Entangled (Phoenix 1)

CHAPTER 9

So, when he finally reached home, he immediately changed into his tracks and tee-shirt and went in search of Fiona in the house. The weather is turning out to be stormy today, so Fiona won't be able to avoid him by leaving their apartment.

He took a deep breath and knocked on her door, but she didn't respond or come out of her room, much to his dismay. He hit once more, but he received no response from her side, so he tried calling out her name; even so, there was no answer from her.

He then hesitantly opened the door and was confused to see her room empty. He initially assumed that she was in the restroom and decided to wait outside, but he left the door open so that he could hear her when she stepped into her room. He made himself comfortable on the sofa and stretched out, waiting for the hint of her arrival. Ten minutes turned into twenty and then forty. Justin was getting apprehensive with each passing minute, so he stood up and went inside her room again. He knocked on the washroom door, but again there was no reaction from her side, so he cautiously turned the knob and opened the door only to discover her absence.

As a result, Justin concluded that Fiona had either gone out or she had never come home, to begin with. He took his phone and tried calling her, but her phone was switched off. He checked his message to see if Fiona had texted him, which she always does whenever she stays with Emily. However, still, there was no written context from her side, so he immediately dialed James, who fortunately picked up his call on the first ring.

But before his friend could speak, Justin asked him, "Do you know where Fiona is?"

"Hello to you as well." James rolled his eyes.

"Dude, I am in no mood. Fiona is missing, and I am not able to reach her." He got right to the point.

"Relax, she might have gone grocery shopping or somewhere else," James said.

"I don't know. It is ten in the night, James. She is never out at this time, or if she is, then she always leaves a message." Justin expressed his concern.

"I am coming to your place, and then we will figure this out. Just try calling Fiona; her phone's battery may have died out." James hung up the phone, immediately grabbed his car keys, and drove to his friend's place.

The doorbell rang within ten minutes. He opened the door, hoping to see Fiona, but instead found his friend. Justin turned around with a disappointed look and left James to close the door.

"Justin, Fiona might be nearby. She is not a kid." James tried to comfort his friend, but it was not working.

"The weather is really bad outside, and it is not like Fiona not to text me. Yes, we do have misunderstandings, but she always messages me to keep me in the loop about her whereabouts because of our family. The point is that she does tell me if she is going out. She didn't today, and I am really worried about her."

"Did you try to call her again?" James asked his friend.

"Yes, every few minutes. But her phone is switched off." He said this while sitting down on the couch.

"She could have gone to Emily. Let me call her." James said.

"Keep her on a loudspeaker," Justin told James, to which he nodded.

Emily was munching on chips when she saw James calling her. She sneakily glanced sideways, rose from the couch, and walked into the kitchen to speak with him. She didn't want to have an audience while she did so.

Once she was in the dining area, she answered the call. But before she could even say hello, someone who didn't sound like James spoke.

"Is Fiona with you?"

"Who's this? You sound nothing like James." She stated with a frown on her face.

"I am impressed that you remember my voice, Emily." She could literally imagine James smirking.

"It is hard to forget, especially when you jibber-jabber all day in my ears," Emily told him, trying to sound annoyed.

"Two two of you can flirt later on. Emily, could you please tell me if Fiona is with you?" Justin asked her.

"First and foremost, we are not flirting, and second, who is this?" She asked him, even though she knew that it had to be Justin.

"I am Justin, and now can you please answer my previous question?" Justin asked her, annoyed.

He was worried sick about Fiona, and Emily was not making it easy for him.

Emily took a moment before replying, "No. I don't know." Justin was going to suffer messing with her by treating Fiona poorly.

"But she left with you, didn't she?" Justin inquired. When Emily said no, his anxiety surged to a new level.

"Yes, we did leave together. But then Fiona went her way, and I went mine," Emily said smartly.

She didn't lie. Technically, they did go their own way, but the only difference was that their destination was Emily's house.

"Do you have any idea where she could possibly be?" Justin asked her another question, trying to trace Fiona.

"Some husband you are, Justin. You don't even know where your own wife could be." Emily reverted. Much to her dismay, Justin, on the other hand, was quiet. After a long pause, she spoke, "No, I don't know where Fi is. Anyway, she is not a kid. Wherever she is, I am sure she will be safe and comfortable and enjoying herself. Now, I have got some work to do. So if you could excuse me, Goodnight."

As soon as Emily cut the call, Justin started pacing around, but James was deep in thought. Emily's reaction did not sit well with him. As far as Justin was concerned, he was feeling guilty. He should have tried to know Fiona better.

"Fiona is with Emily at her place," James said, causing Justin to stop in his track and look at him in confusion.

"Emily just said that Fiona is not with her, and she has no idea where she is."

"Really, dude? If Fiona had gone missing, Emily would have killed you over the phone, but she acted casual." James tried to explain it to his friend. In a short period of time, he understood Emily more than anyone ever could.

"This does not make sense. Why the hell would she do something like this?" Justin asked, making James raise his eyebrows. "Of course, to make me feel guilty. She is a devil." Justin said more to himself when the realization hit him. "We are heading to Emily's place."

"Are you sure you want to go there?" James asked him.

"Yes, I need to see Fiona in person," Justin admitted honestly. He will be able to have mental serenity only after he sees her.

James was pleased with Justin's current reaction. He is finally acting upon his feelings, and this will be the first concrete step from his side to mend his relationship with his wife.

So the two of them got into James' car and headed to Emily's place. It was not difficult to dig up Emily's address. All their employee records are saved in the company's database, which he and Justin have access to.

At present, Justin doesn't care about Emily's stunt as long as Fiona is safe and sound with her. He prayed for his wife's safety, even if it meant that James was correct and Emily lied straight to his face.