Frosted (Hate at First Flight #3)

21. 1004

SONG : OBSESSION - EXO

•••|||•••

My fingers tightened around my phone as I felt my heart pounding heart against my chest like it was out of control and there was nothing to stop it from jumping out of my chest eventually.

My ears were ringing and I couldn't hear anything other than my heart pounding.

"Phil, I'm coming. I'll be there soon," Jace's voice echoed from the other end after what felt like a century of fear gripping me.

I couldn't say anything in reply. My body frozen as I felt a dark gaze on me, pressing against me and suffocating me slowly. I could hear Jace huffing and puffing as the silence drew on.

I hadn't taken the threat seriously enough. Despite what had happened at Venice Beach, I had brushed it off and let it go easily. I knew right then, right there with no reasonable protection nearby that I shouldn't have. I felt sorry for Owens who was there, but I didn't count him in that category.

"Phil, you there?" Jace managed out, when I still didn't reply, his voice shaky as he panted.

"Ye-Yeah," I replied, keeping my voice low.

I was worried that the blackmailer would realize that I knew he was near me and that either he would throw all caution to the wind and come after me or he would run away.

I didn't want him near me, but I also didn't want him to run away. If anything, I hoped he would stay long enough for Jace and Bruce to come along and catch him.

Then and only then will I be free from this ridiculousness that had become my life. I would be free once again, or at least as I free as I had been before, and most importantly, of Jace.

Even though I needed him right at that second, I knew without a doubt that I didn't want Jace Frost back in my life.

His return and his recent permanence in my life was already bringing back memories and feelings that I had long since shoved into the dark chasms of my heart; buried and long forgotten.

"Phil, sweetie," Jace said in the calming tone he always had when he told me that there was no such thing as Slender man. "Wait for me, okay? Make sure to stay where there's a lot of people."

If I wasn't frozen with fear or in need of his help, I would've said something back to his sudden endearment. But I didn't.

Surprisingly I found myself calming down almost instantly as I nodded along. Like on would after drinking a glass of warm milk after waking up from a nightmare in the middle of the night.

He offered a quick, "I'm almost there," before the call ended and the silence echoed back at me.

I remained rooted there, standing as I weighed my options. I contemplated informing Owens about what had just transpired, but then thought twice about it. I didn't want to tip the blackmailer off.

Knowing that standing there, frozen would do the same thing, I pasted on a smile and tried to look relaxed before I turned back and went back to the table.

Georgia and Krystal both watched me with worried expressions and I knew they had already sensed something.

"Phillipa," Georgia's voice broke the silence as I sat back down and took a bite out of her black-forest. "Is everything alright?"

I swallowed the cake that was stuck in my throat at her question before I nodded. "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"You can tell us if you want. We're here for you," surprisingly Krystal was the one who spoke. She gave me a reassuring smile to tell me she meant it.