With All My Heart (A Devons Series)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness."

-Desmond Tutu

Emma POV

   Struggling to sit up and open the door of the car, I try to get some air in my desperate lungs. I glance to my right, at Gabriel and stifle a sob. Blood seeps from his mouth and nose. His face is a bloody mess and I expect nothing less from my own appearance. I feel like my lungs are on fire and they probably are.

   My phone is probably fried from the fire and I try to get myself out of the car but the car I rammed into is blocking my door. I look to Gabriel's door but it's blocked by a tree. 

   Suddenly, claustrophobia hits me hard. There is no way out of here. I'm going to die, burnt to a crisp with Gabriel! I don't want to die! Not like this!! I inhale a bit too much smoke and I explode into a fit of coughing. I feel so helpless. I can't help myself or Gabriel and I hate it!

   I stifle a sob and yank on the door again, just in case it'll give out. But no, G-d doesn't love me that much.

   I bang on the window until I'm out of breath and I lean my head back on the seat. Just a wink of sleep and I'll be back at banging at the door, I decide.

   I close my eyes and I'm pulled into the oblivious blackness.

Thea POV

   Hunter and Nick keep calling me, letting me know every minute or so that Emma and Gabriel went looking for me and that I need to call either of them to let them know that I'm okay.

   After being bothered for two hours straight, I finally decide to return home, to find Emma's car gone from the driveway. I shrug at the thought that Emma is out there looking for me. Honestly. I never imagined that that look-a-like girl would be such a nuisance to me.

   When I enter the house, Nick stops me, asking me if I've seen Gabriel or Emma, which I respond with a nasty "NO". As the closest to Gabriel, Nick seems very worried that Gabriel hasn't texted him when he said he would. Gabriel isn't the kind of guy to break his word, especially not to Nick.

   I roll my eyes at Nick's baseless concern. "Oh big damn deal. They're probably just in middle of a heavy make-out session. Leave him alone."

   Nick shakes his head fervently. "No!" he insists. "Number one, I have a really bad feeling about Gabriel not calling me. And two, every time I call him, I immediately get his voicemail. It's not like Gabe not to answer his phone."

   That statement causes a lick of fear to crawl up and down my spine. That is strange for Gabriel not to answer his phone, but I play it off. "Like I said," I repeat. "They're probably in middle of a heavy make-out session."

   But despite my easy words, I can't help but be worried as well. Nick has some spot-on intuition when it comes to these things. Is he right to worry now?

   But I shove my worry out of my mind and busy myself with other things. 

   A few hours pass and there's no word from Gabriel or Emma, which is weird, considering that they called me fifty million times to see if I was okay.

   At seven pm, we receive a call from an unfamiliar number, on our landline.

   I answer hesitantly. "Hello?"

   A male voice answers me. "Hello, may I speak to a Devons family member please?"

   Heart in my throat, I reply, "Speaking." I clench my free hand into a fist to keep it from shaking. Who the hell is this?