Ace - Book 1

Chapter 66.

I know - I'm sorry! I have been pants with updates, but I hope this makes up for it. We are nearing the end of 'Ace'!

Ace

25th January

       I stepped out of my class and immediately dug my hand into my pocket to retrieve my phone. Pressing down on the power button, I walked and waited until it sprung into life and my missed calls and texts began to flood in. My eyes first landed on a missed call from Elle around the time her class had ended and Kit was supposed to pick her up, but as I looked up I saw I had many missed calls from Delilah and an unknown number.

 As I was about to click on Elle's contact and call her back first, a phonecall from Delilah popped up on my screen and I dragged the green phone icon across the screen to answer the call, bringing the device up to my ear. "Jesus Christ, why have you called me fifteen times?" I asked her as I walked towards my car. "Obsessive much?"

 "Have you spoken to Elle recently?" She asked, sounding breathless and panicked. I furrowed my eyebrows as I approached my car, feeling the need to pick up my pace simply because of the tone of her voice.

 "I just got out of my class, I missed a call from her a while ago. Why?" I asked, throwing open the drivers side door to my car and sliding in to the drivers seat.

 "Kit went to pick her up earlier but his truck tyres were slashed, so he tried to call her to tell her he'd be late but his phone's been stolen. He came to the dorm to find me, but by the time Maya drove us to where she should have been, she was gone and her bag was on the floor on the sidewalk a little down the road towards the dorms," Delilah spluttered out through laboured breaths, almost barely taking a split second to regain her breath afterwards before she uttered "we think Theo did this."

 I very quickly turned on my engine and connected my phone to the Bluetooth so I could start my journey, but also speak to Delilah. "Where are you now?" I asked, not taking much care with how I drove as I charged directly into the curb, the whole car jolting as I made my way out of the parking lot exit.

 "We're outside of your apartment building, we thought we might be able to catch you here but we kept buzzing your apartment and nobody answered. Hence the missed calls," she explained and I nodded, pressing my foot on the accelerator as I focused on getting to my apartment.

 "Have you been calling her?" I asked, I felt fear rising in my chest but I had to remain calm. It wouldn't be helpful if both Delilah and I were panicking, I'd also just panic her more.

 "Yes, we've called her like a hundred times each and she won't pick up. Kit's been using a phone from the guy next door to his dorm, she's not picking up to anyone!" I could hear the panic in her voice increasing.

 "Calm down, Lil. I'm going to hang up and try calling her, I'll be with you in a few minutes," I told her calmly and hung up the call before she could respond, before manoeuvring calling Elle's phone as I also focused on the road ahead of me. 

 The phone rang for a few moments before the line was answered and my heart skipped a beat. "Elle, are you okay baby?" I asked a bit more frantically than when I spoke to Delilah. 

 I waited a few seconds until I heard a breathy, masculine laugh. "If you count out cold on my living room floor as 'okay' then yes, she's fine," Theo's familiar voice said and my blood went cold.

 "If you lay another finger on her-"

 "I'll see you in a little while, brother," he said, cutting me off before the line went dead. I sped the car up towards my apartment block, only stopping when I pulled up beside where Delilah and Ace were stood. "Get in the car, I know where she is," I said after rolling down the passenger side window.