The Couple Next Door

Chapter Eighteen

My whole body froze as I stared at that text. I stood in the middle of the empty sidewalk, staring at my phone. They knew where my mom lived. What do I do?

My breathing sped up in sync with my heart rate. I felt so many emotions going through me but not one stayed very long. Regret, Anger, sadness, guilt. My mom was all that I had left. I moved away to give her an easier life, and now I could be the reason that easy life ended.

I took a deep breath and quickly thumbed over to my contacts and called my mom. One ring, she could be being tortured right now. Two rings, she could be dead. Three rings, I had no one left.

The sound of the phone being picked up rung out and my breath halted. Who was on the other end of this call.

"Mom?"

"Sorry to break it to you, but I don't have the right parts for ya to be calling me that." My face scrunched up in confusion, that wasn't my mom, but it also wasn't Antonio or Benton.

"Oh Kurt, give it back, it could be important!" I heard the voice I was hoping for sound out and I let out a sigh of relief. It doesn't seem like they got to her yet.

"Hello? Who is it?" I bit back the sob that nearly tore out of my throat. I hadn't even realized I had started crying.

"Uh hey mom, it's me, Kalem," I said, trying my best to keep my voice steady.

"Oh Kalem! It's been so long since you called! How is work? I didn't want to bother you by calling but I was so curious. I miss you so much it just hurts sometimes. You know, I nearly moved down there just to have someone to talk to, but I met- Oh no I haven't even introduced you to Kurt!"

I heard her take a breath after that long rant. I blinked the tears out of my eyes and ignored her trying to get Kurt, the man from before on the phone.

"Listen mom, where are you right now?" I asked, despite knowing she was probably at home. Ever since dad left she had such a hard time getting out, she spent most of her days in her sad excuse of a library. Her and dad wanted to make it an actual one, but it never exceeded more than 10 books.

"I am in Cali! Isn't that fun? Kurt has a boat! Just like in that one romance novel where the guy is a sailor and the girl is a mermaid! That could be us in another world y'know Kurt?"

All tension left my shoulders finally and my heart slowed back to normal. I could still fix this.

"Yeah mom, it seems super fun. Actually, how long are you staying there?"

There was a long pause, so long that I had to check to make sure one of us didn't accidentally end the call.

"Mom?"

"Honey, I just never had time to tell you. It's been almost a year since you called, I didn't want to tell you over text."

My face scrunched up in confusion. I mean, yes I hadn't called but every time I did before she always had the same answers. It was already unusual that she was with a guy named Kurt on a boat so far from home, but the relief from her not being dead at my ex's hands was more important than figuring it out.

"Me and Kurt, we got married! 3 months ago, it was beautiful. I sold our house. I know how much it meant to you, and I am sorry, but I couldn't get past what happened without getting rid of that house."

Her words didn't upset me at all. I was done with dad the second he left, but she clung to him and I didn't want her to be alone. Whenever I caught her crying, it made me cry and I told her it was because of him. I never once missed that bastard, only my mom who used to be happier.

"Mom, it's okay. I am glad you are moving on. Listen, I will call you back in a few hours, I have some things to get in order, I just wanted to check in."

"Wait no Kalem, I am sorry. I know how much it meant to you, I didn't mean to upset you, I am sor-"

"No mom, it's truly okay. I am at work right now actually, and I have to get back. I promise I'll call you back. Congratulations to you and Kurt, I love you mom. Goodbye."

I ended the call without waiting for her response, knowing it was a dick move. I would focus on hearing all about Kurt and his boat later, I just needed to get out of the open in this unfamiliar setting.

The cold seat of the bus stop sent shivers through my body as I checked the time. I still had 30 minutes until my bus came, I sighed and go back to my contacts, picking out Tanner's and opening up our messages.

I send a quick text, telling him briefly to not ask questions and to pick me up at my stop tomorrow morning, and to tell no one where he was going. I'm not stupid, in horror movies there is always that one friend of the serial killer who is tipping off information. That could be anyone, and knowing my luck it would be one of Tanner's new buddies.

I sit there waiting for the bus and after forever, it finally comes. I get on and show my ticket to the driver. He scans my phone and I grab a seat next to the window. Checking my phone battery, I notice it is only on 30. I sigh and put it in my pocket. I lay my head back and watch the cities fly by. I go in and out of naps and take the advantage of our stops to stretch my legs. With only 5 hours left, I finally stay asleep.

When I wake up, the bus driver is ushering people out so he can get off too. His frustrated grumbling hurries me out of the bus, and I check my phone as I go. There is a simple text from Tanner, telling me where to meet him and I look around the bus stop and see the coffee shop he said to meet him at.

When I walk in, I nearly break down as my eyes lock onto his face. The stress of everything happening finally hits me and I rush over to him, collapsing into the booth across from him. He says nothing, just staring at me as I nervously wring my hands together.

"So, I am guessing by your secrecy of me being here that you ran away from them," Tanner says, breaking the silence. I nod, still not trusting myself to speak. I had so many questions for Tanner, but I didn't know if I wanted the answers.

He studies my face for a long time before frowning.

"Listen, I know you are probably confused and shocked right now. I know things, you obviously know things, but this isn't the place to talk about it all. Do you feel safe coming back to where I have been staying? I promise you will be safe there."

I think about it for a long time. Tanner definitely knew a lot about them, and I still didn't know how. I know he wouldn't ever harm me, and I trusted he meant that I'd be safe. That is the only reason I nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds nice."

He nodded with a reassuring smile, and lead me outside. He flagged a nearby Taxi and we piled in. He gave the same address that I had tracked from our messages to the taxi driver. I relaxed fully in the comfort of the slightly dirty taxi. I knew that for the time being, all the people I cared about were safe. I knew that while I was with Tanner, I'd be safe, and maybe it could even be like before I met them.