DNS 2

Chapter 16 - Who?

"I'll try and contact him and try find out where he is, I'll speak to you soon Arthur." I say, putting the phone down before drawing my attention back to Lando.

"What was that all about?" Turning to me with an ounce of concern.

"Charles is missing, well not necessarily missing but no one has been able to contact him since before he came here to Manchester. But this is very much like Charles so I'm not going to worry, I do need to try and contact him though."

"Yeah of course, well hopefully he's ok."

I send Charles an email, I'm aware this isn't the most conventional means of contact but when he would go AWOL if he was upset or angry and shut his phone off, he would still get email messages when he gamed - which would usually be what he was doing and was also the only way of ever contacting him.

Hi Charles I hope you're ok, please contact me or contact your family, Arthur is worried. Just let us know you're ok please.

As I'm writing the email, I remember he was supposed to be calling me back too - and hadn't. Right now there's nothing more I can do, I feel a little stuck - I'm trying not to worry but also need to remain in the present and deal with one thing at a time.

Eventually we merge onto the motorway - but we're already down a wing mirror thanks to Lando's overconfidence. Flying down the tiny dark country roads for the last 20 minutes we were having so much fun just laughing and I felt completely safe in the car with him - but we clipped a tree loosing the wing mirror on his side, and he had the audacity to blame it on the road being too thin.

Staring at him wondering what's going on in his mind right now, he's focused on the road ahead, a blank look across his face at the moment. Noticing me staring he turns ever so slightly to give me a smirk and a wink. I'm terrified now. Terrified of my feelings for him. Terrified of meeting his parents.

Fuck.

This is not the time I should be meeting his parents. I shouldn't be here at all?! What am I actually doing here?! We're not even together and I'm going to be meeting his parents while he's discussing something as serious as what could be his mother having cancer? Oh hi by the way I've slept with your son ONCE but just welcome me into your home and into this personal family discussion. This is insane is it not?

I'm starting to silently panic about the whole situation, maybe I shouldn't be at his house while he talks about this, maybe he shouldn't be going to ask or talk about this at this time of night himself? My dad used to say no good can come from anything that happens after 1am, usually referring to drinking and making mistakes but I think it applies to every situation. No good can come from him turning up and asking his mum about this in the middle of the night surely.

"Lando?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you need to speak to your family but do you think it would be better going in the morning rather than the middle of the night? I could call a hotel and you could go in the morning after getting some sleep?"

"You're probably right, I've not had a reply to my message either so I'm not sure if they're home. Book a hotel if you can and we'll go in the morning, I'm so drained Lil." He sounded both physically and mentally exhausted as he said it. As much as I didn't want him to be hurting, I'm glad he was comfortable enough to just talk to me and tell me how he was feeling.

"Pull over, I'm driving - you're going to get some rest." I basically demand at this point.

He does listen, pulling over into a lay-by where a few trucks were stopped at the side of the motorway before swapping seats with me. Less than 5 minutes later he was already asleep, his head propped awkwardly on his fist rested against the window, I have no clue how he was comfortable like that or even able to sleep - but he looked completely at peace.

I see an email notification from charles pop up on my phone. Thank god. But I can't open it right now, I need to keep my eyes on the road and make sure I get Lando and I to the hotel safely. I can physically feel the excitement building in my stomach.

Yes we were back here under horrible circumstances - but we were back here. And I'd asked for room number 4 specifically. The same hotel, the same room number where it all properly started for us.

When I think of the moment I first felt a spark with Lando - it was the storage unit.

When I think about the moment I knew how much I wanted him - it was in his apartment.

When I think about the moment I knew there was no going back on my feelings for him - it was in his hotel room when I'd turned up with the room key he left at my home.

Lando's phone will not stop vibrating. I don't want to turn it over and invade his privacy by looking but it's been ten times at least now. Do I look? Do I wake him up and tell him to check his phone? Do I just leave it? What if it's his family trying to get in touch?

"Lando, Lando." I say softly, shaking his leg with my left hand while I try and keep focused on the road. He wakes up abruptly, his arm slipping from underneath him looking around in confusion, i think it took him a moment to realise where he was and what was going on.

"You're phone keeps going off I think you should check it, it could be your parents."

He picks up his phone turning it over and I see he's had a couple of missed calls from his dad, but the other notifications underneath are messages. I can't take my eyes off that name. Who is that?!

'Ali 🍆💦'

Excuse me?!

I know I've read into things before and been wrong, but seriously?! Who actually saves someone's contact with emojis like that in the first place - I'm trying with all the will power I have left to not say anything to him, I know he has a ton on his plate and bigger things to worry about right now, but I can't.

Do I even have the right to ask? We're not together? Can I be mad about this? I have no idea but I completely snap.

"Who the fuck is Ali with all your little emojis?.."

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