JACE HYDE
"How's your vacation?" Ren asked, his face filling the screen of my phone. A smile rested on his lips and he looked well. I mustered a smile of my own as I nodded.
"It's fun. I feel much better." I lied. I had never been more stressed in my life. But Ren didn't need to know that. He thought I was happy in Miami, in a resort, enjoying myself and I was envious of him. I wished I was as relieved and happy as he assumed I was.
"I'm glad. After Kiara's death, we were all worried about you." Ren said, walking toward the fridge. It was crazy how well I knew the layout to his house. I could tell where he was going just by his background.
"I didn't know how to process the fact that she took her own life," I replied and it was true. I still couldn't come to terms with the fact that she had killed herself. For what? I still didn't know. The suicide note the cops had found didn't say much about the reason.
"The reporters are still bonkers about her death though. They have swarmed the me and the guys more than once now that they can't get their hands on you. Have you ran into crazy reporters in Miami?" He asked.
I swallowed. I didn't know what to say. I was not in Miami. I was sure I would have been recognized if I had actually gone there. But in New Mulliton, people didn't care. Most of them knew me and the others, I had not given a chance to be around me for long enough.
"Yeah, but you know I have learned how to deal with them." I pointed out, the lie slipping past my lips easily. I was still in the hotel room, my back against the bed so Ren couldn't see the rest of the room. It was small and dingy unlike a room at a resort in Miami. And his sister's clothes were strewn around the room.
"That is true." He hummed under his breath. "So, what are you planning on doing today?" He raised his eyebrows with mischief as he sat down on his pristine, white couch. I smiled at the sight of it, the inside jokes related to the couch making me feel somewhat at ease. The sight of familiar things helped me get my head off the unknown.
"Maybe go to the pool, meet new women, take some to my room..." I trailed off suggestively, even though I didn't feel excitement at the thought of doing any of those things. Once upon a time, the thought of other women, multiple women, in my bed would have gotten me excited, ready for the day. But it didn't work now.
I wanted only one woman and right now, she was in a house a few miles away doing a stakeout. I pushed the images out of my head so I didn't give myself away to my best friend.
"Tell me everything later." Ren winked. I chuckled and promised him that I would.
"How are the other guys? I talked to Tariq the day before yesterday. Haven't had the time to call them since." I changed the subject because it was getting harder and harder to not grimace while talking about sleeping around. Who would have thought?
"They are doing good." Ren responded. "Also, is it just me or is Faled weird about Eman?" He added. I perked up at that. So, I wasn't the only one who had noticed.
"Right?" I asked as I straightened, crossing my legs. "I thought I was the only one who thought so."
"No, he gets mighty weird when Eman comes up in a conversation. And did you notice how he backs her up every time? Even in front of Warren." His eyes widened as he said it. We all knew it was impossible to get Warren to do anything he didn't want to. We didn't bother with him at this point because he was grumpy and stubborn.
Eman was the only one who had the balls to stand up to the grump and although Tariq was as fed up of Warren's tactics as we were, he backed her up every single time.
"I asked him about it but he pretended he didn't know what I was talking about." I told him.
"Liar, liar. Pants on fire." Ren rolled his eyes, making me chuckle. "I wonder how Ahvi would react if she knew Tariq might or might not have a little crush on her best friend." He added.
The mention of Ahvi by Ren had me feeling a little uneasy. "I am sure she would be fine." I said, hoping I didn't sound suspicious.
"Yeah, maybe. Eman is like a sister to her and a best friend of ours pursuing her would be weird I think. I would feel a little awkward if one of my friends tried to get with my sister." Ren replied, his gaze settling on mine.
I had to remind myself that he didn't know what went down between his sister and me.
"It's not that bad." I stuttered, trying my best to not sound defensive. "I think if two people like each other enough, they should be together."
"I guess so." Ren pursed his lips. I opened my mouth to convince him further when I heard a series of loud explosions. My heart did a flip in my chest as I glanced at the door. "What is that?" My best friend asked as I frowned.
Before I could say anything though, fire alarms blared through the hotel.
"I don't know. Sounds like the fire alarm." I said as I climbed out of bed, tilting the phone so it was focused on my face only.
"Is everything alright there, Jace?" Ren's voice turned concerned, the tone it took when he was worried about our well-being and which earned him the title of the mom friend.
"I am going to check. I will call you later." Before he could respond, I ended the call. Picking up a shirt from the dresser, I pulled it over my head as I hurried out of the room. As soon as I opened the door, I was met with chaos. People were screaming as they ran down the corridor.
