Make Your Move...before it's too late

Part Seven

I woke up to the vibration of my phone ringing. Struggling to find it and turn it off in the pitch black was a struggle, I can tell you that. It finally hit me that I had it on charge in the front glove box of Cals car. Climbing over Cals sleeping body laying in the boot I pushed myself up and over the back seats and then reached into the front seat glovebox to grab my phone and shut it off. It was fully charged and had clearly turned back on once it had been charged, and although it was on silent, it shook the car and made a loud noise in the silence of the early hours of the morning. The number read unknown, so assuming it was simply a wrong number or spam call I cancelled it. Slowly climbing back over the seat it began to ring again, thinking to myself of my stupidity of not turning it off I rushed over to it again, bumping the seat noisely by accident I awoke Cal. Now half awake he whispered "what's going on are you okay Lena?" I replied with a hushed tone "my phone just keeps ringing but I'm turning it off now, sorry", still half asleep he said it was fine, explaining "if someone is calling you at -what time is it?", I told him it was 5am, "yes, if someone is calling you at 5am then it's probably important", I disagreed, no one ever calls me, especially not his early, saying "but it's an unknown number", Cal turned over, wanting to sleep "uh-huh, all the more reason to answer and see who it is". Registering that he wanted the noise to stop I picked up my phone and opened the door to get out of the car, Cal stopped me as I stepped out "wait, here put on my jumper, its cold outside this early", I gratefully took him up on the offer and slipped it on over my head. It was a grey sweater, too large and baggy on me, but it kept me warm, and it smelt comforting, like Cal. Stepping out of the car I went to check missed calls and found the same number had called 3 times before it eventually woke me, hovering my finger over the number, scared of who it could be I struggled to press it, only to jump backwards as it rang again in my hands. Quickly I answered it this time.
"Hello?" I asked wearily, and with an immense amount of uncertainty in my voice. The voice that replied sounded the exact opposite. "Hey, Lena right?", it's always creepy having someone call you and know your name when you dont know them, but I recognised the voice, uncertain of who's it was exactly however so I responded a bit more calmly, "yeah that's me, but I'm sorry who is this? I don't have your number sorry", I then grew worried that I should've had their number and that I'd just insulted them I repeated "sorry", the voice simply laughed. "You don't realise who I am do you?". I was beginning to grow aggravated, "no I'm sorry I don't, I told you that, so who are you and how do you have my number if I may ask...and why are you calling me this early in the morning". The voice, seeming to find this funny breathed out and replied "I'm calling you at this time because I thought it'd only now be safe to say you were back home and no longer with Cal. I'm assuming you're not, otherwise why would you be answering my call". I didn't respond, slightly scared and very intrigued. "It's Ash, if you hadn't realised that already", I almost dropped the phone. "Ash, how did you get my number?", I waited patiently, thats a lie, I'd never been more confused and impatient in my lifetime. "I have your purse" he replies and I remember the note I've had in it for years with my contact details in case of, well this , "you left it in my pocket". He says this seductively, as if I put it there. I did not. Nor did I leave it there purposely. "I didn't leave it there, you forgot to give it back to me." He laughs at that "fiesty, I like it. But you are wrong." Shocked and unamused I ask "wrong about what", he slowly says "wrong about me forgetting to give it back to you... I didn't forget. I was fully aware of what I was doing. At first I went looking for you to return it and saw you were, well, lets say busy in my pool." I felt horrible, he was clearly hurt, he could try and conceal it with jokes and smooth talking but I can hear he is hurt. He continues, "I saw you run out of my apartment with Cal after the party, holding your purse I watched you run right past me. So I kept it." I hang up. Taking a deep breath I look up at the sky, pink and orange, sunrise just peaking up. He rang back, and I cancel it, needing time to think. He sends a text "I'm sorry Lena, I'm being a dick" I respond, "yes, you are", I see him typing and wait, the waiting is infuriating. "Come to my address and I'll return your purse, I can't drive to yours because my cars been blocked in." The audacity of this man shocks me, "what makes you think I'd come to you. Can't you just post it or something", he replies "and have it take a week to get to you when you clearly don't live too far away. That would be daft. I'll call you an uber if you can't drive here." My response is short and to the point "fine".
My mind is boggled by my sudden change of heart, but for some reason I want to see him, maybe to prove to myself that I feel nothing towards him, but the truth is that I want to see him because I feel something towards him, trying to convince myself otherwise is pointless. Whether it's simply based off of physical attraction alone or if there is something more I will find out tonight.
The uber arrives and I quickly think to write Cal a quick note letting him know that I had to leave incase he wakes up before I get back, I don't plan on that happening so I'm not sure why I wrote it, but I write it anyway and stick it on the glass window of the boot, afraid opening the door will wake him up. I get into the uber and he already knows the address I'm going to, as if I'm some hooker getting picked up and driven to a mans house. I despise myself for thinking that, why would I think of what I'm doing as being anything close to that, I'm not even doing anything wrong... am I? The answer is yes, if I feel bad about what I'm doing, if I feel the need to lie about it to not only Cal but to myself, then it is wrong-whatever 'it' is I am currently unsure of.
The uber arrives at Ash's, the fake cobwebs still hang from the balcony and I see a figure walk from inside the apartment and towards the car-Ash. He pays the uber driver and opens the door, offering a hand to help me out, I brush him off and ask "wheres the purse? Why don't you just bring it to the car". He steps back, obviously hurt, and the pain it gives me hurts more than I could've imagined. He conceals this pain well however, looking me up and down. I realise at that moment that my hair must look a tangled mess, and for my attire I'm wearing Cals sweater and nothing underneath, lacy red underwear and a bra are the only things covering my body from his eyes, thankful for Cal's sweater I hug it closer to me. I see the recognition register in his eyes, of course he recognises the sweater, they tour for months together with only a handful of clothing, he is bound to have seen it on Cal before...but never on me. "Nice sweater" he bites accusingly at me, turning away. I get out of the uber. He hears the car door slam and turns around. "Why the change in desire", I walk slowly towards him, aware of how the sweater rides up over by butt-its a baggy but not that baggy and I'm grateful that he isn't standing behind me, "who said my desire ever changed". He likes that, I see his eyes spark and I remember the lesson taught to children, 'don't play with fire or you're bound to get burnt', but I'm not playing around, I know exactly what I'm doing. I walk past him and through the open doors of his apartment, aware of the way his eyes move down my body, giving me shivers up and down my spine.
He follows me inside and I see my purse sitting on the counter top. I grab it and turn, facing him. "Thanks", suddenly unsure of what I want, I move to head out the door. He doesn't move to stop me, I wish he would, and he knows that. I stop at the door, my hand on the knob, and ask, still facing the door "why are you doing this?". I hear dishes bang in the kitchen and turn around, he looks at me "doing what? I'm making hot chocolate" he smirks, amused with himself. "You know what I mean", he looks up, plopping two marshmallows into the mug, "I could ask you the same question". Feeling the need to defend myself I snap "I came here to get my purse that you held prisoner" he simply laughs, it infuriates me, "no you're not. You could have asked Cal to get it from me and return it to you the next time you saw him. So I'll ask you again Lena. What are you doing here?"