“Fuck, hurry up, Fritz. We need to get home, now.” She is our home, whether she knows it already or not.
Finally,finally, we pull into the parking lot, spotting Bel’s car in its designated spot. Fritz is as antsy as I am, and we plot to sneak into her room and tackle her right into her bed. I’m so ready to have her in my arms again, with her sweet cries and animalistic groans.
Fritz hasn’t had the privilege of enjoying her yet, and I can’t wait to witness that, too. They’re going to be so gorgeous together, and I’m going to teach her exactly how to tame him when he acts up.
Silently, I unlock her front door and sneak in behind Fritz. Her purse is on the “drop pile” table she designated right inside the door, along with a pair of sky-high heels tossed beside it. There’s an unfamiliar human smell, but I think nothing of it, knowing Isla was here and they likely ordered delivery.
I point up the stairs and start climbing them. Fritz follows a few steps behind me, the only sound our quiet breathing. I open up her bedroom door, hoping it doesn’t creak as it sometimes does.
It creaks so fucking loud I’m sure it would wake the dead, but that’s not the most upsetting thing I notice.
“Where is she?” Fritz asks, echoing my silent question. Her bed is completely empty, disheveled and still smells like her. Likeus.No one but her and I have been in this room, but something isn’t right. The smell is stale and faint.
“She didn’t sleep here at all.”Where is she?“You said she was out with Isla all night? Did she spend the night at her home?” I’m trying not to panic, sure there’s some explanation. The two of them are attached at the hip, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume she slept there.
Fritz frantically pulls out his phone, showing me the message that says she’s home. The idea that she’s lied to me crosses my mind for only a moment, but I know she wouldn’t do that. She is many things, but dishonest is not one of them.
A few moments later, I hear the ring of a phone from downstairs. Fritz and I look at each other before making our way toward the sound. On the kitchen table lies Bel’s phone, right next to its charging station. Fritz disconnects his phone call, and the pinging stops.
I pick it up and type in the code Bel told me last week when she allowed me access. When it unlocks, there’s a whole list of notifications.
10 missed calls - Isla Parker
17 texts - Isla, Mom, Dad, Fritzy
3 Voicemails - Isla Parker
The texts from Isla are the most concerning, reading:
Yesterday, 12:31 PM:You lied to me.
Yesterday, 4:43 PM:Are you still coming?
Yesterday, 8:03 PM:Look, I’m mad about this whole thing since you lied over something so stupid, but you’re my best friend. I’m sure you have your reasons. Just fucking call me back.
Today, 10:30 AM:You’re starting to scare me. Your mom just called me asking for you.
Today, 1:12 PM:If you’re so busy getting dicked down you’re willing to scare the shit out of all of us, I’m going to be pissed.
Today, 1:43 PM:I’m coming over. Right now. You’d better be dead or dying.
Reading over my shoulder, Fritz’s fear becomes palpable. When I close the message screen, my own panic doubles.
The background of Bel’s phone has been changed. She’s holding yesterday’s newspaper, tears and snot running down her face. She’s bruised and bleeding from a small cut on her neck, dribbling blood. The knife pressed to her throat has insignia that I know I’ve seen before.
“Sanctus Sculitis.” Fritz curses, “Those fuckers have her, Cas! They’re going to kill her!” He spirals, muttering about how they’re going to torture her like we just did Sam and-
“Stop,” I tell him, “Call your Ammon friend.” I have to remain calm or I’m going to kill every person between here and wherever they’ve taken Bel.
“Eamon!” he snaps his fingers, “Eamon! Yes. Okay, okay, okay, I’ll call him right now.” I can’t tear my eyes away from the phone, the terrified look on Belissendas face.I’m going to kill every one of them.
I overhear Fritz telling someone, presumably this Eamon person, what we’ve just found. He repeats when the last time we heard from her was, and I open the text exchange she supposedly had with Fritz.
Her last text to us was last night, but she hasn’t been responding to anyone else. Her last message besides that one was to Isla a few nights ago, reiterating that she definitely wasn’t sleeping with both of us.Technically, not a lie.But I don’t think the semantics matter here.
Bel told Isla nothing is going on with Fritz, and somehow she found out that’s not true. But how? What the fuck is going on?
“Thursday,” I say out loud.
