Entangled (Phoenix 1)

CHAPTER 17

When Justin and James stood in front of Emily's apartment, it felt like déjà vu. Even though they were pretty sure that Fiona was inside, yet Justin had an unsettling feeling in his stomach.

Justin rang the doorbell, but to his utter surprise, no one opened the door. He rang the bell again but received the same response.

"Maybe, Fiona accompanied Emily to her family gathering?" Justin tried to be optimistic.

"Do you truly believe that? If so, then why did she lie to Adrian about a personal emergency?" James asked him.

Before Justin could reply, Emily graced them with her presence from behind. "What are you two buffoon heads doing here?"

"Well, I missed your annoying company today, so I came to meet you," James responded by flirting his way through her.

On the other hand, Emily remained mute, much to his chagrin. This wasn't the reaction that he was looking for.

"You alright? No witty retort today?" James teased her, but in reality, he was actually concerned.

In this short amount of time, he started to care about her.

"I am not in the mood today. So will you two tell me what the hell you knuckleheads are doing here? And for the sake of God, just move aside so I can open the damn door of my damn home?" Emily told them in annoyance.

She was in a sour mood.

"We came to meet Fiona," Justin told her while moving aside so that Emily could unlock her apartment.

"Fiona is here? That too in the midst of the workday?" She asked them, puzzled, but then shrugged her shoulders.

Fiona may have been married to this jerk, but this was still Fiona's home.

"Well, I hope so." Justin prayed that his words were true.

All three of them entered Emily's flat as soon as she opened the door.

"Fiona! Fiona! Fiona!" Emily shouted, but no one responded. She sprinted over to check whether there was any sign of her friend.

"Fiona is not here," Emily stated.

"Emily, don't play us again. I am terrified here." Justin told her angrily.

He was done with his wife's best friend games.

"I am not playing any games. She is not here." Emily told them truthfully.

Now, even she was concerned about Fiona's whereabouts.

"Could Fiona have gone to your brother's house or Mason's?" James suggested.

"Not possible. Jake dropped me off here, and Fiona would have definitely called Jake or Katie if she was planning on crashing at their place. She could not be at Mason's either as he has changed his locks, and he is yet to give us the duplicate keys." Emily had a calculating look in her eyes.

"What the hell did you do, Justin?" She glared at him.

"What? I didn't do anything. I swear I am as clueless as you." Justin defends himself.

"There's got to be something wrong. Fi always contacts me if there is anything amiss. How long has it been since you last saw her?" Emily asked him.

"Previous night around 11:30. I was hoping to talk to her, but she was fast asleep," Justin informed James and Emily.

"That's weird. Fi called me at midnight, but we had a pretty normal conversation." Emily stated.

"So her personal emergency might have occurred in the morning," James told the group.