Trace

Chapter 58

"No!" I cry, dodging the officer who throws his heavy frame at me.

He curses at me and I feel his partner grab and twist my arm from behind, emitting a scream from my mouth.

"Fuck! Let me go!"

I try to bump out of the officer's heavy grip, but by now the hand cuffs are around my wrists and digging into my skin.

"You can't fucking arrest me!" I yell to both of them, my rage at its heights.

The officer behind me nudges me forward.

"It's not my fault!" I shriek, lips trembling.

The officer nods ahead at the tiny building in flames, with fire trucks and ambulances around it.

"Then who do you suppose should take the blame?"

I drop my head, hanging it with shame but feeling none inside of me.

"His."

The word hangs in the air so full of venom that it sounds like a curse in itself.

My leg kicks forward, sending a jolt up my body. My eyes pop open, but immediately squint against the morning sunlight.

I look around me; I am surrounded by evergreens. Raising my hands, I am relieved to find no handcuffs or any evidence of them from cuts and scratches. The pain is only branded in my memory.

I sit up and yawn, but my back instantly aches that I have to lean forward.

What the fuck?

Once more, I inspect my surroundings. And that's when it hits me.

Panic takes over my body as I pull out my phone, my mind in a scramble.

Why isn't El here? Did she come? Has she left?

Nonsense. If El had come, surely she would have woken me.

Unless she saw me and was filled with regret. . .

My phone has no new messages, and I can't decide whether I should feel pissed or panicked, so I go with both.

My thumb presses down hard on the "dial" button, and I place my shaking hand to my ear.

The line rings and is answered, but is quickly cut off. I pull back my phone and look down at the screen confused.

Moments later, a text is received from El. Relief flushes through my veins.

El Harris <3: I'm so sorry! Something came up last night!

~ like what?

I begin to fill uneasy. Why would she text me telling me where to be when she was supposedly on her way?

El Harris <3: don't worry about it xo

The text reminds me why I am pissed at her. Why won't she just pick up her god damn phone and call me?

I come to realise that this is extremely unlike El; like me, she prefers talking over texting.

~Call me.

I wait patiently for my screen to light up and receive her call, but when a few minutes go by and no response has been notified, I pick up my phone to call her myself.

Just when I am about to click on her contact, my phone goes off.

It's another text.

El Harris <3: can't now babe. later. don't call me right now. wait for me to call u. I have to go now xoxo