Seeking Solace

Twelve

The phone rings. I walk slowly to pick it up off the table. "Hello?"

Nothing. No body is there. If they are there they do not say anything. I ask again.

"Hello?"

Nothing. A chill runs over my body. I hang up the phone and set it down quickly. The phone rings again. I let it ring. I pick it up at the last second. "Gemma Rose?"

I sigh. "Did you just call me?" 

"No. I called to see if you were alright. You weren't in class today." 

If it was not Him calling, then who was it? Someone has been calling and then hanging up all day. How would someone get our number? I guess it is in the phone book, but they would really have to want to talk to me if they looked up Gran's real name. I wish Gran were here instead of visiting her friend in New Jersey. Maybe it is Gran calling and she just has bad service. 

"Gemma Rose?" He says. 

"Oh, sorry. What?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes." He tells me. 

"Hey, knock three times when you get here." I tell him. He hangs up the phone. 

I will not answer the door unless I know for sure it is Him. I have not seen Him since our outing over the weekend, and I have not been to school in three days. I told Mae I did not feel well, and I told Gran to go on her trip, I am fine. But ever since He dropped me off, I have felt like I am being watched. I have not left the house in fear that I will be followed. 

A few minutes later three knocks come to the front door. I walk quickly down the hall, unlocking the door, opening it a crack and pulling him inside. I lock the door behind him and sigh in relief. 

"What is going on?" He places his hands on my upper arms and looks me in the eyes. "Are you alright love? I can hear your heart pounding in your chest." 

"Did you see anyone out there?" I ask him. 

"No. It was just me." He assures me. "Gemma Rose, what is upsetting you?"

I sigh and walk into the living room, closing the curtains for the fifth time, wrap myself in one of Gran's blankets and sit down on the couch. He sits next to me with a concerned expression. "Someone has been calling the house." 

"Who is it? What have they been saying?"

"Nothing. They say nothing. They call, listen to me say hello, and then hang up." I tell him. "At first I thought it was Gran, but she would say something eventually."

"Where is your Gran?" He looks around the living room, and then down the hall towards the kitchen. 

"She's not here. She left Saturday night for New Jersey." I shake my head. "Which is fine, I've stayed home by myself loads of times."

"You've been here by yourself this whole time?" He asks me. "Why didn't you call me when they called the first time love?" 

"I told you, I thought it was Gran." 

"That's why you haven't come to school?" He asks. 

"I went outside the other day to get the mail, and I felt like someone was watching me."

"The monsters?" 

"Essentially, yes."

"Where's Mae, or the other one? Why isn't one of them staying with you?" He sounds upset with them. 

"I told them I wasn't feeling well, and that I didn't want to get them sick." I tell him. "I don't want them to worry about me. And I know that you would have come over here eventually, that's why I didn't call." 

"You should have called me the second your Gran left." He says. "I don't like the idea of you staying here by yourself."

"I'm fine." I tell him. "I'm o-"

I'm cut off by the phone. Its ring seems louder. I look to Him and he looks to me and then back to the phone. I watch it ring. He gets off the couch, grabs the phone, clicks the button and brings it to his ear. "Hello?" He says. He raises his eyebrows and removes the phone from his ear briefly. "Yes ma'am. No ma'am. Yes of course." He smiles and walks towards me. "Yeah, she's right here." He hands me the phone.

"Hello?" I say into the receiver. 

"Hi sweetie, I just wanted to call in and say that I'm here. My portable phone died and Nancy just charged it for me. You know how she is."

"Yeah Gran, I know. I'm glad you got in okay." 

"Who was that with you?" She yells into the phone.

"Just a friend Gran. Have fun, I'll call you later." I tell her. "Love you, bye." I hang up before she has the chance to question me anymore. 

"She seems nice." 

"She's something all right." I tell him. The phone rings again. I bring the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

Nothing. My face pales and my shoulders drop. He takes the phone from me. "Who is this?" 

He lowers the phone. "They hung up after hearing my voice." He says. He looks out the window and closes the curtain. He grabs my elbow and directs me upstairs to my bedroom. 

"What are you doing?" I ask him. 

"You're packing a bag, I'm calling Emmett." He takes out his cell phone and dials Emmett. I get a bag from the closet and set it on my bed. He walks over to my dresser with his phone to his ear. "Emmett, I need you to come get me and Gemma from her house. Go the back way." He hangs up the phone and opens my top drawer where I keep my underwear, bras and socks. 

"What is going on?" I ask him. He must sense the panic in my voice, because he slows down, turns to me and gives me a soft smile. 

"You're coming to stay with us until your Gran gets back. I need you to pack some clothes." He says sweetly. He turns back to my dresser and grabs a handful of my under garments, shoving them into the bag. 

"Why does Emmett need to come pick us up?" I ask. "Why can't we just take your car?"

"Because when I pulled up here there was a car pulling out of the driveway of the house across the street. That same car is parked outside your house right now. We need to create the allusion that you and I are still here, so that whoever is in that car does not follow us." 

"How do you know that the person in the car is the person calling me?" 

"I don't. But I don't want you staying here by yourself love. I'd sleep better knowing that you are safe with me, and not by yourself." He tells me. "You can finish packing while I go look for Emmett."

I nod as I watch him leave my room and walk down the stairs. I finish packing my bag and walk down the stairs with coat, bag and blanket in hand. He is in the kitchen on the phone. 

"No, I don't know how, but they did." He says quietly. I wait outside the kitchen door and listen. "Why are they targeting her? She doesn't even know." 

What is it I do not know? Who is he talking to?

"Halston this is serious. She's coming home with me. I'm not going to leave her here alone." He nods. "Okay. We'll see you soon." He hangs up the phone. I walk into the kitchen and drop my bag to the floor. He turns around to face me. He smirks when he sees my full arms. "I have blankets at home love."

"I know, but not this one." I smile.

He smirks at me, nods and picks up my bag. "Got everything?" I nod. "Good. Emmett's here."