Infamous Gray (Sequel to NLOA)

Chapter 21 - Part Two

My smile was short lived as a frown replaced it. The day I saw Austin carry a bag of white powder replayed in my mind. "No, I found out he was still doing drugs" I shook my head. "I saw that night we went to The Forge"

Gabby flinched. "I was hoping you didn't see that, but of course you did"

"I'm glad he wasn't perfect. He was realistic not his looks of course but the way he acted. He didn't change because he was in love with me and forgot what it was like to be bad, but he changed for me because he knew that with all this new gang business, I needed the goodness in my life"

Kyle laughed. Not mockingly but genuinely. "That guy was whipped"

"Joel snorted. "Avery's innocence attracted him. She's a realist and Austin told me that Avery was literally different from every other girl"

I smiled again. "You know that first day when you and Kingsley were trying to be intimidating?" I looked at Joel.

He turned to me with a scowl. "I remember that day very clearly"

"Did Austin say anything else about me?"

"You mean besides from when he said like brother, like sister? Sure he did, he said he wanted to get to know you and find out why you were so different" Ben told me. Austin had obviously told his whole gang.

"But there's no other reason other than you're Avery Collins" Andre shrugged.

"He loved you more than anything" Georgia smiled at me with Damon's arm lazily slung around her. Maybe risking your life for the person you love most is really worth it. Oh how that meant so much more now then when Georgia came back for Damon.

"Excuse me" Joel announced whilst standing up. He walked out of the room and a few seconds later, we heard the back door shut.

"Should I go with him?" Maddie asked immediately.

"Yeah just sit with him" Ben nodded.

Moments later, Maddie was also out of the room. I heard a few signs echo around the room and I found myself causing one of them. This tore us apart. Joel the tough one seemed to be having a hard time keeping it together and we all needed comfort from each other. Including Gabby, whose sister had taken her life because of Austin. I know that all she wanted was revenge, not for him to die.

Die.

The word stung me all over. Unlike the others, I didn't expect anyone to die, no matter what sort of troubles and dangers they got involved in. It just didn't seem like a real enough thing to happen. But I guess it was. I blamed myself for what happened to him. It should've been me that took my last breath. That was something I couldn't get out of my mind.

I felt so lost not because he was someone who made me feel at home 98 percent of the time but because he was the person I could go to whenever my mood was down. I didn't know who to go to now.

He had his whole life ahead of him. Whether he was going to drop out of school or become a businessman like his father, he was going to succeed. But now he couldn't, because of those stupid assholes.

My vision turned red with rage. Whoever they were and whatever they did for a living didn't matter because I was going to end it.

"Shit Avery, you're shaking again" Jake quickly moved his hands to both sides of me. His attempts to stop me shaking may of worked by helping me stop looking like someone being electrocuted but I was still shaking.

"Yeah you should really get some sleep" Kyle stood up and walked over to get me.

"I think we should all get some sleep" Jake raised his voice for us all to hear.

That sounded like a pretty good idea right now. I was fine with everyone going to sleep but if it was just me, I would've protested. Most of them nodded and stood up so I let Kyle pull me up and support me. Ugh, I hated myself so much. First it was my fault that Austin was gone and now I was sucking up everyone's support.

Kyle was actually there with Austin, I should be the one holding him, not the other way around.

"It was my fault you know" I whispered once we were both tucked in. I thanked Kyle for sleeping next to me tonight. There was nothing sexual about it, it made me feel safe and not lonely.

"No it wasn't and isn't. I don't know how you even came up with that" Kyle's voice was harsh with determination. He was determined to make me think otherwise.

"I know Austin, he went to fill my spot and keep the numbers up didn't he?"

I hoped Kyle wouldn't choose now to lie to me. He was good guy and as far as I knew, hasn't lied to me. "Yeah he did, we did tell him that you'd" He made himself stop mid-sentence.

"That I'd kill him once I found out?" I bit my lip. I almost started crying again at the irony of it. Kyle didn't reply but the fidgeting he did answered me. "I told you it was my fault"

My heard clenched and I felt the tears come back. I swallowed just before I started to sob and buried myself deeper under the sheets where it immediately heated up and started loosing oxygen. I just wanted to crumble, I already felt myself falling apart.

Then Kyle's hands clasped around my shoulders and pulled me back up. I was crying that horrible and unnattractibe cry that no one wants to do but in this case, I didn't give a care in the world. I just wanted Austin back.

"Avery" Kyle shook me. "Avery go to sleep okay? This honestly isn't your fault, I know you're never going to get over what happened but right now you need sleep" His voice was firm.

I nodded my head and even though I was still crying, went bac kinto a comfortable sleeping position with Kyle's arm touching mine, giving me the reassurance that someone was here.

I'll be back soon, princess.

"I know" I whispered.

------------------

Someone's loud cursing woke me from my not so blissful sleep followed by a shout from Liam.

"Great idea Damon! The cops are coming so let's yell so the people five streets away can hear us!"

"You just yelled" Damon retorted.

Wait, the police were coming? The police?! I shot up into a sitting position and saw Kyle was hunched over with his face buried in his hands. Oh no, it might of been amazing timing for the cops but not for us.

Kyle, after knowing I had sat up, looked at me with a look I couldn't decipher. I started to get out of bed and Kyle followed me up and out of the room where Damon and Liam were still bickering like an old couple. Jake was besides Maddie who had a tracking device up and Jake was pointing to roads where the red dot's weren't flashing.

"There's only two cop cars at the moment" Gabby announced to us all.

"Then let's leave, now" Reid's finality surprised me.

I gulped and tried not to start cying gain as a thought appeared in my mind. Austin was usually here to suggest an awesome plan. He kind of had to since he was a gang leader.

"Okay. Damon, Ben, Kyle and Andre pack the cars. Make sure you put the big stuff in the suburbans-"

"When in the hell did we get suburbans?" I exclaimed.

"They've always been out back" Jake said calmly, despite the not so calm situation we were currently in.

"Right, of course" I nodded. The police couldn't of at least given us one day to mourn? I'd need more tan days, I'd need months or quite possibly, years. There was a semi-loud beeping noise coming from Maddies laptop which caused us to all stare at her.

As she turned and prepared to tell us the news that would be good or bad, I saw her visibly swallow which disheartened my heart.

"They're here" She whispered in a slightly shaking tone. She was as nervous as I was.

"We can still go out through the back" Joel hurried the sentence.

"All right, keep it quiet, keep it-"

Knock Knock.

"Jake, it's me"