The Spanish Bad Ass

Chapter Seventy Six: Is that even a question?

Cause I'm only human, just like you,
Making my mistakes oh if only you knew.
I don't think you should believe in me, the way that you do.
Because I'm terrified to let you down.〰️ Beyonce.

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I ignored the annoying continuously consistent buzzing of my phone as I turned away frowning, these people needed to understand that I actually wanted nothing to do with them anymore, couldn't they take the hint and just leave me alone?

I had about enough and was actually considering smashing the device against the wall so that we'd all finally rest when in a moment of unwilling self-betrayal I checked the caller ID. The number wasn't saved but it seemed very familiar, I knew for sure it wasn't for any of the boys and they knew better than to use someone else's phone to call me and that still wasn't a reasonable excuse so I didn't understand why it was seemed familiar. I stared at it for what felt like a million years and sighed reluctantly as I took a deep breath and answered it better be important.

"What?" I snapped harshly into the phone and stopped when I heard someone take in a very startled breath, there was a pause followed by very deep calming breaths, and the hard expression on my face loosened.

"Ar- Aria? Is th-that you?" I sat up from the bed instantly as recognition lit over my face.

"Dear God, Dakota? Are you okay?" I asked but she didn't say anything as her breath kept rising and falling and it seemed like she was fighting back her tears and just then because I was a complete idiot I made the dumbest most obvious statement in the history of statements. "You sound like you're crying, what's wrong?"

She sniffed loudly and swallowed. "It's just- I- we- we- it's- I..." she was stuttering and I couldn't understand a word she was saying, I frowned this must be really bad for Dakota to be crying like this.

I rubbed my hand against my forehead and in the most calming voice, I could muster. "Dakota, listen to me, I'm going to need you to calm down and take very deep breaths..." she did as I instructed and I heard her breathing gradually slow down. "That's it... now tell me what's wrong."

She took a minute before she spoke again. "Ian..."

There was a wave of anger I felt at the name but I pushed it away and nodded my head waiting for a continuation but she didn't go on, so I encouraged her. "What's going on with Ian?"

She didn't speak and I was about to ask her again when she just blurted it out in panic. "Aria... he's gone."

I blinked and shook my head not understanding her. "Gone?... Gone where?"

"I don't know, he's just... he's just disappeared into thin air and I can't even find him anywhere, what if he's gone for good and something bad has happened to him? What if he's injured and can't get to where he is? What if... he's already dead." I kept quiet because in my heart I would be thrilled but then this was his little sister who loved him so much and I understood that this wasn't about me. "I'm really scared Aria..." her voice cracked at the last sentence and it felt like my heart was going to break even more with how frail she sounded.

"Dakota, you need to stay positive okay, I can't promise you that nothing has happened to your brother but I need you to believe that we're going to find him, right now I need you to stop crying because I'm on my way right now."