Mallory's Melody

Chapter 51

IT WAS MIDNIGHT AND NONE OF THEM WERE ANSWERING HER CALLS.

Susan Wells paced the living room. It hadn't happened like this before. Mallory had never missed curfew, and Cole was never out past midnight. And to make matters worse, they weren't answering any of her calls. It scared her, made her imagine many worst-case scenarios regarding what could have happened to them.

"Maybe they got on a plane and went to a faraway country where we don't exist. Stop calling, mom. You know they don't want to answer. They've never really liked us—"

Susan shot her daughter a glare. "I know what I'm saying, Sam. Something has happened to Cole and Mallory. I can't explain why, but I feel it."

Samantha yawned and got up from the couch, already fully clothed in her pyjamas. "It's the fear talking, mom. Go to sleep. They'd be back by tomorrow."

"And if they aren't?"

Samantha shrugged. "Well... they'll be back by next tomorrow?"

Susan rolled her eyes. She took her jacket and headed toward the door. "You can stay if you want, but I'm not going to have my peace of mind until I know they're okay. I'm going to find them."

When Susan pulled the front door open, she met the biggest surprise of her life, and no it wasn't a limousine sitting upon her lawn— although that would have been awesome too—it was Jason Trevor himself, standing in front of the porch, his hand raised up in a way that made it obvious that he was just about to knock on her door.

"I was just about to—"

Susan smiled, widely. "I thought you'd travelled out of the country?"

Jason hung his head low in mortification. "I-I changed my mind. I got this bad feeling about Mallory. I can't explain it but—"

Susan cut in. "You don't have to. I know what you mean."

"Is she here?" Jason asked, hope radiating from his glinting eyes.

Susan was sorry to smother it. She sighed aloud. "No. No, actually she isn't. She hasn't been home for the past seven hours. Cole left for Starlight to look for her a few hours ago. But even him hasn't come back. It's weird...I was just heading out to look for them. Wanna come?"

Jason had a look of both hopelessness and hope on his face. He helped Susan hold her jacket and stepped off the front porch. Soon they were in the car, zooming off the highways at breakneck speed. Susan saw how tense he was in the car, how he furled and unfurled his wrists on his laps and blew air puffs.

"She'll be okay." Susan reached over to touch his shoulder. "Trust me."

Jason merely shot her a weak smile. "Thanks. And, yeah, where exactly are we going?"

"I actually don't know. Any ideas?"

"Well—" Jason stopped to pick up his buzzing phone—"I didn't have any, but now I think I do."

Susan rose her eyebrows. "Meaning?"

"It's William. He just sent a message telling me to 'hurry'. It sounds crazy, but I think he might've exposed himself..."