Once upon a Princess (Atypical Series #1)||✔️

14. Hangovers and Realizations

ISABELLE

Saturday 11th August

The sound of my ring-tone woke me immediately from my sleep. I lunged for my phone that was charging on my bedside table and ripped out the cord while answering frantically.

"Hello?"I grimaced at how scratchy and raw my voice sounded.

"Wow, you have a sexy morning voice,"

I rolled my eyes and fought the urge to end the call. If Graham had called, that meant he had some important news right?

"Do you have anything important to tell me? Did anyone call about Alexa?"

Silence answered me from the other end, and I swallowed the lump in my throat that had begun to grow.

When he didn't answer, I spoke up again, "If no-one called, why did you call Graham?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright Isabelle. Just checking up on you."

I furrowed my brows at the phone and squinted at the number, to see if I was speaking to the right person. Somehow, although Graham was mostly known for his flirtatious tone and manner, and his playfulness, there was no bit of them in those words that he had just said.He was being serious.

"You did huh?"

"Look, put my past aside, and realize that I'm honestly trying to be a good friend right now,"

Guilt tore at my stomach as I realized that he was right. Graham has been at my side and supporting me, since the day after Alexa had gone missing.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really worried Graham,"

"Isabelle trust me, I don't know how- but I just know, that wherever Alexa is, she's safe and we'd find her soon and bring her back,"

"I promise you, Isabelle, I promise," He added, and I swore I heard his voice crack at the end.

"Graham are you okay?"

Again, nothing answered, except the sound of his breathing. I ended the call and immediately clicked the Face-Time option.

It rung for a few seconds, and I was about to hang up when his face appeared on the screen.

He looked awful. Dark bags were beginning to form under his eyes and the playful glint in his eyes had been replaced by a somber expression. His hair looked as if it hadn't been washed in two weeks.

"Wow, you look even worse than the last time I saw you,"

He rolled his eyes playfully, but without his playful glint, it looked like the humour was forced.

"Graham, when was the last time you slept?"

He answered too immediately that I knew instantly that he was lying," I just woke up."

I shook my head and his small smile faltered. Even his smile looked different. It was no longer cocky and infuriating, it seemed too forced, too sad.

"I'm guessing you haven't slept much since she went missing either."

The view shifted, and I clearly saw the whole of his torso now, he was lying in bed without his shirt. My eyes flitted briefly to his muscled chest and then back to his face. But Graham caught it.

"Can't resist huh?" he chuckled, a sliver of his playfulness returned and I had hope that the old Graham wasn't gone. I ignore him and continued to speak.

"Listen, Graham. You look awful. I appreciate the help greatly. You've been much more help than my own father, but you need to sleep. You don't look or seem like yourself. I miss the old Graham,"