Why was Cole calling Avery?

Avery lay back down on the bed and answered the phone.

"My mother's dead, Avery," Cole sobbed on the other end of the line.

Avery froze for a moment. This was very sudden.

"Your mother's dead? How did she die?"

"Elliot Foster shot her," Cole choked. "He wanted to shoot me, but my mother took the bullet for me. I'm in so much pain right now, Avery. I don't know who else to talk to…"

Avery sat up.

Why did Elliot do that?

Shea got in trouble because of Robert. It had nothing to do with Cole!

Elliot would not kill someone for no reason. He was not that kind of person!

"Did your uncle do that because you did something horrible, Cole?" Avery pestered. "What did you do?!"

Cole had simply wanted to complain to Avery, but he did not expect her to be more emotional than he was.

"It's true that I did something awful. I shouldn't blame my uncle for wanting to kill me, but my mother was innocent!" Cole drew a sharp breath, then wiped the tears from his face.