Chapter 14
James and I were rushing to his car to head to Wayne and Luna's place. I tried to dial Alexander's number again, since he hadn't picked up for Wayne or James. He picks up on the third ring.
"Are you leaving me? Is that why you aren't home?" Are the first words he speaks when he answers.
Scared and nervous sobs leave my mouth. "Alex," is all I manage to choke out.
"Charlotte? What's going on? Are you okay? Where are you?" He rushes out, I can sense the panic filling him as he listens to my heartbreaking sobs.
James has silent tears running down his face as he drives. He tells me to put the phone on speaker so I do. "Alexander?"
"James? Is that you? What's going on? Is Charlotte okay?"
James' lip quivers slightly as he eyes me and then turns back to the road. "Physically she's okay," Alexander starts to question him, but James cuts him off. "Listen to me Alex, you need to head over to Wayne and Luna's place right now. That's where we are going."
"What? Why? Somebody better tell me what the fuck is going on right now!" Alex shouts into the phone.
"Luna!" I gasp. A sharp intake of breath is heard on the other end followed by silence.
"What about Luna?" Alex finally asks in an eerily calm voice.
"She was kidnapped Alex. Luna was kidnapped," James answers solemnly.
Another sob racks through me as silence overtakes us.
"What?" Alex gasps out.
"Police are at their place. Meet us there, we're almost there," James says and hangs up as we hear a loud heartbreaking shout and a crash.
We pull into their apartment complex and the parking lot is filled with police cars and officers walking around. In the middle of it all I can see Wayne shaking and crying as an officer tries to calm him.
I run to Wayne once we park and he grabs me into his arms, hugging me to his chest. "I'm so sorry Charlie, I'm so sorry!" He cries.
I hear James talking to Jesse on his phone behind us as Wayne and I cry together. "What happened?" My voice cracks as I pull back.
Wayne's face fills with regret and pain. The officer who had been consoling him approaches us and gives me a sad smile. "Your friend Luna was kidnapped right in front of Wayne. She was taken by a large group of suited men and when Wayne tried to stop them a few held him back as they threw her into the back of a range rover. He says there was a woman standing outside the car smoking and watching them with a smirk on her face. One of the men knocked Wayne out before they took off. Wayne here called us as soon as he could. We are trying with everything we know to find her and bring her home," she explains to me and I stare at her wide-eyed.
James who must have finished his phone call places his arm around Wayne's shoulders and mine. The officer apologizes and walks away to talk to someone else.
Suddenly a familiar car speeds into the lot and sloppily parks before I recognize Alexander frantically jumping out of the car. His eyes look wild as he sprints towards the crowd of us. I pull from James and step forward.
"Where is she? Where is my daughter? Who took my daughter? I'll kill them! I'll kill every last one of them!" He shouts manically.
One of the officers raises his hands and slowly approaches Alexander as if he was a wild animal who escaped captivity.
"Sir I need you to calm down and we will explain to you everything that we know. We will do everything in our power to find your daughter Luna and bring her home safely, I promise," the police officer says to Alexander.
This was one of those out of body experiences. One where your body is physically present but your mind is miles and miles away. I couldn't even concentrate on the conversation going on in front of me. The dark night is lit up with flashes of blue and red lights. A few men and women in uniforms surround us, talking and consoling us, talking to others through their walkie-talkies.
I think I'm in a state of shock.
Luna was kidnapped.
"Alex..." I whisper and somehow he hears me or maybe he senses me looking at him. His frantic eyes meet mine and he ignores the officer and walks around him to get to me.
The second he stands in front of me his crazed eyes crack and spill open. Tears pour down his face like a waterfall. "Charlie..." He cries and tugs me into his arms. "Who would take her? Who would take our daughter? Why Luna?" He whispers into my ear.
"I don't know Alex. I don't know," I push my head into his neck and he tightens his grip on me. It feels good to be back in his arms after this week.