My heart skipped several beats as I walked out, trying to see what they were running from. "What is going on?" I asked one of the patrons, a woman in her mid-thirties.
Her eyes were wide and scared as she glanced at me. "Someone set the gas cylinders in the kitchen on fire. They exploded. This place is on fire." She had barely finished her sentence before she was running again.
My stomach hollowed out as I looked at the other side of the corridor. Smoke wound its way up and I could smell the fire. Shit. I needed to get the hell out of this place. I knew it was irrational but I needed to get Ahvi's things out of the room. Her phone, her clothes, everything was still inside.
I glanced over my shoulder at the people who were making their way down the staircase. The fire was spreading, I could tell by the way smoke was slowly filling the corridors. I shook my head before bolting into the room again. I just needed Ahvi's belongings. I didn't care much for mine but I knew she had important documents in her bag.
I left the door open as I picked up her bags from the floor, rummaging inside to check if her papers were still there. Her passport, credit cards, everything was in her wallet, I knew that much. I picked up her phone from the dresser when I heard a crash.
It couldn't be good. I grabbed her clothes and stuffed them inside. Grabbing my own wallet, I put it in her bag. I swung my own bag that had my identity proof in it over my shoulder as I stepped toward the door again. I did a quick sweep of the room to make sure I had everything I needed.
The hotel wasn't big. It wouldn't take the flames to travel to this room. I left the clothes that were scattered across the bed and ran outside. I could see the fire now. I could feel it too.
Sirens blared outside the building and I knew help was here. New Mulliton was a small town. News traveled fast and the authorities showed up in time here. It was perhaps the only good thing about my hometown.
The corridors were empty now. Everyone had evacuated. Only I was inside, it seemed. I walked toward the stairs which were still intact but the flames were fast approaching. With my heart in my throat, I threw myself down the stairs.
I clamped a hand over my mouth as the smoke invaded my senses, making me cough a little. I could make it out, I knew. The front door was right beside the staircase. The fire raged and a beam fell to the floor, making me jump.
I skidded across the floor a little when I reached the landing. Making a run for the door, I hissed slightly when I grabbed the handle. It was burning up. Gritting my teeth, I opened the door nonetheless and stepped outside.
"Shit. You were still inside?" The Sheriff was the one to approach me, his grey eyes wide and a concerned expression on his face. "What the hell took you so long?"
"I needed to get my things." I breathed out as he offered me his arm and took me to the paramedics. I wheezed a little as I sat down in the back of an ambulance. My head was reeling. Maybe I had inhaled more smoke than I realized.
"That was foolish." He scolded me. I deserved it so I didn't say anything. It was reckless of me. The fire was spreading quickly. That beam could have dropped on me.
"Take care of him." He instructed one of the medics who was already by my side. He gave me an oxygen mask, asking me to put it over my mouth. I did as told, breathing deeply. My mind was all fogged up, preventing me from thinking clearly.
A thought tugged at my gut but I couldn't get to it. I leaned against the seat as I breathed. Perhaps, I shouldn't have underestimated the smoke. But as I inhaled through the oxygen mask, the fog cleared a little.
I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing in and out as the medic instructed me to do. He left me alone then and I sat there, catching my breath. I should probably call Ren and let him know that I was fine, the thought occurred to me a few moments later.
Followed close was another thought. Maybe it was the brain fog clearing up that made me realize what it was that didn't sit right with me. My eyes flew open and I removed the oxygen mask. I heard the medic asking me if I was okay but I ignored him.
Jumping out of the ambulance on slightly wobbly legs, I stumbled through the crowd to find the Sheriff. I found him standing near the police cars as the fire fighters got to work with the fire. He saw me and frowned, opening his mouth probably to tell me that I should go back to the ambulance but I beat him to it.
"Where is Ahvi?" I asked.
"She is still at the stakeout." He answered, his frown deepening.
"Then why the hell are you here?" I snapped. My heart, whatever patience it had left, whatever strength, gave it up as it started pounding again.
"Jace, let the paramedics do a check-up again and then we can have this conversation. You inhaled quite some smoke." He reasoned.
"Oh, I am fine." I waved him off even though my throat did feel a little parched. "Who is with Ahvi when you are here?" I questioned.
"I have a few cops keeping an eye on them." He said.
"Can I talk to her?" I raised an eyebrow. I needed to talk to Ahvi. I needed to make sure she was okay. Now. I had been patient for too long. I needed to hear her right now, especially after this fiasco.
"Once I am done here, I will let you call her." The Sheriff promised, a strange look in his eyes. I wanted to argue but I knew it would not do me any good so I shut up, nodding and backing away.