And his phone rang.
* * *
“Hello?” the voice was raspy and deep, as if the speaker had just woken up, but I recognised it immediately.
And the moment I heard him, I went silent.
Tripping over my own feet, I stumbled towards the sound, hitting the floor and bruising limbs, but not stopping for even a moment, scrambling forward as fast as I could. Suddenly, I could breathe again; I could feel, I could stand, I could speak.
I could see.
Claire was there, James across from her, boths’ eyes wide in shock, but I didn’t care about them. I searched only for him, and I couldn’t see him. I couldn’t.
My eyes began to dilate again, my breathing becoming shallow as I realized the extent of his absence.
“Hello?” three pairs of eyes shot to the phone laying, forgotten, at the dining table, but neither Claire nor James spoke. I jerked forward, unsteady on my feet, trembling with need.
“Please.”
Claire’s eyes glued to me; it was the first she’d heard me speak in hours, but before she could open her mouth his voice filled the air.
“Roza?” his voice was suddenly alert, completely awake, “What’s wrong? What happened? Talk to me.”
My lip shook, and tears filled my eyes. Both of my caretakers were watching with seeming bated breath, but I couldn’t take my gaze off the phone.
“Where are you? I woke up and you were not he- go- gone,” I was crying now, hiccuping sobs punctuating my broken questions, ”He’s gonna come, he’s gonna take m- me. Please.”
I heard a sound, like the jingle of keys.
“Hey, hey. Shhhhh, I’m on my way right now. I’m so sorry, babe, I didn’t realize-” he cut himself off at the sound of my gasping cries, “Shhhh. Claire and James are both there, right?”
My eyes flickered to the people on either side of me.
“Y- yes.”
“They won’t let anything happen to you. You know that,” a car door shut as an engine roared. But instead of soothing me, his words just remind me.
“They weren’t there. They didn’t stop- Never- Couldn’t stop it from-” I pulled in a wet choking breath, “You’re the only one that’s ever stopped it.”
There was a short pause before all three started talking at once.
“What do you mean ‘that’s ever stopped it?!’ Last night was the first and only time he’s ever touched you, right? Right?!?!” this voice was filled with anger and rage and I cringed away from the sound as it continued.
“What did William stop from happening Roza? Roza, talk to me! What happened last night?” this voice was filled with worry and concern, but was demanding and firm and I couldn’t help but close my eyes tight with anxiety. It was the last voice that finally stopped the other two and gave a life raft of hope to cling to.
“Mates!! You’re scaring her!” that silenced them, “I think that it’s become quite obvious to you, Claire, that, for whatever reason, Will’s presence is needed tonight so-”
“Because she’s been screaming, inconsolable, for the past three hours!” Claire cut James off, but her outburst was obviously meant for William, “And I- we have had no idea what happened- Still have no idea-”
“She’s been screaming for-?”
“Mates!!!” James’s yell made me flinch, but it made Claire’s mouth snap shut and the phone become silent. He took a deep breath, “Will, how far are you?”
Chapter 10
Start from the beginning
