The Night I Met You

CHAPTER NINE

Jacob

"Dammit!"

I banged my left palm in the steering wheel of my car, annoyed that I cannot get through to the number that I was trying to call for several times now. At the same time, I was also worried as to the situation of the person I was trying to reach.

Once again, I tried to call the number. I was desperate to know that the other person was alright and was not in any sort of bad condition.

"Pick up the damn phone!"

The line just continued to ring and ring and ring but, once again, I only heard the recorded operator message. There was no answer. I tried to call the number over and over again. I'm going nuts just by my call not getting through. If something actually happened I might end up in an institution.

Shit! Did something happen to her? It will be my entire fault if something actually happened to her. I brought her in that messy and dangerous place and even left her by herself. I should have just stayed by her side. Oh God!

A sudden knock in the window of my car interrupted me. It was Mark. I rolled the tinted window and he leaned toward me.

"You okay dude?" He asked.

"Tell me, do I look like I am to you?" I answered flatly. I definitely don't look anywhere near good. So why the fuck does he needs to ask?

"Worry no more, bro. I brought you good news." He answered quite enthusiastically. I was literally fighting the urge to punch him. I've been friends with him for so long and because of that I knew how odd his personality is. And right now, he's enjoying seeing me feeling tormented. But couldn't he be sympathetic for once?

"Spill." I answered annoyed, not the least bit affected by his enthusiasm.

"You're no fun. Really." He made an annoyed face at me while I just stared at him blankly. I was still holding my phone close to my ear, waiting for the line to be picked. "Nate called."

"Tell me how that good news is?"

"'She's with him." He stated matter-of-factly.

I immediately threw the phone on the passenger seat and I heard a faint thumping sound. I didn't care whether the screen of my hand phone broke or not. Then, I started the car and revved the engine making Mark take a step back.

"Hey! Chill." He remarked.

"Where?" I asked simply.

"Her place. He already sent her home."

"Thanks, bro. I'll call you later."

I dashed to her place, hitting every red light that wanted to stop me. It was past midnight and there were no cars so I was safe from any form of accident. Or police trying to feed their pockets. In no time, I was in front of her apartment building.

I looked at the windows in the fifth floor of the building. When I came to her apartment during the day, I figured that her place should be in the front side. All the windows in both sides of the building's facade were off.

I took my phone from the passenger seat. Fortunately the screen was in perfect condition besides the scratches in the screen protector. I rang her number again but I was still not connected. I pushed the door open and got out of the car all the while still trying to call her.

I probably used up all the luck I had during the day because this evening I was only faced with, well, let's call it misfortunes. My plans pretty much went on properly with little twists here and there. I knew that bringing her to the race was risky and unsafe but I wanted to show off a little. There would be fights every now and then but why does it have to be today? And it was not a simple brawl for that matter. Someone actually brought a gun.

Before I managed to get through to the lift, I was called out by the person standing behind what seemed to be a reception counter. The guy who was standing there asked me a few questions confirming the identity of the residents in apartment five-zero-two. I only knew her by her name, besides that I can't answer any of his questions. He even called a security to be on standby when I insist that I must go to her apartment.

Fuck it all! I just need to go to that damn apartment and check whether she was in or not. Why the hell couldn't they understand that?

Eventually, I left the apartment building in frustration. She's not picking up the call and I don't know whether she was already home or not. How the fuck could I check if-

A sudden thought came to me. Immediately I called Nate's number and he picked up after ten rings.

"Dude! Do you know what time is it now?" He answered. His voice was a bit hoarse so I probably woke him up. Do I care? Not in the least.

"Where's Danica?" I demanded.

"I'm assuring you that she's not with me right." He answered with a hint of teasing in his voice.

You know the moment when you feel like you're about to explode but instead you act cool? Well, that's how I am right now. "Where is she then?" I asked my voice filled with coldness.

"Dude, just chill, will you. I already sent her home. Didn't Mark tell you?"

I tried to remember my short conversation with Mark several minutes ago. He might have told me but my mind was too preoccupied to pay attention to everything he said. I only picked up everything that was useful to me which was her being at her place. Hence, I dashed off to where I am now.

"He might have. I don't really remember." I answered coolly like I don't really care. "Why did you call him instead of me anyway?"

"Ah, that. I tried to call you, many times too, but your line is always busy." He responded.

Right. I was always trying to ring her even though I couldn't really get through no matter how many times I tried. "I was trying to call Danica but she's not picking up the phone."

"Lost it." He said simply.

"What?"

"She lost it earlier during the commotion. It was probably broken or taken by someone else." So that was why I couldn't reach her number. It's better than something bad happening to her.

"And you made sure that she was home safe, I believe?"

"Fuck. I hate it when you speak like that. Could you stop it?" He whined. "And yeah, I did. I made sure that she walked behind the door of her apartment in one piece. Clothes neat and tidy, I swear."

"Are you certain?" I questioned.

"Absolutely certain. Can I sleep now?"

"You're clear." I ended the call even though he was still saying something. I'm not interested in what he was about to say at the moment. Although I'm still not satisfied by knowing that she was safe from a friend, I tried to bear with it. It was my best shot for now.

The air was already chilly since winter season is about to arrive, although living in a tropical country we don't really have that snowy kind of season. I took another look in the fifth floor window of what I assumed to be her room. The lights were all off and there doesn't seem to be any activity going on behind those windows.

I climbed into the driver seat of the car to avoid the chilly midnight breeze. I continued to stare in her room's window and waited. I felt like a stalker but I don't really care. I need to make sure that she was really fine. Even just hearing her voice would be enough of an assurance. But even that would be impossible.

I just hope that she was really fine.

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