(In Kuea's House)
The atmosphere was thick with tension as the evening grew late. The once calm and orderly home now felt heavy with the weight of unanswered questions.
Riya paced back and forth in the living room, her eyes darting to the clock on the wall every few minutes. Her heart pounded, worry creasing her brow.
Earlier, she had received a call from Mr. Jony, Kuea's teacher and private tutor, informing her that Kuea had left his special class early, claiming he wasn't feeling well. That news had sparked a mix of concern and frustration within her.
"Where are you, Kuea?" she muttered under her breath, the edge in her voice betraying her anxiety.
She picked up her phone and dialed Kuea's number once again, only to be greeted by the same voicemail message that had answered her calls for the past hour. Her irritation flared.
"And where is Lian?" she added, almost to herself, dialing his number next. But again, it went straight to voicemail.
This time, her hands trembled slightly as she hung up. The sinking feeling in her chest worsened. Something wasn't right.
Just as she was about to try again, her phone rang, and she quickly answered, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Hello?" she said, her voice taut with worry.
"Riya, it's Lilly," came the familiar voice on the other end. The concern in Lilly's voice was palpable, instantly intensifying Riya's own worry.
"Lilly!" Riya's words came out more forcefully than she intended. "Have you heard from Kuea? Or Lian?"
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Lilly responded, her voice careful. "Kuea is here, at our house. He came with Lian."
Riya froze. Her relief was immediate but fleeting, quickly replaced by confusion. "He's with you? Why didn't he come home? What's going on?"
Lilly hesitated. "As you know, he wasn't feeling well, Riya. Kuea said he wanted to stay with us for the night. He's... comfortable here, so I thought it might be best if he stayed."
Riya's grip tightened around her phone. "Why would he want to stay there and not come home? Did something happen?" Her voice trembled slightly, the unease seeping through her words.
"Nothing to worry about," Lilly responded quickly, her tone soothing but vague. "I think he just needed a change of environment, you know how kids can be."
Riya let out a shaky sigh, pressing her fingers to her temple as if the pressure there would relieve the building tension in her chest. "I don't understand why he didn't call me. I've been worried sick."
"I'm sorry, Riya," Lilly's voice softened, her concern evident. "But he's safe here with us, and we'll take good care of him tonight. Why don't you try to get some rest?"
Riya knew Lilly was trying to comfort her, but it did little to ease the frustration and the lingering sense that something wasn't right. "Alright," she conceded reluctantly, though the sharp edge in her voice remained. "But tell him to call me first thing in the morning."
"I will," Lilly promised. "Try not to worry too much, okay?"
Riya hung up, the phone slipping from her grasp as she sank into the couch. Relief washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by a gnawing sense of helplessness. Why hadn't Kuea just come home? Why hadn't he called? Her maternal instincts screamed that something was wrong. But what?
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(In Lian's House)
YOU ARE READING
My Dear Annabelle
Fiksi UmumRead "My Dear Annabelle" to see the true love of Lian, which he have for Kuea from his childhood. Lian loves Kuea, but Kuea sees Lian as his big brother. Will Kuea accept Lian as his boyfriend? The plot doesn't ends here. There are more twist and tu...
