Desire

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Carter Gilmore

It's 8 a.m. and I get the call. The worst call you can get, the one you never saw coming, and hope you'll never get. The call that someone you love is in danger.

I was sitting on a spinning chair in my kitchen on my 7 glasses of some alcohol I can't remember the name of when my phone vibrated on the table. Ella is calling me. I hoped and prayed that it wasn't bad news. My prayers weren't answered.

I answered the call and was immediately met with Ella talking fast into the phone. She was panicking and I couldn't understand a word she was saying. After I told her to calm down and take a breath. She told me what happened. She told me she went to Adelaide's house and she wasn't there. Adelaide is missing. Adelaide missing. My whole world came crashing down.

"I'll be on my way," I said immediately. Then I grabbed my keys and started driving as fast as I could to Adelaide's house. It took me less than 10 minutes to get there.

Ella was sitting in front of the house with her face on her knees. I walked up to her and said. "Ella,"

She looked up at me and jumped into my arms taking me by surprise. We never had the best relationship. "She's gone. She's gone. She's gone and it's all my fault," she cries into my chest.

I caress her hair. "It's not your fault Ella. You couldn't have known Ade would be taken."

"What if..." she says but stops like she finished her sentence but I knew exactly what she meant. She was asking if I thought Adelaide was dead. I can't think like that it would destroy me.

I pressed a kiss to her hair and said. "Adelaide isn't dead. She's going to be okay. We will find her."

I had to give her some comfort but I had no idea if Adelaide was alive or not. I had to have hope she was because if not I think I would die too. My phone rang. An unknown number.  Ella looks down at my phone and then up at me. She wants me to answer it. So I do.

Asher: I have Adelaide. I told you you couldn't keep us apart. We are meant for each other and always will. Stay away from us!

Me: Adelaide isn't yours. She's nobody but herself. Give her back before I fucking hurt you.

Asher: Oh a lot of anger for someone who isn't Adelaide's boyfriend or is there something we should know?

He's playing with me. I know he knows about Adelaide and me. He also knows I haven't told my daughter. She looks at me with confusion and questions on her face.

Me: We both know you just playing a game so cut it out and give us back Adelaide.

Asher: You gotta find me first.

Then hangs up the phone. Ella searches my face. I knew at one point I was going to have to tell her the truth but I didn't think it was going to have to be right now.

I can see that my silence is just affirming what she already knows. Adelaide and I were dating. Her face turns from sadness to anger in a second.

"How could you fuck my best friend?" She screamed at me. She started to pound her fist into my chest. "How could you put her in a situation where she could get hurt? What the fuck is wrong with you? I never thought you would sleep with my fucking best friend! This is all your fucking fault."

Tears fell from her eyes. She wasn't angry at Adelaide,  she was angry at me for putting Adelaide in this situation. She sees Adelaide as the victim and me as the seducer.  Maybe it made sense because I'm way older. But it didn't happen like that. 

Then, she ran off into her car and drove off. Shit. I made a fucking mess of things. How the fuck do I fix this? I sat in front of Adelaide's house with my hands on my knees.

I need to call Adelaide's family so they would know what to and who to call. I was going to have to come completely clean to them and hope they help.

I got in my car and thought about what I was going to say. I can't exactly say. "Hi, I'm fucking your daughter and she got kidnapped."
I have to tell them in a way that won't get my hair chopped off.

I arrived at their house but  Ella's car was already there. Shit. What if she told them already? I knocked on the door and was met by a mean glare from Adelaide's mother. Yeah,
she knows.

She moves aside and lets me into the house. They are all sitting in the dining room. "We know Adelaide has been kidnapped. Now what are we going to do about it?" Adelaide's mother asks. She doesn't know. I look down at Ella. She wanted me to tell them.

I clear my throat and everyone looks at me. "I have something to tell everyone."
Everyone's eyes are on me. "Adelaide and I have been sleeping together for a little while now,"

Adelaide's mother and father gasped.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Getting involved with a woman who's 10 times your age. Are you fucking crazy?" Adelaide mother yells.

"I loved her" I said my voice cracking. I knew I would do anything to get her back safely. It was all I wanted. Even if he couldn't be together.

Everyone's face went from anger to understanding. It was like they felt the love I had for Adelaide was real. I was in love with her. Even if I had treated her poorly. I'll do anything to make it up to her.