Seduced Fall ✔️

37. The fear

Stefan Peirce

I frown. Even though she told not to call again in her voice mail, I do. It then goes to her voice mail again.

I sigh in exasperation.

"What's the matter?" Mae inquires in the middle of her driving.

"She's not answering."

"Have you ever heard of a feature called messaging on mobile phones?" She mocks me as she shifts gears and smiles sarcastically at me.

I throw a glare at her and send a message to Clara. Mae is well-versed in situations like these, so it's no surprise that she's composed and cool, although my heart is still racing at a breakneck pace.

Stefan: You are with Tyler and Ray, right?

I had asked the help of two of her closest friends to keep her company. When she didn't notice me watching her, I noticed her hanging out with them from distance. I have seen them make her laugh, annoy her, and keep her happy.

Clara's devastated since Mae paid her unwelcome visit with weapons. So, I thought that Clara's friends would be a wonderful distraction until I could get back on track.

My concern grows deeper each passing second as I receive no reply from Clara.

"Something's wrong." I say it out loud.

"What?" As we pull into the garage of my and Charlie's house, Mae asks.

"Do you believe there was someone there when I blew up the car and saw everything?" I question.

Since the air conditioner is turned off in the car, sweat drips down my temples. Tension grips me by the throat at the worst thoughts coming to my mind. Mae kills the engine, and the only thing I hear is the pounding of my heart inside my cage.

Mae gives me a look that tells me she's just as terrified as I am, then immediately grabs her phone from the backseat and dials a number. Meanwhile, I message Clara.

Stefan: Where are you right now?

Stefan: I need to know you are safe, Clara

Then I call her again. Then again. And again, till her voicemail is embedded in my head.

Mae had called her men up to that time, asking them to check on Clara and see if she was safe and sound at her home. I type back, this time in a frantic attempt to get a response from her.

Stefan: Pick up the call

"Drive fast you fucking piece of shit!" Mae yells at the person on the other end of the line. She never does that, and she never yells at her people.

She only insults or shouts at them when she has gone past the point of being furious when 'mad' isn't enough to explain how she feels. I return to my attempts to call Clara. I slam my hand against the glass in front of me, enraged at not knowing where she is.

Stefan: Pick up the bloody call, Clara, for God's sake!

Horrible scenarios begin to play out in my head. I groan and grasp the phone in my hand so tightly that I'm surprised it hasn't already broken.

If Asher does any nefarious stunts and harms Clara, I swear I'll erase him off the face of the planet.

"Fuck that," I snarl, "let's just go there ourselves."

"Don't act impulsively, Stef," Mae warns, her phone still pressed against her ear. "We'll have to travel for a long time to get there. In a few minutes, you'll know she's safe. Have patience."

"I don't have any!" My jaw clenches as thoughts of wrath and vengeance enter my mind, vowing to break every bone in anybody who gets near Clara.

After a long and frustrating length of time, I hear Mae sigh and relax in her seat.

"She's home. Safe." She finally says the words I've been waiting to hear.

I squint my eyes shut. I exhale while covering my face with my palms and resting my elbows on my knees. How can anyone trust me if I'm not capable of keeping the girl I love safe and out of direct danger?

If I want Clara in my life, I'll have to earn her respect. I can't rely on Mae to protect me or Clara from future dangers.

Mae's hand rests on my shoulder. "You've truly fallen in love."

Her reassuring touch and words help me loosen up. Just like it always does.

She unbuckles her seatbelt and asks, "Have you calmed down yet?"

"Yeah . . ." I straighten my back. To relieve the stiff muscles generated by the tension between my physical and mental states, I stretch my legs and arch my back.

"Here." She forwards a small violet shade box with a silver glitter ribbon bowed in its center. "I've been waiting for the perfect moment to give you this since last night. But there don't seem to be any in our lives."

We both share a peaceful and warming smile as I take the box from her to feel it a bit heavy than it appeared. I open it. An exquisite and eye-catching piece of baby blue colored crystal. Its natural roughness is defined by its shape and texture. The bottom is covered in a brownish tone that reminds me of the ocean.

"It's a rare crystal, you better keep it safe. Only two of these exist in the world." Mae goes on to explain.

I stare at it and realize that it is only half the size of my palm but has more value than my hand. "Where did you find it?" Even when I have a vague idea, I inquire absentmindedly. It's not surprising to see such rare stones in the hands of a gem dealer like our father.

"Mom recently got interested in one of those zodiac sign readings or whatever you to call it. One of her friends, a genius in that field, told her that these—" She motions at the stone in my hand. "—are the stones that will keep a person safe during any life crisis. These stones are considered to be unique because they 'possess' a spiritual power to protect you from harm that no other gems, stones, or crystals have."

Wow. After everything that occurred today, that was the last thing I needed to know. But I appreciate Mae's effort in finding these and sharing one of the world's rare items with me.

That raises another question in my mind. "Where's the other one?"

She gives me a sidelong glance. "Of course, I have kept that one. I need to be safe to, Stef, remember?" She sarcastically imitates the last line in our mother's voice.

She smiles and gently runs her fingers through my hair. T hen he messes up my nicely styled hair. "Happy birthday, Stef. I'm glad you were born. Truly happy to have someone to annoy."

"Yeah, yeah. . ." I adjust my hair and smile. "Thank you for this. I'm glad to have someone look after me as well."

"All right, let's go in," changing the subject before it becomes too emotional, she jerks her chin in the direction of the home. "Dad is waiting for you."