For the rest of the day Alana was on edge. She couldn't lounge and enjoy the movies with Snow and Noah; she couldn't do anything apart from wish that Elias would disappear from her life forever. It was one night, a lapse in judgement. He was acting like she had declared her undying love for him, like he had no interest in any other girl.
That could not be true, could it? He was the lead singer of a band, that night when she saw them play, girls threw themselves at him when he was on stage. They were practically crawling at his feet. But there was a tone in his voice in that answerphone message - an edge of desperation, a moodiness that hung over his words like a rain cloud, ready to burst.
She spent the day pacing around her bedroom, thinking, thinking, thinking about what could be done, how she could make sure he never tried to contact her again. She kept going downstairs, to check on Snow who sat happily beside her dad, both of them eating a large amount of cupcakes. She tried to get them to stop but two against one never worked, and she would make sure Noah was the one to deal with the sugar rush if it kept Snow awake.
As Alana sat at her dressing table with a sketchbook on her lap, a pencil in her hand, trying but failing to sketch out her end of year exhibition piece, her phone flashed again - the same number. She let out an exasperated sigh and accepted the call. Before Elias had a chance to speak she whispered into the phone.
'You can't keep calling me. I told you the other night - it's over.'
'I can't seem to help myself,' he replied.
His voice was also a whisper, except a strained one, as though he were finding it difficult to breath. Alana leapt to her feet, holding her hand over her mouth as she spoke.
'You have to help yourself because I don't have what you want.'
'You have what I want. I already had a taste of that...'
His voice tailed off, hoarse. His breath came out raspy and uneven.
'You can't just discard me... you can't just...'
She felt like hanging up, but he would just call back, and what then?
'I've done something stupid,' he whispered.
'What have you done?' she replied, suspicious.
Silence.
'What have you done?'
Her heart raced. She was hardly able to keep her voice down.
'It says you're only supposed to take 2 every four hours.'
He laughed, sarcastic.
'How about 20 in 2 minutes?'
'20 what?'
'You don't care about that, Alana. You just want me to go away.... This will fit right in with your plans...'
His voice trailed off, followed by more silence.
'Elias. What are you talking about? 20 what?'
There was nothing but the sound of his uneven breath. A feeling of dread began to brew, deep in the pit of her stomach. He has done something stupid...
'Elias. 20 what? Where are you?'
'I'm in my flat...' he croaked.
'Is anyone with you?'
There was a long, excruciating pause and then:
'No. I'm alone.'
She paced the room, back and forth.
'Look,' she said. 'Stay where you are. I'm coming over.'