Nothing Goes As Planned

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE - My Number One

HARVEY'S P.O.V

"All of my calls keep going to voicemail," I tell Mum.

"Anne just text me. She said that she left about five minutes ago and she's worried about her."

"How worried? Like minor worried or major worried?" I ask, panic taking over my mind and body.

"She wants us to go out and get her to stay with us. She doesn't want her on her own," she says gently, but I can see the panic in her eyes.

My heartrate picks up and my palms get sweaty.

"Why are we still standing here?" I ask incredulously.

Mum puts her hand on my shoulder and I look at her. Her blue eyes pierce into mine and her blonde hair is disheveled and bits have fallen from the ponytail it's in.

"Harvey, I need you to calm down, okay? You need to have a clear head if you're going to help her. You can't keep assuming the worst," she says gently.

I take a deep breath and nod. She lets go of my shoulder and grabs her car keys from the table near the front door. I close the door and I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket as it rings. I pull it out and answer it.

"Cass?" I ask.

"Again, no," Cameron's voice replies.

"Sorry, man."

"Don't worry, it's not the first time today," he informs me.

"What do you mean?" I ask confused.

"I rang Cass before, and she answered, then-"

"You rang her?" I cut him off. "How long ago?"

"About ten minutes ago."

"And she answered?"

"And bit my head off. Telling me; for Christ sake, can you stop ringing me for two seconds, Harvey. Although it was much louder and angrier than that, then she hung up."

"Shit," I say to myself.

"Is everything okay?" He asks, concern seeping into his voice.

"Ah, yeah. Thanks for telling me, Cam. I'll ring you back later."

"Sure? See ya," he replies unsurely.

Mum raises an eyebrow at me from across the center console.

"It was Cameron. He said that he rang Cass before and she bit his head off thinking he was me, then she hung up on him," I tell her, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Harvey, she's not angry with you. She's angry with Anne. At the situation around her. She can't control it, and that makes her feel powerless. She's just lashing out at you because you're the closest to her," Mum reassures me.

"Why lash out at me? Why not Anne? This is all her doing anyway," I mutter to myself.

Mum gives me a tight smile before focusing her attention back onto the road.

I ring Cass' phone once more. The dial tone becoming a permanent imprint in my mind. After nearly four rings it stops and there's an eery silence.

"Hello?" I say, uncertain as to whether she picked up or declined the call.

Seconds tick by and I'm about to hang up when I hear a muffled sob come through the phone.

"Cass! Cass, are you there?" I sit forward in my chair as the panic starts up again.

"Yeah," she answers quietly.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and flop back against the seat. I look over at Mum and give her a small nod.