Bon Appétit!

Chapter (51): Fresh Tears

~I'm sorry... Something happened last night... I couldn't come over~

She put the phone on the nightstand and there was a buzzing sound and she grabbed it again.

~Where are you now? Are you at Danni's?~

~... No. I'm at my mom's. Danni and I broke up yesterday~

~Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Ave... You know what, I'm coming right now~

30 Minutes later, April arrived and headed upstairs after greeting Meredith before she headed out. She knocked on Avery's door and let herself enter. She saw Avery lying on the bed, looking depressed with exhausted eyes. She went over to her side and wrapped her in a tight hug and Avery began to sob.

"I'm here now, it's okay" She stroked her hair and shushed the sobbing girl.

"... She broke up with me and I don't understand why. We were... together in it and the next thing I know she broke up with me and I don't know why or what I did wrong"

"Why? Did she say the reason?"

"... No, she only said that this was the only way I won't lose my family and... she doesn't love me" A set of fresh tears ran down her face. "If she really loved me like she said, she wouldn't have left me. We would have fought this together"

"Calm down, okay? It's going to be okay. I'll call Steve and understand everything from him. He is with her now, I guess"

"No!" She semi-shouted at her friend. "I don't want anything to do with her. It's over..." She wiped her tears and looked at April. "The finals are coming and I need to focus on my studies now. I don't care about her"

Meanwhile Danni was at the garage, trying to focus on her job but it was hard. Last night, Julie called Josh and he came and stayed the night at Danni's because she was a wreck and this morning she insisted on going to work while he thought it was a bad idea but she told him that she needed something to distract her from her despair but it wasn't working clearly with her.

"Danni, take a break" he said.

"No, I need to finish"

He grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. "Take a break. You need it. You can't work like that"

She stared at his stern yet concerned face and nodded and went to sit at the back with the others. Steve came over asking about her and her uncle pointed at her at the back. He went over to her and she didn't notice him when he sat beside her.

"Hey, mate" he said softly and she looked at him.

"...Hey"

"Heard about what happened... You okay?" She shook her head and he put an arm around her. "I'm sorry, Danni. I knew how much you love her" She stared blankly at the ground. "Wanna talk about it?"

She clenched her jaws and balled her fists for a second before loosening them and taking a deep breath. "... Steve, I... I'm gonna tell you something but promise you won't tell anyone about this" She looked him dead in the eyes.

He frowned. "What?... What is it about?"

"Promise me first"

He sighed. "...I promise"

"Okay. The night I broke up with Avery... it was because of her mother"

"What do you mean by it was Meredith?"

"She came over to my house that night and... She threatened me that if I don't break up with Avery, she is gonna cut her off of college and also her money"