I reach the room and collapse into a ball on the bed. The hotel is so quiet, I swear you could hear a pin drop. I have all the lights switched off and the room is completely dark. My phone beside me buzzes for the millionth time. Renee and Noah won’t stop calling me.
I glance at my phone and see that this time, it isn’t Noah or Renee. It’s Rhys. I swallow the lump in my throat. I bury my head in my pillow and scream. Not a single scream, but multiple screams, hoping that this is all a bad dream and tomorrow I’ll wake up and everything will be normal.
For about an hour, my phone remains silent. I look at the time and discover why. It’s 3:06am. I turn over in my place thinking that sleep would be a good idea. My eyes begin to fall heavy and seal shut when my phone buzzes again. I get frustrated and grab it to decline that call and take the battery out, but something stops me. I look at he caller ID and realise it’s Axel.
“Ax?” I answer, sounding almost unsure.
“What’s wrong?” He shoots at me.
“Ax, I, I -” I stutter.
“Mia, what happened?” He drags out, obviously concerned.
“I just miss you.” I cry.
He relaxes, briefly. “I miss you too, but why are you crying? You’ve never cried about missing me before.” He sounds worried. Great, another mistake made.
“No, that’s it. And is missing you that much, such a crime?”
“Mia, you’re my little sister, I know when you are lying to me and don’t tell me you’re not! Don’t lie to me!”
“I’m not lying.” I sniff. “I really do miss you.”
“So that is the only reason you wanted me to call?”
“Yes. No. I mean…” I take a deep breath to calm down. “Things are just hard at the moment.”
“Look, I can’t help you, if won’t tell me what’s happening,”
“When are you coming back?” I ask.
“August. Mia, stop avoiding the question!” He pushes.
“August? I thought you were coming back this month? Why has it been pushed forward two months?”
“There was some mix up and I got an extra two months. Mia, what’s going on? If you don’t tell me, I’ll call Rhys and ask him.”
“NO!” I practically yell. “Don’t talk to Rhys.”
“Um, I would agree to that, but like you, he asked me to call him. Can you see now why I was so worried? Mia, I’m being dead serious, what’s going on over there?”
“You knew didn’t you? You knew the way Rhys felt for me.”
“That’s what this is about? I don’t see the big deal. He liked you, you don’t like him back, he’ll get over it.” I stay quiet. “Mia, he didn’t hurt you right?”
“No, well kind of but I suppose it wasn’t his fault.” I’m trying to convince myself more than I am he.
“He didn’t touch you did he? Because, I swear, bother or not, if he laid a hand on you, I will-”
“Ax. He didn’t touch me. We’re states apart anyway. I’m down in Vic with Nay. It’s just for the first time, things were looking good and beginning to work out for me. Noah and I sorted things out and are together.”
“You and Noah? Isn’t that the kid with the girlfriend a few months back?”
“Yeah, it’s alright now though.”
“Hmm.” He grunts.
“What?”
“A jerk like that doesn’t deserve second chances in my opinion. But, that doesn’t matter because despite what I think, I know I can’t stop you from making your own decisions. If Rhys knows about you and Noah, that’s probably why he’s pissed off. If you thought I handled that bad, he handled it worse. He wanted to kill the kid and he wanted so badly to make you smile the way he usually does. When you refused to talk, eat and you started having bad nights, he took on the responsibility of looking after you around the clock.”
“I know.”
“When are you going back?”
“On Friday, next week.” I yawn. “Ax, it’s 2:30am. I’ll talk to you later.”
“OK, do I or don’t I call Rhys?”
I close my eyes wishing he’d make that decision himself. “Call him, but don’t say you spoke to me. Miss you, have a good day.”
“Done. I miss you too. I’ll call you some time later this week. I love you, sweet dreams little sister.”
“I love you too.”
