AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Where are you? Call me back. I don’t care what time it is!!!
So as the police are driving me home I do, and she answers on the first ring.
‘Finally! I was getting worried when you didn’t answer my texts, so I waited for El Paso here to fall asleep. Crikey, the man is unstoppable. Did I wake you, love?’
‘Not exactly,’ I answer before the squawk of the police radio fills the car.
‘What the hell was that? Where are you?’
‘I’m in a p-police car. They’re taking me home.’
‘Police? Oh my God, Emmie, what happened? Are you alright?’
‘I got a-attacked…’
‘What? Oh my God! I knew I should have insisted on walking you home. Is Stephen with you yet? I’m on my way!’
‘I tried calling him but he left his phone at his mum’s.’
‘I’ll get a hold of him – you sit tight!’
‘It’s not necessary anymore, Maisie. I’m going home.’
But the line goes dead.
A winded Maisie bursts through my door five minutes later, El Paso on her heels. She eats up the ground between us and envelops me in her arms.
‘Sweetheart, are you OK?’ she cries, stepping back to check that I’m still in one piece. ‘Why the hell didn’t you call me? Oh my God, look at the bruises on your throat!’
‘¿Qué pasó?’ ‘What happened?’ the Mexican bloke asks.
You see? Even he seems more interested than my future family.
‘I’m alright,’ I assure them as they sink into the settee next to me.
‘I’ve just called Pete McIntyre who’s in a meeting with Stephen and a New York school. Stephen should be here any minute,’ Maisie assures.
‘Thank you,’ I say, relief washing over me, when my mobile rings again.
It’s Stephen.
‘Emmie, are you alright? Pete told me that Maisie called him and said that you’ve been attacked.’
‘Yes,’ I breathe. ‘Maisie’s here.’
‘Oh, is she? Good. Because we’re in the middle of a Zoom meeting with a school in Texas.’
‘Oh.’
‘But I can ditch them if you need me. Just say the word.’
If I need him? What does he think? And I should even have to ask?
‘N-no, that’s OK. I’ll be OK,’ I assure, already envisaging his mum telling him about how I ran round the town naked in search of someone to ‘pay attention’ to me.
‘Right, then. I’ll give you a call tomorrow morning. Try to get some sleep.’
‘Yep…’ So much for being protective. That was one of the main things that had attracted me to him. But now, where has that gone?
