave it until we're ready to stitch you up." He says. "Stitch me up." Avery repeats. I look again at the blood glazing my sisters collarbone and now notice the bark lodged inside her. 

"You're lucky." Oren says. How in God's name is she lucky? "A couple of inches to the right, and we'd be looking at removing a bullet, not bark."Oren inspects the tree the bullet hit and whips out a knife and begins digging the bullet out. 

I allow myself a moment to stand up and pace with my eyes closed, the cool air fills my lungs and is slowly released. A couple inches. A couple inches is all that prevented me from watching my sister die. As I pace I don't notice the eyes firmly staring at me with slight concern. Jameson Hawthorne.

"Whoever fired this is long gone now," Oren says wrapping the bullet in a handkerchief. "But we might be able to trace this." It takes me a moment to realise by 'this' he means the bullet. The bullet that was aimed at my sister. What if it had hit Jameson. It didn't. I need to stop thinking about what could've happened, all that matters is she wasn't shot but now she is bleeding out in the middle of the forest. 

"What just happened here?" Jameson vocalises my thoughts. His voice is slightly shaky and I can tell his heart is beating almost as fast as mine right now. "I would also like to know how the fuck we came to this point" I say, my voice sounding almost foreign with the fear laced throughout. 

I'm shaking. Actually shaking.

Fuck.

I quickly kneel by my sister yet again and quickly inspect her wound. The wood chip is deep and a lot of blood is pouring out, I have to contain a gag when I see the amount of burgundy liquid. I place my hands over the wound in attempt to stop the bleeding. Avery looks terrified and Jameson numb as he watches me blankly. 

"What happened," Oren eventually replies, glancing back into the distance. "is that someone saw the two of you out here, decided you were easy targets, and pulled their trigger. Twice."

Oren makes a call requesting back up. "Fuck" I barely whisper under my breathe. "I leave you five minutes and you almost get shot" I joke bitterly. I expect an ambulance and cops but instead Oren walks towards us and tells us "Follow me. We'll stay where we have cover until the support team gets here." He leads us towards the south end of the forest. The people he called don't take long to arrive.

Two men speak with Oren who gives them coordinates which they quickly follow with their weapons drawn, likely where the shots were fired. Oren gets into a four seater SUV followed by Jameson, Avery and I. 

"You headed back to the House?" one of the men asks Oren. "The cottage." He replies. 

The ride to the cottage is painfully slow, Avery is holding a compression to her shoulder, Jameson and Oren's eyes are glued to the road, meanwhile mine won't leave my sisters pale face. Once we arrive at the cottage Mrs Laughin opens the door and frowns at Avery's state. "I'll put on some tea" 

"You okay with me playing medic? I'm sure Alisa could arrange for some fancy plastic surgeon."Oren offers, normally i might chuckle at the idea of Avery getting plastic surgery but my face stays dead straight. Avery doesn't answer, she looks deep in thought. 
"Avery?" Oren asks sounding concerned. Jameson and I share a quick glance of worry. "Do what you need to do to stop the bleeding" Avery allows. 

Oren takes the bark out reasonably quickly, I had to close my eyes for some parts. Once she is stitched up Mrs Laughin hands her tea over after adding whiskey. Avery eyes it sceptically to which Oren replies with by taking a sip, she accepted the drink and took slow sips.

"I need to go" I announce, "Why? We were having so much fun?" Jameson jokes. I smile weakly at the joke "I don't think it's a good idea for you to be going out alone" Oren replies. "You've got your men out there" I argue. He thinks for a moment before nodding in approval.

I place a kiss on Avery's head and she smiles up at me. When I make it outside I take a deep breath of the cool air which helps with the pounding of my brain against my skull. I start walking back with all the thoughts drowning amongst themselves. 

"What the fuck" I sigh quietly to myself, unfolding everything I just witnessed. "Fuck" i yell into the endless acres of trees. 

When I arrive back to the Hawthorne house all the thoughts have paused and I'm left with confusion. I look down at my hands and see they are covered with dried crimson blood. The blood of my sister. 

My hands shake as I hold them up in order to not stain any of the expensive bannisters of the house. I walk up the stairs with tears stained on my cheeks, blood soaked hands and goosebumps as I shiver. 

In order to reach my room I walk passed Grayson's wing, my head is down, still staring at my hands. "Miss Grambs." Grayson speaks. I turn quickly and hide my hands behind my back. I force a smile which i quickly realise is out of character. 

"Whose blood is that" his mood quickly changes when he notices the blood on my shirt. "I had a nosebleed" I lie. He approaches me slowly and looks towards the blood on the shirt. 

"Then you wouldn't mind if i had a look at your hands?" He requests. "Actually I would mind. Goodnight." I grin and turn around shoving my hands inside my pocket. "Miss Grambs I suggest you remove your hands from your pockets and show me the blood that is very clearly on your hands" he warns.

I remove my hands from the pocket and put them up in the air jokingly as if I'm being held at gunpoint. "Satisfied?" I ask with a grin. "Paris." He uses my first name to get my attention. "It's Avery's" I admit turning to walk away again.

I begin walking and notice he is walking closely beside me, "is she alright?" His jaw clenches, I stop walking and turn towards him. "She's fine. Her and Jameson were shot at outside and a bit of bark from a tree went in her shoulder. It came out and Oren stitched it. Jameson was ok as well before you ask" I conclude.

He goes quiet before softening his eyes, "Are you?" He asks. I didn't expect to hear that, "what?" I ask. "Are you alright?" He asks. "I wasn't there when they were shot at i just saw it from a far" I explain. 

He nods "I'm glad" he says. I smile, not a polite 'I'm not actually thankful you said that' smile but more of an actually appreciative smile. 

I make my way to my room, drop my jacket on the floor and enter the bathroom. I must've been scrubbing my hands with hot water for a while as when i give up, they are red with the heat of the water. My hands are still a faint red tint and there is some under my fingernails. I turn off the water and lights before falling backwards onto my bed not even changing out of my clothes. 

Despite the overwhelming things going on, selfishly my mind goes to Grayson. Grayson Hawthorne. All he did was ask if I was okay and I almost melted on the spot. God these boys have some control over me.

[a/n. Weekly chapter! Its officially my birthday week! 🥳 also officially December which basically means its Christmas. My goal for new year was to finish this book but at this rate idk if it will happen, I'm on chapter 54/91 on the book which is like 59% done so about 41% left. 

This chapter was so great in the original book. 

Paris thinking about Grayson whilst Jameson and Avery have their bathroom moment. 

Lmk your thoughts on the chapter. byeee]