Stumbling through the school day, not even the last bell was able to pull me out of the dreary reverie. I shuffled my way outside, shielding my eyes from the sun. I felt Jenny loop her arm through mine and throw an abundance of questions my way. I answered them one by one, but I had no idea what I was agreeing to. My need to see, touch and speak with John was overwhelming as we made our way to the gates. I searched the entrance and felt my heart constrict with disappointment. He's just late. I reassured myself and went down the steps, Jenny pulling me towards the boys.
"Cam!" I heard Jenny squeal as she released me and dove into Cameron's awaiting arms. I smiled at the couple and greeted a smug looking Michael.
"Every day." He murmured, kicking an invisible rock. I was about to give a rebuttal to his enthusiastic comment, but my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked the screen- Unknown. I scowled at the name, or lack thereof, and pressed the green answer key.
"Hello." I said and strained my right ear in attempts to commit the voice to memory.
"Sophie," The same male voice from before greeted me and I still couldn't place who he was, "How are you?"
"Who is this?" I asked, moving a few steps away from my best friends.
"That you will find out soon enough, but in the meantime-" The man stopped talking and my heart thumped with expectation. "Please pass on my regards to Jonathan, he's really grown hasn't he? I know how fond you are of him-" It felt as though my stomach was on fire and I gripped the phone tighter. "-Ah and of course please wish all the best to Mister and Misses Gram."
Deep within the underbelly of my brain, something snapped. A rift between my soul and body emerged. It was as though I was a stranger looking in at the scene. My mouth of moving and it was my voice speaking, but it wasn't me.
"When we find you- and I know we will- I promise you, you will be regretting the day you ever thought of my family and Jonathan. If you don't stop with these little games and give yourself in it will be a lot worse for you in the long run! If you are half the man you think you are-" An ear piercing cackle erupted on the other side of the line.
"You know what, I like you." The man mumbled, the humor in his voice was evaporating. "But it will do you well to remember who you're speaking to." His voice was dark and the laughter was now long gone.
"If I wasn't having so much fun, it would've been you and your little boyfriend rolling around in a dirt ditch by now." He chuckled as though it was a private joke. "Enjoy your day Sophie, see you tomorrow." The dial tone rang in my ears.
I brought the phone away from my ear and tried to put it back into my pocket. My hands were shaking with a mix of rage and fear. I swallowed the knot in my throat and curled my fingers into fists. His words, like angry bee stings, throbbed in my mind. If it wasn't for the hand on my shoulder, I would've continued to stand like a statue, rooted to the ground.
"Someone's late!" Jenny ooh'ed as though John was in trouble. She squeezed my shoulder and her smile fell. "What's wrong?"
"What?" I asked, trying my best to smile. "Nothing's wrong." I watched as Jenny was about to object, but Cameron swooped in and draped an arm over her shoulder as well as mine.
"Coming with us today Sophs?" He grinned, his dark hair flopping over his eyes.
"No it's okay," I smiled, "John will be here soon."
YOU ARE READING
Deadly Lies (Sequel to TBFOWS)
Mystery / ThrillerIt has been three months since Sophie Gram and Jonathan Foster took down a human trafficking cartel as well as a notorious loan shark. In Sophie's world nothing can go wrong. She is with the man of her dreams, her family likes him and her friends ar...
