Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

Late Night Call

Kaya's phone rang by her ear, a high-pitched musical sound that jerked her from her slumber. 

She fumbled in the dark, searching for the device. When she found it, she swiped at the answer button three times before it obeyed her. 

"Hullo?" she mumbled sleepily. 

"Ms. Kaya Parker?" 

"Mmhm." Kaya didn't try to put words together. She should spend her energy to file whatever the caller said. 

"I've contacted my nephew. He agreed to help you." 

Suddenly, sleep was the last thing on Kaya's mind. She propped up on one elbow, fully aware of the gravity of the situation. Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel. 

"He will?" Kaya asked hopefully. 

"I've set up a meeting for the two of you. Next week. I'll send the time and address." 

It all felt covert, but Kaya could handle that for the sake of freedom. If he mother trusted this man, surely Kaya could trust this man's nephew. Besides, she would meet him again. The boy who stole her little pre-teen heart. Maybe it would spur more of the memories that Kaya had forgotten. 

"Thank you!" Kaya pressed her lips together after she spoke too loudly. "Thank you. This means the world." 

"I'm aware what this means. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about it back then."

"Would it really have changed anything if you did?" 

If her mother had never gone missing, Kaya wouldn't have moved to the city. She never would have reunited with Lina, or met Zoren and Jade, or met Ransom. In the end, it could be said that because of Kaya's past, because of all that happened, she had ended up in the life she led. 

The man on the other side of the line sighed. "It would have changed quite a lot. I should have been more thorough, not let him slip through the cracks." 

"He's crafty." 

"He's wicked. Be careful." 

The man didn't have to tell Kaya twice. She had witnessed too many things, knew too much, to be ignorant of the things that That Man was capable of. Even her mother had warned her, her whole life, to watch out for the tricks he used. 

"I'm always careful," Kaya assured the man. 

Of course, he didn't need to know about all the times she failed to be careful. Kaya already reprimanded herself every time she didn't follow her own rules. Daily. She didn't need someone else to tell her what she had done wrong. 

"I'm serious, Kaya. I've asked my contacts to look into your mother's disappearance. It isn't looking good, so far." 

Kaya scooped her fingers back through the top of her hair. She hadn't expected him to go to those lengths, but she shouldn't be surprised. He had always gone above and beyond when it came to Kaya and her mother. 

"I didn't expect anything good to come of it." Nothing good had ever come from it in the past. Kaya didn't want believe that her mother had died, but she knew better than to hope. 

The man sighed. "I'll get the time and date to you. Don't do anything stupid enough to attract his attention. That's all I can advise right now." 

"Thank you. For everything." 

"You're always welcome. Take care, Kaya. I'll be in touch." 

The line went silent, signaling the end of the conversation. 

Kaya laid her head down on the pillow, but slumber had long since fled. She had no energy to get up but not enough to go back to sleep. So Kaya tried to organize her thoughts, instead.