Finding April (gxg)

Part 32

April was alive.
Right after Gabi told me it was April she was talking to on the phone, I got chills throughout my body. Pins and needles.
"You're not fucking with me?" I asked Gabi. I could feel a lump forming in my throat and my heart was beating a mile a minute.
"No. I would never fuck with you about something like this. That was April I was speaking to." Gabi said, looking my straight in the eyes.
"So she's alive." I said, and I couldn't help myself. Tears brimmed my eyes and fell over. All of these months- all of the sleepless nights wondering if my sister was alive- now I knew she was.
Gabi leaned over and gave me a hug. "I'm not a hugger, so feel lucky you're getting this from me." she chuckled.
After we pulled away I asked her, "Where is she?"
Gabi put her hand on my knee. "Josephine, I need you to listen to me. I can't tell you yet where she is. Or what happened to her."
"Why not?" I asked.
"It will put her in danger. You cannot tell anyone that you know she is alive and that I am talking to her. Do you understand?" Gabi asked. She looked more serious than I've ever seen her.
I nodded. "Yes. Will I be able to see her at any point?"
"If she allows it." Gabi said.
"If she allows it? What do you mean? She's my sister."
"She's not going to be happy with me that I told you I'm talking to her. Just trust me- right now, it's for her own safety that you or no one else sees her." Gabi said.
"So you know what happened to her?"
"Yes." Gabi nodded, "Look, do you promise me you won't tell anyone in your family or Candace or your cop friend?"
"I promise. But can I tell one person?" I looked at Gabi.
Gabi sighed, "Yes. You can tell Ava."
"I'm telling her right now." I said, grabbing my phone. "I'm going to go outside."
"No. Don't go outside. If you haven't noticed, this isn't the nicest neighborhood. I'll go into my bedroom so you can call Ava. I'm sure she will really appreciate a call from her ex at the crack of dawn." Gabi said sarcastically.
For a second I doubted calling her. But no. I had to. I just had to let her know April was alive. I was beyond overwhelmed by this news. Of course in my head I kept thinking about what could have possibly happened to her- but I wanted to just sit with this news for a moment that she was alive.
My hands were shaking as I sat on the couch and pressed the call button under Ava's name.
She picked up at the second ring. I held my breath. Her voice sounded groggy and she said, "Josephine? Are you okay?"
She sounded worried out of her mind as well as groggy.
All I could say, through tears was, "April is alive."
"Oh my god. Are you with her?" That sure as hell woke Ava up.
"No...I don't know where she is yet. But she's alive." I said.
I could hear Ava sniffling. "This is the best news ever." she then paused and said, "I need to see you."
"I need to see you too, Ava." I said back.
"Literally right now. I need to know everything. Would you...want to see me right now?" her voice turned slightly shy.
"Yes." I said, "I'm a little further way though. But I can come get you."
"Oh...okay. Um, do you mind if I ask where you are?" Ava sounded hesitant.
"I'm at my sisters old apartment. With Gabi." I said, "But it's not what you probably think it is."
"Okay. No problem." I heard Ava's voice drop slightly, "Would you want to come here? I know it's after 3 am, but I am wide awake now. And...I want to see you, Josephine."
"I'm leaving now." I said, and I got up from the couch. I heard Gabi's footsteps coming back into the room.
"Are you going to see Ava?" she asked me.
"Yes." I said.
"Good. Im glad. Look- I will let you know what April says about you seeing her. I know that if she would want to see anyone, it would be you." Gabi said.
"Please. I want to see her more than anything." I said.
It felt like I was in a dream as I drove over to Ava's. April was alive. I wanted to know more than anything what happened to her- and why I couldn't tell anyone else- but I would learn that, I hoped. And there was no way in hell I was going to put April in any more danger and go telling anyone else besides Ava.
As I pulled up to Ava's, I felt nervous. I sat there for a moment in my car, in my plaid pajama pants and black tank top. I hoped Ava was wearing comfy pajamas as well.
I texted her that I was in front of her house. The anticipation for her to come out of her house was killing me. What was one minute felt like twenty.
But she came out of her house, and stood by the front door. She was in sweatpants and and white t shirt. And my heart skipped a beat when I saw her.
I shut my car door and started walking toward her. It was like a magnet was pulling us together, because she started walking toward me.
When we embraced I felt every worry of the world slide off of me. I never wanted to let go of her. We stood there, arms around each other.
After what felt like a while, we pulled away. I could see Ava was teary eyed.
"I've missed you." she said to me.
I needed to hear those words. That she had missed me.
"You have no idea." I said to her.
"Let's go inside my house." she said, and we quietly entered her house, walked up her steps, and she shut the door to her bedroom.
We sat down on her bed next to each other.
"So how did this all come about?" she asked me, "How do you know April is alive?"
I told her about how I had slept over Gabi's and overheard the phone conversation. Then about how I had confronted her about it tonight, and she admitted it was April.
"That is insane." Ava said, "But you can't tell anyone and you don't know where she is?"
"No. We both can't say a word. Apparently she's in danger of some kind of people know." I said, getting chills again.
"What kind of danger do you think it is?" Ava asked me.
"I honestly have no idea. I'm so confused by the whole thing. I'm of course so fucking happy that April is alive. But now I just have a million questions." I said.
"Don't think about them now." Ava said, looking at me. I already felt back at home sitting next to her on her bed. I hoped this wouldn't just be a tonight thing.
"It's hard not to." I said.
"I know." Ava put her hand on mine, "But right now, just think about that April is alive. Your worst fear did not come true."
"You're right." I sighed. "You're so right. As always."
Ava chuckled slightly, and then I saw her face turn more serious. "I'm sorry to ask this. I feel like it's awful timing. But are you and Gabi...a thing?"
"No." I said, "Not even close. We're just friends. But I want to be a hundred percent honest with you...we did hook up."
Ava looked down, "Did you and her fuck?"
"No. We fooled around a little. But no tongues or toys were involved." I said.
"And it was just one time?"
"One time only."
Ava sighed, "I made out with Yvonne. And she fingered me."
Ouch. That stung. "Oh...okay." I said, "Um...are you and her a thing?"
"No. We were drunk. And I was upset. And it just made me miss you more." Ava looked at me.
"I'm that better with my fingers, huh?" I joked.
Ava laughed and then said, "Well, yes."
"They would be glad to be of service again." I said.
"Josephine...I'm glad we told each other about our hook ups. I was nervous to eventually." Ava said.
"Eventually? You knew we would see each other again?"
"Of course." Ava said, "But right now...I think we should just try to be friends. So...that means no hooking up right now."
I felt my heart sink. But I wanted Ava back in my life, so I said, "Okay. Deal."
Friends? Huh. We will see about that.