His Match

Chapter Seventeen (Part 2)

Recap of Chapter Seventeen Part 1:

"Listen to me Harley," Ashton said seriously, "you need to get out of here. I'll meet you at home. Take my car, the keys are on top of the hood. Get home as fast as you can, and lock the doors. Don't let anyone in, not even me. I'll get in on my own."

My hear was beating one thousand times per minute. "Ashton," my breath was unsteady, "are you okay? Where are you?"

"Don't worry about me, please. Go home, quickly," he seemed hesitant but then quickly added, "I love you." The call ended and I blinked several times. He loved me?

Despite all of the thoughts rushing in about his affection, I had to get to his car. I ran, my heels clicking against the ground, and a slight downpour causing my outfit to become soaked.

Once I reached his car, I grabbed the keys from the roof and unlocked the car. I slid in and pushed the keys into the ignition. I knew Ashton had told me to hurry home, but I couldn't just leave him to fend for himself. However, I didn't even know where to start looking for him. I also didn't know the area well. Yet, I knew the right thing to do.

And so, I backed out of the parking lot and began my manhunt for Ashton. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I was going to find him.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN PART 2

If I were Ashton, where would I be? I asked myself as I drove down the desolate road. As astounding as my vision was, I was having a hard time seeing in front of me. For some reason, the car's lights were extremely bright, to the point where I almost couldn't see anything. I swore that when we had driven to the restaurant it wasn't that way, but then again I wasn't paying much attention to it.

The backroad I was driving down was lined with dense forage, so I was unsure where I even was. I assured myself that I couldn't be too far from the restaurant, as I had only been driving for ten minutes or so.

I nearly had a heart attack when my phone began ringing, since it had been completely silent beforehand. I noticed it was a number I didn't recognize. Cautiously I answered the phone, driving somewhat quickly down the road.

"Hello," I answered, my voice shaking a bit. The line was silent, so I repeated myself. "Hello." This time, I spoke with confidence. I was going to find Ashton, whether or not he wanted me to.

A deep, masculine voice spoke into the phone, "Miss Bates."

"Who is this?" I questioned.

"That is not important. I would just like to ensure that you received my letter. It is of great importance to me that you have."

Before I answered, I took a screenshot of the phone number so that I could refer to it later. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but listen to me," I raised the phone to my lips. "You better tell me where the hell my mate is."

I knew it wasn't what I should be focusing on, but I was stunned that I had said mate. The last thing I wanted to do was to admit that I was beginning to have feelings for Ashton, but a part of me loved the idea of being mates.

"You must be mistaken. I don't know anything about where your mate is," the mysterious stranger replied. I blinked several times in shock. I was certain he was the answer to my missing person report.

"What?" I stuttered. "Then why are you calling?" I realized I wasn't paying attention to the road when I almost swerved into the trees. I turned the speaker option on and waited for his answer.

"I need you to confirm that you will follow the instructions given to you in future letters. Should you not comply, maybe you will be coming to me looking for your mate," he paused but continued, "though you won't be able to use this number. Unfortunately for you, I used a public telephone."

I rolled my eyes, "Do those even exist anymore?"

I could hear the amusement in his voice, even over the phone, "The famous Harley Bates sarcasm."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"I know you better than you think Harley. You may not know me, but I know you." With those words, he ended the call.

I wanted, desperately, to find out who this was, but my mind was drawn to Ashton. "Where are you asshole?" I asked. Lifting up my phone, I called his phone for what seemed to be the billionth time. Once again, however, I was sent directly to voicemail.

I threw my phone onto the passenger seat and tried to navigate through the never-ending street. Tiny black dots from the continuous strain on my eyes clouded my vision and it was becoming harder and harder to see.

All of the sudden, I heard a loud honk. I tried to turn out of the way of the car, but I was too late. As soon as the two cars collided, I was jolted against the window. My car flipped and I found myself upside down, barely conscious.

With what was left of my energy, I unbuckled my seatbelt. I fell to the ground, blood covering me. I exited the car and crawled onto the street. Looking into the street I saw nothing but my totaled car. There was nothing else in the road.