ELBINA

Chapter 22

I stared out at the dying light outside, unmoving from the seat in the kitchen now. I was feeling a little less tired, managing to sleep last night after June found some sleeping pills.

I wasn't sure about taking them at first. In case I couldn't wake up from the nightmare but thankfully it knocked me so deep that it was just dark and the next thing I knew I woke up feeling a hell of a lot better.

But I'd lost the majority of the day. I needed it though, it had been two without sleep and I could barely function anymore.

I spooned in the soup, my first meal of the day and the kids were about to come back from school. The window into the back garden was the only thing I had to look at ahead of me because everyone seemed to be non-existent. Jake had gone back to work and so back to his own place, June left to pick up the kids from the bus stop leaving me here alone.

And since Jake gave me back my phone, Lucas refused to answer a single one of my calls.

All my texts were still left unanswered.

It isn't until a loud ringing erupted from my phone on the table beside me, my eyes narrowed when I saw an unknown caller.

I wanted to leave it, thinking it may be a cold caller. But then I'm also bored out of my brain, so I dropped my spoon, reached for my phone and held it up to my ear once I connected the call.

"Hello?"

"Ella?"

I didn't recognise the voice immediately. "Speaking."

"It's Quentin,"

"Oh, hey! How are you doing?" My hand picked up the spoon after switching my hand to hold the phone, taking a sip of the chicken soup again whilst I waited for him to respond.

I heard a sigh from him, before he lowers his voice a little, "I need you to come and get Lucas."

"What? Why?" I lowered my spoon again, the metal clinking against the bowl in the silence of the room.

"He just showed up for the evening shift and he's not right, if you know what I mean?" I shake my head before I realise he can't see me.

"No... What do you mean by not right?"

"He's drunk, so you can understand why I can't have him here. I can't take him home either because I'm the only other person here."

"He's drunk?" I blew out a breath in shock.

"Hard to miss, I don't know what he thought was going to happen, I could smell it on him the minute he turned up. Anyway, are you good to come down and grab him?"

I bit my lip; fear starts forming in the pit of my gut. What if Quinn was waiting for me? I'd have to walk right by that alley, knowing what happened and knowing he was still out there.

Even though I was scared, I disregard that and nod my head, "Erm... Yeah, I'll be there as quickly as I can."

"Thank you, I'll lock him in the office till you get here."

I chuckled because he did so and no other reason because inside, I was shitting myself having to make the journey.

I ended the call, slipping down from the stool. Throwing the rest of my soup away and putting the pots in the dishwasher. As I passed the draw holding the knives, I pulled it out, staring at the array of different types.

Each would offer me some form of protection, my hand steadily slid over the handle of one of the smaller ones. I could easily hold in my pocket, a form of a safety net. It took everything I had in me to argue myself out of it, going so far as to grab the knife in my hands and lifting it out.