"Why are you shouting at me?! Of course Mommy taught me to knock before going into someone's house, but she never said anything about knocking before entering a dirtbag's house!" Layla retorted in a voice louder than Elliot's as she glared at him with her brilliant eyes.
It was as if she was competing with him to see whose voice was louder and more powerful.
Elliot gritted his teeth.
Dirtbag?
Who taught her to say that?
"I didn't want to come here anyway! I'm leaving right now!" Layla huffed angrily, then jumped off the couch and walked towards the front door with her doll in her arms.
At the hospital, after going through a series of routine tests, Avery asked Mike for his phone so she could call Laura.
Her phone was dead and she needed to let her mother know she was safe.
Mike pulled out his phone and handed it to her.
Laura answered the call soon after it rang.
"It's Avery, Mom," Avery said with a smile. "I'm fine. I
was too tired yesterday and fell asleep. You don't have to worry about me. Mike and Hayden are with me, so we'll head home soon."
"That's good," Laura said. "I'll start cooking now."
"Alright, Mom. Where's Layla? I miss her. I want to hear her voice."
Laura was shocked.
"Mike took Layla with him to go find you! Isn't she with you right now?!"
Avery's face changed drastically.
Her hand tightened around the phone as her emotions shattered.
Before she blew up, Mike smacked himself on the forehead and exclaimed, "I forgot about Layla! She must still be at Elliot Foster's house! I'll go get her right now!" 1
Avery followed him without hesitation.
"You need to wait here for the test results!" Mike said.
"You wait here with Hayden! I'll go get Layla!" Avery snapped in a tone that said she would not tolerate another word from Mike. "I'm taking your phone! I'll meet you back here once I have Layla."
Avery rushed out of the hospital and hailed a cab.
Once she was in the backseat, she pulled out Mike's phone and dialed Eliot's number.
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