GHOST OF YOU | BWS

twenty-two.

I wake up to voices coming from the living room. It takes me a second to realize I'm at Brad's, and the memories of yesterday quickly start to flood my mind. I am supposed to leave Birmingham today. What are my parents going to say? And what about James? I can't leave without knowing he is okay.

The voices are getting louder, and I can only assume whoever they are coming from are in the middle of an argument. I quickly get out of bed and make my way to the door as discreetly as I can, and stick my ear to it. It doesn't take me long to recognize Isaac's voice, and I can't help but shiver at the sound of it. I don't want to know what he'd do if he knew I was here.

"And whose fucking fault is that?", I hear Isaac say with an ironic laugh. "You need to stop thinking with your dick, mate", he continues with a threatening tone. "If she doesn't get us the drugs before the end of the week, it's not only her who's gonna get hurt, I hope you know that. So you better pray she does her job for both your sakes"

My heart is racing, and I'm struggling to keep my breathing steady. I'm starting to hyperventilate, and have to take a step back from the door in fear that Isaac's going to hear me. And because life seems to be against me lately, I stumble on Brad's bed and even though I quickly steadied myself, the noise I made was too loud for them to have missed it. I freeze for a second at the thought that Isaac's gonna storm in here any second and cut my head off for being here, wearing Brad's clothes on top of it all. I don't think any longer and jump in the closet, my heart beating at a million bpm.

"You better be kidding me", I hear Isaac say and footsteps getting louder the closer they get to the bedroom. "Don't tell me the bitch's here", he adds and I hear the door open.

I hold my breath, feeling like my heart is about to jump out of my chest. Can the entire neighbourhood hear its loud thumping? There's a quick silence before I hear Brad talk.

"Why the fuck would she be here", Brad answers with confidence. "I don't give a shit about her", he adds and despite knowing he has to make Isaac believe he really doesn't care about me, after what he said last night, I can't help but think he actually mean it.

"I better not learn you're been getting cozy with her", Isaac says. "If you fuck up our plan, I'll kill you myself"

"You delivered your message, now get the fuck out of my place"

I don't hear anything, which makes me think that Isaac is still looking at the bedroom, or him and Brad are having a staring contest.

"Get the fuck out!", Brad shouts, losing patience.

On cue, I hear footsteps leaving the room.

"I'll see you at four then. And remember, Simpson", I hear the now faint voice of Isaac say from the living room. "Your head's on the line too here"

"You made that pretty clear", Brad answers before the sound of a door shutting echoes in the apartment.

I realize now that I have been holding my breath all this time, suddenly and notice the black spots around my vision. I finally take a breath in, my legs not able to hold me anymore, and I slide along the wall until I am sitting against it, my legs pulled against my chest, chin on my knees. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing, trying hard not to hyperventilate again.

"Joy", I suddenly hear Brad call for me, his footsteps getting closer and closer to the closet.

He opens the door, his eyes quickly making contact with my curled up body in the corner of his closet. He crouches in front of me, making it a point not to touch me for some reason.

"It's alright, he's gone", he adds as I lift my head up from my knees and look at him.

"How did you know I was hid-", I start to ask but he cuts me off.