YOURS

Chapter 4

I dropped my arm still holding my phone. I looked up to Cole.

"What did she say?"

I pushed past him and went over to my window making sure it was locked. I closed the curtains and left my room.

"Emily!" Cole followed me.

I moved from room to room on the second floor and made sure all the widows were secure and moved to the down stairs floor.

"What did she say?" Cole stopped me as I reached the first floor.

"I need to lock everything. She's coming home. You should leave." I was abrupt.

I continued to check all windows and doors. After everything was secure I sat on a chair in the living room facing the front door. I was going to sit and stare and wait for her to walk through it.

"Is everything okay?" Cole asked taking a seat next to me.

"My driver didn't pick me up, he wasn't here. He isn't answering phone calls. Something must have happened to him."

"Well he's just a driver, right? Maybe he got into an accident. Or quit?"

"He's a trained FBI agent. Try again." I was harsh to Cole.

"Well I'm sure there is an explanation for it." He said grabbing my hand.

I jerked it away standing up. I turned my attention to Cole.

I looked him up and down. "Did you do this?"

"What? No!" He shouted pleading his innocence.

A loud slam curved both of our heads to the front door.

"Get behind me." He didn't give me time to move, he pushed me behind him and covered me with his body.

Keys jingled in the door as it whooshed open.

"Who the hell are you?!" Helen's voice boomed through the air.

Cole put his hands up.

"Madison?" He called out my fake name for help.

Was I going to play along?

I stepped out from behind him. Helen held a gun up with her eyes and shoulders pointed directly at Cole.

"It's okay, mom." I guess I was.

"This is the friend who walked me home." I nodded to her.

She lowered her gun and looked him up and down.

"What's your name?" She still sounded like a police officer on duty.

Cole extended his arm. "Sean, Ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Helen didn't shake his hand. Instead she called out to the yard.

"IT'S CLEAR."

Mark walked in.

"This is her friend. Sean." She pointed to Cole and Mark's eyes followed her finger.

"Madison take a seat. You can head home, Sean." He made his anger known.

"Yes sir." Cole spoke to him.

I tried to keep my look of disbelief small. Did Cole just take an order from him? In a polite manner? No. Sean did. Not Cole.

Cole walked out of the house and the door shut behind him.

I took a seat as my "parents" took one from across me.

"Why on Earth did you walk home?!" Helen started.

"I didn't have another option, Tom didn't show up!"

"Another option? You could've stayed at school and called us!" She continued.

"And not to mention you walked home with a "friend" who we've never met? Did you open your mouth about anything? What did he think about you locking down the windows and doors?" Mark spit out.

"He offered to walk me home because I was alone. He thought it was weird, but when I explained that you got a call about a break in I needed to check them and wait for you to get home." I lied.

"Good cover up, I guess..." Helen was at least trying to be nice.

"Until we find out where and what happened with Tomas you will stay in your room. If he doesn't show up you're staying home from school tomorrow. Someone could've taken him out and might be trying to get to you."

Yeah. Like Cole. I thought. He couldn't be behind this. Could he?

I nodded my head and walked up to my room.

I sat on my bed and let a sigh out. It was loud. It was big. It was stressful.

I laid down and closed my eyes.

BRRRR sounds filled the air.

I shot up and looked around my room. It was coming from in here.

It was vibrations. I got out of bed and took a closer look everywhere as it continued. I was getting closer. It was by my window. I moved the curtain out of the way. Suddenly I saw it. There was a phone sitting on my window sill. It was vibrating.

I picked it up. This wasn't my phone. There were texts that covered the screen. There was no password. I opened it to read them.

"Earth to Emily."

"I'm going to keep texting until you hear these coming through."

"E"

"M"

"I"

"L"

"Y"

"!"

They kept coming in.

Whose phone was this? Who was texting me.

"Who is this?" I shakily texted back. I swallowed with anxiety waiting on a reply.

"Cole."

"Sorry probably should've told you that first."

I shook my head with relief. Should I be relived though? He left a phone here?

"Why did you leave this?" I texted back.

"So we could talk. I figured your actual phone is tapped by the FBI."

He wasn't wrong.

"This way we don't have to pretend to be Madison and Sean" He sent followed by an eye roll emoji.

I sat on my bed and put they phone down. This was too much. The feelings of being trapped in those woods and fighting to get out came back. The phone kept vibrating. I picked it back up.

"Can I call you?" I read.

Paranoia took over as I looked around. He wasn't here. I knew that but something made me feel not alone.

Why did I feel the need to say yes? I didn't walk to talk to him. I didn't want him to call me. I felt like I didn't have a choice. If I said no he'd probably get angry. Do I want to make him angry?

No. Stop thinking like this, Emily. I'm safe. Cole is not here. He doesn't not have control over you. Just say no.

"Yes." I typed.

The phone began to ring. I slid to answer.