the sleepless elite

xxx

Notes 1: I'm screaming as I write this, you better scream back.

;;

the sleepless elite

;;

chapter thirty

;;

A far away memory invades her thoughts, like a dream or a reminder, "Tell me when you're twenty-four," he had said to her and she promises that she will.

.

.

.

"Hello? I got your voice mail, is something wrong?" God, it was so good yet strange and also comforting hearing Chase Redford's voice on the other line.

"Ace told me!" Darling panics, the first few words she says to him over the call. Her phone is pressed painfully hard against her ear because she doesn't want to miss anything he says to her.

"What?" Chase asks back. There's shuffling on the other side of the line.

"About your surprise visit." Darling says hurriedly and leaves out, 'To Book End. For my birthday'. She feels her stomach clench. On the other line, she hears Chase groan. But she doesn't give him a chance to speak. "Don't go anywhere, Chase."

"Huh?" He utters.

"I'm meeting you there." Is all she says.

"Um, you want to –? It's so sudden, I mean, me coming here is sudden too, I didn't even ask if I could meet up with you today. Are you sure you want to meet me here? I haven't even gotten my luggage yet and –"

"We'll be there," Darling answer heartily, trying to sound normal. Begone sweaty palms!

"Who's 'we'?" Chase echoes in confusion.

"Me and Ace. He's coming with." Darling answer, trying to not hit Ace who's cracking behind the steering wheel. She's already a nervous wreck so could Ace just shut up?

"You're both coming to the airport?"

"Uh-huh, yeah, stay right there! Stay, okay? Stay!" Darling says but it feels like much more that. Even Chase has to take a few seconds to consider her words.

Then he finally says, "Okay, I'll wait." More shuffling sounds. Chase has probably spotted his luggage and lifted it off the conveyor belt.

"Great!" Darling holds back a sigh of relief. "Also, Chase, um – I have to tell you something when I get to the airport."

"What is it?" Confusion was laced in his voice when he says this, she's making him ask so many questions. He doesn't understand.

But Darling doesn't answer his question, opting to say, "Did you notice that I left you another voice message?"

"Yeah. But I called you straight after the first one because it sounded urgent." As Darling expected! Today is crazy but everything is falling into place!

"Not as urgent as the second voice mail." She says as Ace turns a corner. "Listen to that after this calls end, okay? We'll talk again when I see you in person."

"Can't you tell me now while we're on the phone?" Chase says, holding back a cliché need to say 'I want to make this call last longer because I seriously miss you'.