Unbreak Me (rewritten)

Chapter Twenty-five

"The very same."

"That guy is a pain in the ass," he said before returning to his grave expression. "What are we going to do?"

"Keep her safe." Oliver stood up.

"Alissa knows something," Russell stated.

Oliver thought back to her state, she looked like she was going to end up on a hospital bed herself. Her face was as white as sheet, she couldn't stop crying and was shaking like a leaf.

"Leave her be for now. She's pretty shaken up at the moment. We'll speak to Sam first and follow up once she's calmed down."

Russell nodded. Oliver walked and found a nurse to take him to Avery's room. He ordered for the utmost security, confidentiality and care. Thankfully, they had private rooms in the hospital.

The moment he stepped through the door he sucked in a breath and looked at Alissa who was holding her hand and humming. He wanted to cry seeing Avery hooked up to the machines and an IV drip. She looked so delicate lying on the hospital bed with bandages all around her body.

"Her mother used to sing this song to her." Alissa glanced at him. "I can't remember the lyrics."

"You were friends?"

"She helped us find our jobs." Alissa looked back to Avery "I thought she would be safe now that she was living with you, away from him."

"Adley."

Alissa nodded. "I thought once she was out of that house things would be better." She sniffled. "But this..." she gestured to Avery, "this is the worst I've ever seen her."

"I'm sorry I didn't protect her."

"We all failed her." She sighed sadly. "I was naïve to think it would solve everything. Something bad must have happened for him to react this way. I should have just told you, but..." she shook her head.

Oliver nodded and sat down. "I had a feeling he was hurting her. I just didn't know how to go about it. I knew she wouldn't tell me, or she would come up with something else. I couldn't force her to do anything or say anything."

"She was afraid," Alissa whispered and quietly sobbed.

He breathed out and held Avery's hand. His grip was so light, it would barley be felt.

━━❖❖❖━━

Oliver, Sam and Russell sat in a secluded lounge just down the hall from Avery's room.

Sam slapped a few files on the coffee table and slid off his jacket. Russell pulled one over to himself and flicked through it.

"If you wanted to know this stuff, I could have told you." Russell sighed. "This is a waste of time."

"That's not all I found." Sam flopped on the sofa. "Tell me, why did she try to kill herself?"

"She was depressed." Russell pushed wisps of hair away from his face, he was feeling stressed and defensive. "She was having problems with bullies at school and at home. My family isn't the easiest to get along with, especially for Avery. She refused to get help so, Alissa and I made her promise us she wouldn't hurt herself again."

"Well, that's the worst thing she could have promised," Sam muttered and pressed his lips together.

"Are you saying she was better off dead?!" Russell abruptly stood.

Sam shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. He was looking at both Oliver and Russell with dark eyes and lowered brows.

"What did you find out, Sam?" Oliver was getting impatient and just wanted to return to Avery.