Frosted (Hate at First Flight #3)

12. Catching Up with Douglas Burns

SONG : POWER UP - RED VELVET

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Douglas? Why was he calling me? What should I do? What should I say? Should I even answer the phone?

A million thoughts crossed my mind as I stared down at my phone, pushing back the urge to pinch myself to see whether I was dreaming or not. But none of those thoughts could provide a good enough reason for Douglas to call me.

Yes, we were close given the fact that he was always hanging around and doing me favours for the small amount of tips I could give him about Georgia, but we hadn't talked since four years ago.

I contemplated ignoring my call and just continuing with my Google Search for answers to get rid of Jace. I contemplated switching my phone off. I contemplated taking out the SIM and flushing it down the toilet.

But then I realized that that last one was a tad too dramatic of a response and that I shouldn't be running away from a call from Douglas.

Even though I still felt guilt eating at me for what I had done, I was still myself, Phillipa Holden and I sure as hell wasn't someone that ran away from a confrontation.

Except of course when it involved Georgia Frost. She was another case entirely.

I ran my fingers through my hair, ruffling it as I tried to calm and compose myself.

You can do this, Phillipa. You can do this. It's only Douglas. You can handle Douglas. It's just Douglas.

I picked up my phone cautiously as if I was handling a rattlesnake that could strike at any moment.

I took a deep breath and answered the phone as I bit my lower lip to keep from saying anything at first.

Silence met me from the other end, but I could hear the faint sound of tapping and knew right away that Douglas was most probably tapping against something as he always did when he was nervous.

I tried to hold back a chuckle as I remembered him doing that constantly as we grew up; once when he was trying to ask out Rose Park in seventh grade and another time when he broke the chandelier when he threw a frisbee at it.

After a couple of long seconds that seemed endless, I heard an intake of breath from the other end followed by, "Phil? Is that you?"

A faint smile formed on my face when I heard his voice.

It had been so long since I heard it and only when I did, did I realize how much I missed him and everyone else. I felt my tears threatening to break through and tried to hold them back.

It wouldn't do anyone, especially me, any good if I cried right then.

Suddenly it felt like the last four years hadn't happened and that I could hear him just as I did that one time I got lost when we all went out horseback riding and everyone went out looking for me.

Memories flooded me and the regret seemed to burn into my very being. I couldn't believe that I had thrown our entire friendship away just because of what had happened between Jace and I.

"Phillipa, it's me...uhm, Douglas," I heard a nervous Douglas say from the other end and I could almost picture him standing somewhere, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to work up the nerve to say whatever he wanted to say.

A pained smile appeared on my face at how awkward he was acting. He never acted so unsure of himslef or his words before.

I decided to finally say something to save him the trouble of trying to find words to break the awkwardness. I let out a light chuckle to help relieve the nerves I myself was feeling. "I know it's you Douglas. You still haven't changed your number."