"She's gone. How could she have been taken? I've protected her my whole life Charlie, how could I have not been here to protect her now? How could I have let this happen?"
"This is not your fault Alexander. We're going to find her, okay? We're going to get her back. We're going to get our daughter back," I whisper words that I'm not even sure I believe.
After a few hours in the parking lot the officers assure that they will do everything they can to find Luna, but until then we should go home and get some rest. Jesse had eventually showed up and encouraged Wayne to go back to his and James' place so he wasn't alone in his and Luna's place. I had called my mom to tell her everything and she sobbed with me on the phone, telling me she'd be on the first plane here and that she'd take care of all the wedding cancellations. I hadn't even thought of that. Looks like my wedding really is being cancelled. Luna is gone. And Alexander is an absolute mess.
When we get inside our apartment I find the TV shattered on the floor as well as one of the chairs flipped over. Alexander pays it no mind as he crumbles onto the couch. After he called his parents to tell them what happened he has become a blank slate. The anger and sadness disappeared and was replaced with impassiveness. As if his body has shut down mentally and emotionally.
I sit down beside him and think about how different things were just this morning. How could this have happened? Why would someone kidnap Luna? In the middle of the day in front of her boyfriend... This didn't seem right...
I'm pulled from my thoughts when Alexander shifts closer to me on the couch. I look to him and he's starring at me with a dark look on his face. "I'm destined for this life aren't I?"
My face scrunches in confusion. "What?"
"I'm supposed to be miserable, aren't I? Everything good in my life is taken from me," he states.
I frown, my dried out eyes stinging painfully with more unshed tears. "Don't say that Alexander."
He just shakes his head, ignoring my words as he places his head in his hands. I'm not sure what to do or say. I feel disoriented as if this is all some huge nightmare. That and just this morning Alex and I weren't on great terms, so I don't know whether to grieve alone or try and comfort him...
I look back at the mess on the floor and stand to pick up the chair. I'd worry about the television in the morning. It was late and I needed to sleep and maybe wake up to this all actually being a nightmare...
I peek at Alex and he still has his head in his hands as I walk towards our room. I take a quick shower; letting the hot water burn my skin as my mind swirls with thoughts of where Luna could be. Was she okay? Who took her? Where did they take her? Why did they take her? How are we going to get her back?
When I feel defeated by all the questions in my head I step out of the scolding shower. Once I'm back in the room I find Alexander lying in the bed with a lost look on his face as he stares up at the ceiling. I stand there for a moment before leaving the room, Alex doesn't even flinch from the noise I make.
I head into Luna's room that remains untouched for the most part aside from the few times she stays over. I open the door and when I look around it's as if the reality of this all hits me full force. I crumble onto my knees and let my once dry eyes, moisten once more. I need her. I need Luna. I need my daughter. I need my best friend. This isn't fair, why did she have to be taken? Why did she get kidnapped? Why wasn't it me instead?
Why?
Why?
Why?
I slowly get back onto my feet and approach the bed. I lie down and close my eyes, a faint trace of her perfume still on the pillow. Silent tears slip down my face, soaking the pillow around me.
I feel myself being lifted. My eyes blink open and I find myself tucked in Alexander's arms as he carries me. He must feel me stir because he looks down at me with a much more open expression on his face then earlier. The pain is evident, but there's also fear.
"Please don't leave me alone like that," he whispers anxiously. He gently places me on our bed and sits beside me.
He sees my baffled expression and adds, "With Luna being taken, I need you by my side. I know things haven't exactly been good between us lately, but I need you right now Charlotte. I need My Charlie, please..."
My lip quivers at the vulnerability in his voice and I shoot up from the bed into his arms. He seems surprised for a moment, but quickly recovers and pulls me onto his lap, hugging me close. "I love you My Alexander, always," I whisper into his ear.
I feel his tears on my neck. "I love you too My Charlie."