Because the truth was, I was nowhere near okay.
Judah
Nibbling on my thumb nail, which had been chewed down to the skin and was now starting to hurt from my teeth, I paced from one end of my apartment to the next. Over and over, back and forth.
Something is wrong.
It had been over twenty-four hours since Zeek sent me that text message. Since then, radio silence. If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but Zeek didn’t exactly strike me as the type of man to ignore me when I texted. Let alone called.
He assured me he’d answer if I called and he’s never lied to me before. Not in all the time we’d been held captive together. So why is he not answering? Why is his phone going to voicemail every time I call?
Panic continued to rise.Something is definitely very wrong.
I instinctively jumped when my phone rang in my hand. Though my heart sank in the half a second it took me to check the caller ID.
“Eli,” his name was a plea on my lips. He wasn’t the one I wanted calling me at that moment, but I hoped he’d be the one to help me figure out what was going on.
“What’s wrong?” Eli questioned, his voice laced with concern. I could practically see him sitting taller on his couch, ready to jump at my command.
“Zeek.” I could only get the one word out before my voice cracked.
“What did he do?” Eli’s tone dropped a notch, ready to come to my defense.
“Nothing. I–I don’t know. He won’t answer me. I don’t think I did anything….”
“Okay. First thing I want you to do is take a deep breath, Judah.”
Obeying, I took in a gasping breath, held it for a moment, then released it.
“Good. Now, explain to me what’s going on.”
I spent the next few minutes attempting to do just that. However, I probably ended up talking far too fast for Eli to remotely keep up. Unfortunately, that was something I tended to do more than I cared to admit.
“I’m sure it’s nothing major, Judes,” Eli assured, attempting to coax me down from my impending panic attack. “His phone could just be lost. Or perhaps it died and he forgot to charge it.”
“Something isn’t right, Eli. I can feel it in my bones.” Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision as horrible visions of what may have happened to Zeek plagued my mind.Why can’t he understand my concern?
“Okay, Judes,” he murmured softly. “I can’t really come to you since I’ve already canceled my date once, but let me see what I can do.”
“No, no, don’t cancel again. I’ll figure something out,” I reassured him. I didn’t even know he was dating. And I certainly didn’t know he’d already canceled once on my behalf. “Who’s your date?” I questioned, genuinely curious.
I’m his friend, shouldn’t I at least know these things?
“Just a girl I met at the club. It likely won’t be anything more than friendship, but we’ll see how it goes. Anyway, I’m going to call a friend of mine and see if she can get a hold of Zeek. I’ll pass your phone number on to her so that she can keep you updated, alright?”
“Thank you. You’re a life saver.”
And it was true.
If I hadn’t found Eli when I did at that coffee shop years ago, I don’t believe I’d be here today. He had this uncanny ability to see more than what met the eye. And that particular day, I happened to be struggling to fight off an anxiety attack and suicidal thoughts.
Now, several years later, I was much better. Not healed, but better. That’s not to say some days weren’t harder than others or that I didn’t struggle. I most definitely did.Maybe that’s what Zeek is dealing with.That thought ripped away the last shred of hope I had, sending tears streaming down my cheeks.
With no way to stop them, I hung up the phone and took a seat on my couch, head in my hands. So many thoughts that I didn’t want running through my head plagued my already fragile mind. I felt so helpless. I didn’t drive; not because I couldn’t. I just didn’t like to. And even if I did, I didn’t know where he lived––there was no way for me to make sure Zeek was safe.
I don’t know how much time had passed before my phone rang again. This time, however, it was a number that I didn’t recognize. Sniffing, I wiped the tears from my checks and cleared my throat before answering.
“H–Hello?” I stammered.
