AGAIN || MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE /Charles Leclerc/

Chapter 9

Charles

Now

An annoying ringtone interrupts my sleep, I look at the clock on the bedside table which shows it's half past four in the morning. Trying not to wake Alex I get up heading towards the living room, it's definitely Liam's phone ringing.
After the party he slept over because he forgot his keys.

"Liam, the telephone."

I try to wake him while I grab the cell phone and silence the ringtone. My friend, however, doesn't seem to be disturbed by it. I take a look at the sender of the call and I'm surprised to see Celine's name on the display. I really want to answer, I'm almost about to press the green button but the call disappears.

"What are you doing Charles?" Now Liam is awake and staring at me with his eyes half closed from tiredness.

"Your phone was ringing, it must be important to call at this time." My tone is very annoyed, I throw the phone at him and sit on the couch.

"Call her back." When he checks his phone and sees whose missed call it is, he sits up and makes a new call.

"Put it on speaker!" It's not a request, more like an order, and maybe he's really tired, so much that he doesn't even blink, he simply does what I asked and we both wait in silence.

A few seconds pass, then a very loud background music comes out of the speaker accompanied by a lot of shouting. We look at each other dazed and confused waiting for Celine to say something.

"Kells, can you hear me?" Silence, again, at least on her end.

Liam doesn't know what to say, it's obvious that she's called the wrong number, but her voice isn't very calm. Not receiving a response, Cel continues speaking.

"Kells I don't feel very well, I think I drank too much."
Now we're both alerter than ever. Celine is in who knows which club, drunk. She barely slurs a few words, and she hasn't even been able to call the right contact.

"Celine, listen to me, it's Liam, where are you?" My friend's words don't even seem to reach her.

"I knew I couldn't take it, Kelly, having him in front of me after two years..."

There's another moment of silence, my eyes burn.

It kills me to know that I have this effect on her for no apparent reason.

"He's moved on, he has a girlfriend and..." Liam looks at me, I can't tell if he's understood what Celine is saying or not, but right now it's not important.

I snatch the phone from his hands and turn off the speakerphone.

"Cel? You're drunk, for Christ's sake! You didn't call Kelly!"

I'm pissed, at her, at Liam, at myself for letting her go.

"Liam?" He doesn't even recognize my voice, tears start flowing down my cheeks. What did I do to her to deserve this?

"Come and get me please, I'm at Twiga, I don't feel well."

The last sentence is almost a whisper, I'd want to run to her, hug her and tell her that everything is fine, that tomorrow will be better. Make her smile. But I can't, because she's my ex, and my girlfriend is sleeping right in the next room.

I walk back to Liam and toss him the phone.

"Run, go get her, she's not well." I didn't even need to tell him, he's already with shoes and keys in his hand.

"Cha... you know I can't bring her to mine." Yep, he doesn't have the keys to get in.

I sigh, knowing that I definitely can't bring her here. The only solution is the one that Celine certainly won't like.

I exchange a quick look with Liam, at which he nods silently, and just before he leaves I call him once more.

"I beg you please, Lami."
We both laugh at the nickname I use, then he closes the door, and I go back to lie next to Alex.

I bring her closer to me, and try to imagine Celine still in my arms.