Between The Lines

Chapter 105: Unanswered

Lane's POV (1st Person):

I sat in my office, the silence of the room heavy and suffocating. The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds, each one a reminder of the minutes slipping by without a word from Rebecca. I'd been trying to reach her for days—texts, calls, even emails—anything to get a response. But there was nothing. Just silence.

The worry gnawed at me, a persistent ache in my chest that refused to ease. I'd never seen her like this before, so absent, so unreachable. It was unlike her to just vanish without a word, and the more I thought about it, the more concerned I became.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. My mind kept circling back to her family, her father's explosive anger, the way Rebecca seemed to hide everything behind a brave face. She'd always been so good at masking her pain, putting on a smile even when her eyes told a different story. But now, her absence was deafening.

Was she sick? Did something happen? My thoughts were a tangled mess of fear and uncertainty. I wanted to go to her house, knock on the door, and demand answers. But I knew that would only make things worse. I'd seen the way her father reacted to her being late before—his temper was explosive, and I didn't want to add to her troubles.

I couldn't stop thinking about her last visit to my office. The way she looked at me with those big, worried eyes, her smile so genuine, even as she tried to cheer me up. I remembered the softness of her touch, how she made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered. And now, she was gone, and I was left with nothing but unanswered questions and a heart full of worry.

I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair, trying to push away the anxiety that was settling in my gut. I replayed every conversation we'd had in my mind, searching for any clue I might have missed, any sign that could explain her disappearance. But everything seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary.

The room felt colder somehow, and I found myself wishing for the warmth of her presence, her laughter, the way she'd brighten up even the dullest days. I missed her terribly, more than I'd ever admitted to myself.

I tried calling again, my fingers trembling slightly as I dialed her number. The call went straight to voicemail. I left a message, trying to keep my voice steady, despite the worry that was creeping into it.

"Rebecca, it's Lane. I don't know what's going on, but I'm really worried about you. Please, just let me know you're okay. I'm here for you, whatever you need. Just... please call me back."

I ended the call and stared at the screen, hoping for some kind of miracle, some sign that she was safe. The minutes ticked by, and the silence was almost unbearable. I couldn't help but think of her father, her family issues, and how she always seemed to handle it all so well, even when it was clearly tearing her apart.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. I couldn't just sit here and wait. I had to do something, anything, to find out if she was alright. She had become such a vital part of my life, and not knowing what was happening with her felt like a part of me was missing.

I couldn't sit still anymore. The walls of my office felt like they were closing in, suffocating me with the weight of unanswered questions. I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor as I started pacing the room, my mind racing with thoughts of Rebecca. Why was she ignoring me? What could have happened to make her cut me off like this?

Had I done something wrong? I replayed every interaction we'd had, every conversation, searching for a clue, something that could explain this sudden silence. But nothing made sense. Everything had seemed fine—better than fine. We'd been close, closer than ever before. And now... nothing.