“Caleb?” Jess cried in panic. “What happened? Are you okay?”
I wanted to tell her to go away, so I could be ill in peace, but I thought about the man out there. What if he was another robber? I didn’t want Jess to be alone with him, either.
“Do you want me to call Adriel?” she asked frantically behind the door.
It was selfish of me to want him here. He was exhausted, and just been through a horrible ordeal with his mother… but I was scared. Terrified. I wanted him here so badly.
“Yes,” I said as loud as I could muster. I gathered my strength to unlock the door and toss my phone at her. “Use this.”
“Okay. Hang on, Caleb.”
She shut the door for privacy as another wave of sickness slammed into me and I heaved again.
When it passed, I heard Jess’s voice on the phone. “Hello? Is this Adriel? ...Yes, it’s about Caleb! He suddenly got sick and - uh huh. Okay. Okay, thank you.” Jess knocked on the door. “He’s coming, Caleb, don’t worry.”
I groaned in reply. My head swam. I felt disgusting and awful, especially since all of this was happening in front of my friend, and at my workplace. Why couldn’t it have happened at home instead?
“Is it okay if I leave you alone? I have to go be at the storefront,” Jess said sympathetically.
“Go,” I replied, my voice hoarse.
“Sorry… Adriel will be here soon.”
That was what I clung to while the waves of sickness continued to churn in my gut. Knowing Adriel was going to come help me, even though he didn’t feel so great himself… that was my only relief in the moment.
It felt like ages before I finally heard a deep familiar voice demand, “Where is he?”
Hurried footsteps came up to the bathroom door.
“Caleb?” Adriel called.
“Here,” I croaked. “It’s unlocked.”
The door flew open and Adriel immediately kneeled beside me. “Are you all right? Did something happen?”
“No, just felt sick suddenly,” I replied. “I’m sorry I made you come.”
“Don’t speak that way,” he growled, but his voice was laced with sympathy. “I’m going to take you home.”
I nodded listlessly. Adriel picked me up with great gentleness and carried me through the store. The man from earlier was gone. I was so full of relief that Adriel had come for me that it washed away any negative feelings, and I wondered if I imagined the man’s presence in the first place.
“If he asks, can you tell Lewis that Caleb became ill?” Adriel asked Jess.
“Yes, of course,” she said seriously.
“Thank you.”
Adriel carefully placed me in the car and raced home. The whole ride I clenched my eyes and tried not to think about how my stomach was flipping.
Adriel parked the car and picked me up. But instead of heading towards our cottage, he entered the mansion through the garage.
A low panic set in.
“Wait,” I said. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to see Maxwell,” he said.
In my delirious sickness, I could barely remember who that was. “Huh?”
