Stolen (Joe Sugg AU)

Chapter Fourteen: Location One

Light streamed into the room all too soon. It felt like I was only asleep for five minutes. I felt Joe get out of bed and stand up.

                “Wake up Alex,” he said. I moaned, but I got up, knowing it was a very important day. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

                Joe held out his hand and I took it. He pulled me up and out the room, where Alfie was pulling things out of the fridge.

                “Good morning guys,” he said, pouring some creamer into what smelled like coffee. “Coffee?” He asked, motioning to the freshly brewed pot.

                “I’d love some,” Joe said. He led me over and poured me a cup. “Sorry it’s not the café’s. I know you love it there.”

                I smiled. “This is just fine,” I responded, taking a sip. It was strong and bitter, but it gave me the punch I needed to kick start the day.

                “So Marcus just called,” Alfie said, grabbing a banana and peeling it.

                “Who’s Marcus?” I asked, looking from Alfie to Joe.

                “He’s an ally you could say. His girlfriend was also one of the victims. The one before Zoe actually. We’ve been teaming up with him to look,” Joe responded, taking a gulp of his coffee and shaking his head. “Wow that’s strong!”

                “That’s what creamer is for bro,” Alfie lifted his mug up and smiled before drinking more of his coffee.

                I grabbed an apple off the table and rubbed it against my shirt before I took a bite out of it. That’s when I realized that apples and coffee don’t mix well, but I was hungry so I continued to eat it.

                “Anyways, what did Marcus say?” Joe asked.

                “He said he’ll meet us at our regular rendezvous spot. He’s bringing along Oli.”

                “Really? Haven’t heard from him in a while.”

                “Yeah, Marcus said that he’s been doing his own research and got in some trouble along the way. But everything is supposedly okay now.”

                “Well,” Joe put his mug on the table. “We need all the help we can get. We should get packing.”

                “Packing what?” I asked.

                Joe looked at me then at Alfie, who just shrugged and started grabbing empty duffel bags.

                Joe sighed. “Protection. Weapons. Anything that we may need in a time like this.”

                I looked at him. “You said that like I should be surprised.”

                “Then why’d you ask?”

                “I asked what you guys were packing. But you made it seem like I would react strangely hearing that.”

                “Well, you react to news strangely so…” Joe laughed and I hit him in the arm. I appreciated the joke, but it did nothing to relieve the darkness weighing down my chest.

                “When are we leaving?” I asked.

                Both Joe and Alfie suddenly went still. They looked at each other for a second too long, and I was confused.