LOSING YOU

Chapter 113- Tag, You're It!

♡ He chased me and he wouldn't stop
Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it
Grabbed my hand, pushed me down
Took the words right out my mouth
Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it ♡

—SIYA—

"So, you are meeting him today?" Kabir whispers distractedly while typing on his phone.

I take in a deep breath, and grab my bagel harder- I lay my head on his shoulder and look at our surroundings. People hustling and bustling across the streets of a busy day in California... We sit on our usual bench which is in an isolated corner across the street from the office building. No one sees us here and somehow we manage to get a view of the world as it is. "I don't want to." I tell him, he looks at me, keeping his phone away.

"Then don't." I look up from his shoulder and smile. "It's not that simple... I owe it to him."

"No, you don't owe him shit." He snorts, I bump my shoulder against him. "You don't want me to meet him." I observe, he rolls his eyes. "You too don't want to meet him. So, I guess that makes the two of us."

Eric has been consistently calling for the past four days and I've been avoiding him. He even showed up at the reception one day, I sent him back and he left like the perfect gentleman. I feel sorry for him. He has texted me so many times and I've left him on seen. Kabir is happy, he doesn't want me to talk to him. I understand that.

"Kabir, he deserves a closure. I can't just ghost him." I kiss his cheek, he huffs. "Fine. What time do you meet him?" He asks, while I take a bite of my bagel. "Around seven in the evening, he'll pick me up."

"How will you come back?"

"I'll take a cab."

"How much time will it take?" I smile at him. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you will have dinner with us?" He rolls his striking eyes yet again. "I think it'll not take much time... One hour should be enough."

"Okay. Call me if you need me." He mumbles and pecks me twice on the lips before eating more than half of my bagel in a single bite. I slap his arm and he grins with his mouth full. Getting up, we walk back into the building.

I start with all my work again and don't see Kabir for the rest of the day. Natalie told me that she sneaked into the reception area the day Eric showed up, he looked really sad. I don't want to break his heart. He loves me and the amount of effort he's putting into trying to get me back... after all the workload he currently has- I appreciate that, I just- I love Eric, I do. But...

But, I love Kabir more. Way more than I'll ever be able to love anyone.

I make a few calls, attend a few meetings and get back to my office. I glance at the clock and slap my forehead. It's seven already. I leave the office and tell Natalie to take the rest of the day off, she smiles. I walk down the street and sit on the same bench. My eyes search for Eric but I don't see him anywhere, pulling out my phone, I'm greeted with six missed calls from him. Why does this shit never ring?

Before I can call him back, he calls again. "Hey, sorry I couldn't pick up."

"That's alright, actually- can we postpone? I was on my way here but the client... something came up. I have to go back, it's pretty urgent." He sighs. I feel relieved for some reason. "Oh, don't worry... we can talk later." I tell him. "Siya, were you waiting for me?" He asks me, I smile. "Yeah, I'm standing at the spot you had to pick me up from, I'll go back to the office. Bye, Eric."

"Bye, Siya. I love you." My heart drops at his voice as he cuts the call. I stand up and just as I'm about to start walking towards the office, a large hand covers my mouth. My eyes widen as I'm lifted in the air, I start wriggling beneath their arms. Something pressed into my face, I struggle a little more, my phone falls in the process, Kabir's name flashes on the screen at that exact moment. All you have to do is pick up that call, you'll be fine. He'll take care of the rest. My head screams at me. A new wave of energy and hope crashes into me as I bite hard into the cloth covered hand, the person immediately lets go off me, for some reason I'm surprised by the lack of reaction. I was expecting a scream because of how hard I bit into their hand but I get no such reaction, not even a single fucking sound, are they even a human being? I shake my head and get back to focus on the task at hand. I don't care. Once I pick up Kabir's phone, he'll make this asshole scream. For life.

I lunge towards the ground with the strange taste of blood and some sort of sweet spirit on my tongue. Shit. Chloroform.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

My head starts throbbing all of a sudden and my fingers feel numb as I try to reach for my phone. I lift my phone and my glance travels straight ahead, before I have a chance to scream or pick up the call, the person hits my head with a steel baton. I still... completely. The sound of the baton hitting my head rings in my ears, the sensation travels through my skull and I feel blood oozing out of my scalp- towards my forehead. I blink once, taking in the blurry vision in front of my face.

A person, the face is completely covered- mask, goggles and cap, all black. I think it's a man. His hand is covered with a white cloth that is slowly turning into a beautiful shade of light red because I bit him. There was something on that cloth, I smelled it. My feet feel like liquid, ready to give up any moment and there's no one to save me.

My hope finally dies when the phone stops vibrating in my hand. Please call again. Please come looking for me. Kabir, I need you. I'm just across the street. I think I'm whispering something, maybe telling the man to stop walking towards me, he snatches my phone and throws it on the ground before smashing it to pieces with his boots. Tears well my eyes as I try to throw a punch at him but end up falling on my hands and knees, I stare at the ground- a tear drop falls and a thick drop of blood from my head follows. Dots dance behind my vision as everything turns black slowly. A groan leaves me as an arm wraps around my waist and I'm thrown over his shoulder. I close my eyes, involuntarily so.

Ik the chapter is short. But, the fun has just begun!! Who kidnapped Siya? What's going on? Will Kabir be able to find her? I'm so excited?!?!?
Also, this book is about to end... yeah.
So, tell me what trope would you like to read next? MUAH, MUAH!
ASTRAEA❤️