_I walk in the door and drop Amber on the couch, blocking her exit.

“Charlie! What the fuck, she is right outside! Are you going to let her just leave?” Amber screams at me, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. I can’t believe she slapped Avery.

I can’t blame her, we raced home hoping for some sign of Avery or at least a clue as to where she went, but nothing. Her car still in the driveway, everything in its place. It was as if she had no intention of coming back to the life we had shared together, and that broke my heart.

Amber has been inconsolable since we found the note; if she isn’t crying, she’s screaming and throwing things. I’m trying to put my own pain aside to care for her, but it’s hard. I can’t take it anymore,

“Sweets, sit your ass down, now,” I command, leaving no room for argument. She immediately complies, thankfully. I plop down next to her on the couch, reaching over to place her on my lap. “Now, I have dealt with your mood swings, but this is enough. I am not the enemy here, I’m hurting too. Just because you’ve had her longer, doesn’t mean you care for her any more than I do,” I choke back the anguish that’s creeping into my voice.

“Charlie,” Amber whispers as she reaches for my cheek. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been selfish.”

I can’t help but wink at her before responding, “It’s alright, I’ll make you make up for it later.”

She giggles in response. “What if she leaves again?”

“Then we chase her,” I say with conviction. “I promised you I would get her back and I keep my promises, Sweets. It’s the three of us against the world, always.”

Amber’s head snaps toward the front door as we hear it open and shut.

“Hey,” Avery shyly enters the room, looking around for a place to sit.

“Come here,” I open my arms for her to join us on the couch.

I watch her eyes fill with unshed tears before she scurries toward us, burrowing her face into Amber’s chest. I place my cheek on her head, wrapping my arms around them both, finally, all the pieces are back together.

“Why,” I croak.

Avery leans back so she can look both of us in the eyes, taking a deep breath, she explains, “I was afraid you two didn’t love me as much as I loved you. That one day you wouldn’t need me like I need you.” Tears pour down her cheeks. I reach out to wipe them away.

“You have to be the stupidest human I've ever met,” Amber’s voice full of anguish before getting up and leaving the room.

The shocked look on Avery’s face says it all. “What she said. Now go make this right.”

“Thank you, Charlie. For taking care of her,” she responds as she leans in to give me a chaste kiss.

I can’t help but chuckle. “No messed up nickname this time? One of these days you are going to explain those things to me.”

“I was trying to be serious for once, Man Meat, but you ruined it.”

“Fair enough, now get your ass in there and figure this shit out.”

With a nod of her head, she gets up off the couch and heads toward the room. I still have no idea what is going on in that girl's head, but the important things are taken care of. She is home where she belongs, and she knows how I feel. We can figure the rest out later.

How can she be so fucking stupid!

I slam the bedroom door and begin to pace. I’ve loved Avery for as long as I can remember. Beautiful both inside and out, tough as nails, Avery was the first person to stand up for me against my parents. The people that were supposed to protect me from the world were the ones that constantly tore me down. I wasn’t pretty enough, smart enough, outgoing enough, never enough for either of them until one day I just gave up trying, until I met Avery. She helped me learn to be okay in my own skin, discover that it was okay to be me and love whoever I wanted as long as they loved me in return.

A soft knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. “If you are going to say more stupid shit, go away.” I knew it was Avery. She could never just leave me alone when I was angry with her.

“I can’t promise it won’t be stupid, but I promise it will be honest,” she responds as she slowly slips into the room. I huff in response, I feel the bed dip next to me as she takes a seat.

“After everything that happened with Katie the other night, I was afraid. Afraid of the love I feel for Charlie, but more importantly the love YOU feel for Charlie.”

I turn toward her, “What the heck does that…” she cuts me off by placing her finger on my lips. “Just let me get this out, alright? It may not make sense, but I need to explain, okay?” The pleading look in her eyes helps me swallow my words, I nod my head in response.

“What if you loved Charlie more than me? I love him so much, but if he decided to leave me, you might leave me too, just like my dad.”

“Avery, I would never leave you. How could you think that?”

Avery gets up off the bed, making her way toward the window. “It used to be me, Amber. When you were in trouble or in pain, you used to come to me, but not now. Now you look for Charlie. What place do I have in your life now? Charlie takes care of you, but I don’t need to be taken care of. I used to be your rock, the one to fix all the problems. Charlie has taken the place I held in your life, and now I’m not really sure what I give you.”

“Who said you needed to give us anything?” Charlie suddenly pipes in from the doorway.

“We love you, Avery, that’s it. Nothing needed in return. Just your heart for ours.”