In Bloom - Felix Volturi

34. Hide-and-Seek

It wasn't long after Jeff and Roland left when Roland called the house landline. In his grass induced haze, he'd forgotten to mention that they still needed everything for 'the thing' we were apparently hosting that night.

"No, Roland," I said to him through the receiver, "I'm not going to go out and get the supplies for your party. I don't even have any cash on me."

"But it's in Steve's honor," he complained.

"I don't know if throwing a house party the night after he died is the best way to honor his memory," I pointed out.

"Wow, Luc. Felix really has changed you," he said.

That was irritating. "Felix has had zero effect on me, okay?" I retorted.

"Sure thing," Roland laughed. "Why don't you prove it?"

"I still don't have any money," I said.

"Use Felix's card," he suggested.

"What makes you think he has money?"

"I haven't seen him wear anything other than suits. Plus, you've seen the car he drives."

"Well, Felix isn't here," I said with chagrin.

"Then call him."

"I'm not talking to him right now," I said stubbornly.

"Come on," Roland whined, "Do it for Steve."

In my gut I knew I wanted to talk to Felix again, and this was a perfect excuse, but if I were being honest, I really didn't want Felix to know about the house party. That potential conversation with Felix about it suddenly made our antics feel so juvenile.

"Pleeeeeease," Roland begged. "I'll be your best friend forever."

"Forever is a long time," I said dryly. "Fuck it. Fine. I'll call him." I hung up the phone before bothering to listen to Roland's reply.

"Damn it," I muttered to myself as I punched in a new set of numbers into the phone.

The line buzzed a few times before it was picked up, but no one spoke from the other end.

"I want to talk to Felix," I said without preamble.

"Hello, piccola principessa," Aro's voice drifted through the phone. "It's so nice to hear your voice, mia cara."

"Hi. Where's Felix."

"I was under the impression that he was with you," Aro replied, brushing off my clipped tone.

"He left last night."

"Trouble so soon?" he asked with more than a hint of glee.

"Yeah, but something tells me you saw that coming, huh? Since you're such a talented manipulator." I was still pretty pissed about all that bullshit in Italy, if it wasn't obvious.

"Now, now, Lucy. My concern only lies with you."

"Sure," I said, rolling my eyes. "Well? Have you heard from him?"

"Who?" Aro asked lightly.

"Felix!" I exclaimed.

"My apologies," he replied, clearly blowing hot air up my ass. "I hear from all sorts of people, constantly. I have not heard from Felix, although I sincerely doubt he would have left you unattended— and in Texas of all places."

I studied the open pack of cigarettes that sat on the other side of the counter and contemplated pulling one out and lighting it. "Well, he isn't here."

"Look closer," Aro said cryptically, "you would be surprised."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" I demanded.

The line went dead before I could get my question out. Of fucking course.

I slammed the phone back in its place in the cradle in frustration. I didn't exactly have all day to play hide-and-seek; and knowing Felix, he would draw out this little game as long as possible.

"Felix," I called through the seemingly empty house. I wondered if Aro could be wrong about Felix sticking around; although he usually wasn't. If Felix was as close by as Aro insinuated, there would be no way he couldn't hear me trying to talk to him.

"Felix," I called again. I waited for a moment but still didn't get a response from him. I'd have to get a little more creative in order to lure him out.

I walked down the hall to the back of the house and entered my room. I set about packing up my stuff, everything I wanted to take back with me to Italy for good, in order to demonstrate my intention to follow him back to Europe and join his coven for good.

Er. Well, our coven, I guess.

Whatever.

By the time I was all packed up, the house was still deathly still. Damn it. He was starting to grate on my nerves.

"Fine. Asshole," I muttered, giving up. I'd have to use my own card, and I resolved to tell the guys that Felix dropped it off and didn't want to stick around for the party. I didn't have a car and the walk to and from the store would be slow and tedious, but it wasn't like I had anything better to do - and who knew? Maybe some fresh air would do me some good.

One could only hope.

* * *

Fresh air didn't resolve any of my issues, nor did it make my life any better. Instead, when I returned home with bags of lukewarm beer, shit snacks, and copious amounts of liquor. I was even more irritated than I was when I left. The hour-long walk to the nearest grocery store gave me plenty of time to dwell on how infuriating Felix was, how much I hated him for being so goddamn rude, and how much I hated myself for still wanting him around anyway.

Mates were the worst. I had no choice in how I was tethered to, and now I was on my own trying to make the best of a shitty relationship. Fuck, whatever. I'd worry about that after the damn party.

After I haphazardly showed the food and drink into the fridge and pantry I flopped down on the couch and flicked on the TV to mindlessly watch whatever trash was on while I waited for my roommates to get back.

One hour rolled into the next, and although I wasn't initially concerned - it wasn't unlike Roland to get distracted and wander off with whoever he's with in tow - I began to realize that something was amiss when party goers began to arrive at our house and the guys still hadn't.

I waved the first arrivals in and vaguely directed them toward the kitchen for food and drink. I didn't care what they took, I never really did, as long as they kept their sticky fingers out of my room. I'd locked my door, so I wasn't concerned by the prospect as someone rando, a friend of a friend of one of the guys I could only guess, shoved an unlabeled burned CD into our home stereo and cracked up the volume.

Within an hour a steady flow of people were pouring in and out of our front door, but Roland and Jeff were still nowhere to be seen. I'd called both of their cell phones multiple times throughout the early evening but neither of them picked up. Again, this was uncommon behavior for either of them, but nonetheless, my gut instinct was telling me that something was wrong.

I didn't want to overreact, I was probably just being jumpy because I'd been on edge throughout most of the day, so I continued to sit tight and wait for them to come home on their own.

I declined numerous offers of smokes and booze throughout the night, for once I felt like neither would make my situation better; instead, I stood next to the couch, stone cold sober, and watched the clock.

When 11 PM finally rolled around, I begrudgingly had to accept that sitting around and waiting wasn't going to produce any results, and although there was a thousand perfectly normal reasons why those two dodo birds didn't come home for their own goddamn party, I still couldn't damped the creeping feeling that something was wrong.

Damn it. I guess I'd have to go out and find the guys myself.