Missing in Action

Chapter Twenty Three

Missing in Action

Chapter Twenty Three

Louis' P.O.V

It had been three days since the wedding, and none of us had heard from Cassidy. I often found myself pacing by my phone waiting for a call or text, but the nights were the worst. I had nightmares every night where Cassidy had been shot down and had died on impact. Some nights I could see her scratched face with her open eyes that held no life within them. Other nights I could see her coffin.

I shuddered and tried to shake the image out of my head again.

My mum was at Jane's again. Cassidy's brothers had become really worried as well.

I looked out of the window and onto the street. There were two women walking down the street with a boy and a girl chasing each other. Would they turn out to be like me and Cassidy?

I had only known Cassidy since we were both eleven. She had moved here the summer before we started high school. We had become best friends from the moment she had dropped a box from the car and I had ran to help her pick it up. We'd stayed best friends for all these years.

I stopped looking out of the window. I was too worried about her to be thinking about it.

I checked my phone again, but there was nothing. I began to walk around the house just in case it was my phone signal. Still, there was nothing.

I hated this, I hated not knowing.

That day in the rain when we were both sixteen, I tried to stop her going, and I failed. Maybe this is what I was scared of: never knowing. She was gone for months at a time and we never knew where she was, or how she was.

I was scared right now.

She would've contacted me by now, she always did.

"Will you stop pacing? You're making my eyes go funny!" Lottie exclaimed from where she was sat on the sofa staring at her phone.

I stopped pacing and stared at her.

When she was younger, and before Cassidy had gone away, Cassidy used to help Lottie with her maths and science because she struggled with it sometimes.

It was weird. Cassidy was like part of this family, but it was only my mum and I that seemed bothered.

Where was that girl?

I grabbed my phone and stalked into the kitchen.

My thumbs worked quickly to pull up Cassidy's phone number. Within seconds, the call button was displayed on the screen. My thumb hovered over the call button.

I don't know why I couldn't press it. I think a part of me was expecting Cassidy to walk up the drive the minute I pressed it. She would laugh at me and tell me that I was overreacting.

I sighed as I locked my phone.

I ran my hands through my hair and slumped into a seat by the kitchen table.

Lottie sat down opposite me.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"For snapping at you like that," Lottie replied.

"Lottie, it's okay, I just- I'm worried," I sighed.

"We all are Louis," Lottie said distantly. "She's never needed anyone has she?" Lottie added.

I sighed. Cassidy never had needed anyone. She was so strong on her own. She always had this sparkle in her eyes, and a rock hard determination that was always on her face. You couldn't change her mind about anything.