Lighting a Match in the Rain

Chapter Twenty-Two

Here is a very long chapter to make up for last week:) I just know you'll love that last scene.

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"For Pete's sake answer your phone," I grumbled under my breath, listening to Reed's voicemail message for the fifth time.

My parents and sister were currently all in the wrecked living room, talking to the few policemen that showed up after I called. Following my assurance to them that I knew nothing about what had happened, I excused myself to my bedroom, where I had been trying to reach Reed since I barged in.

As far as I knew, Macey hadn't said anything about him being here when we pulled in the driveway. After standing by and listening as I left him out of my recollection of us coming home, she followed my actions and did, too, trusting me with it for some reason. I knew it was illegal to lie to the police, so I just tried to think about it as leaving out some of the truth. Technically, I wasn't lying, I was just not telling them everything I knew. While I was worried about Reed not being within reach, I also knew Macey would be interrogating me after all of our company left. However, before she asked her own questions, I needed the answers to my own.

"Julian," I breathed, relieved when one of the twins actually willingly answered their phone.

"Did you change your mind about dinner Saturday?" he asked me cheerfully, instead of offering a greeting. I could imagine the grin that was surely stretching his cheeks.

Ignoring his question, I got straight to the point. "Where's Reed? Is he home yet?"

"No, he isn't," my friend said. "Is something wrong? You sound a little panicked."

I let out a groan, pacing back and forth beside my bed and rubbing my free hand down my face as if it would wipe away all of my anxiety. "It's a little complicated and I don't have the time to explain it right now," I told him instead. "The important thing is, I need to talk to Reed. Like right now."

"Okay, okay," he responded, his voice more soothing and serious. "Breathe. I'll try getting a hold of him...are you sure that you're okay?"

I took a deep breath and stopped my pacing, running a hand through my hair and trying to exhale slowly. "Yeah, I'm just stressed. I've been trying to get ahold of him since I walked in the door and he's not answering his phone. I'm pretty sure he's with Ricky right now, but it's important and I really need answers to something."

"I'll get a hold of him and send him your way," Julian assured me.

My head nodded even though he couldn't see me. "Okay. Thank you. I'll explain everything tomorrow at school."

"Sounds good."

After hanging up with Julian, I started leaving Reed message after message. "Call me...Reed, call me right now...if you don't answer your phone right now, you are really going to see a side of me you'll wish you never had to see"

Macey decided to burst through my bedroom door, wide eyed and her cheeks flushed with red. The door slammed and bounced off the wall. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she exasperated, trying not to yell loud enough for anyone else to hear.

Moving around her, I closed my bedroom door back in place, not wanting anyone else to know what's actually going on yet. "I'm trying to figure out what the hell just happened," I told her, before adding, "And watch your language."

The fourteen-year-old rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you tell the cops that Reed Brewer was here?" she questioned. "It was him, Ella; you know it was. He does this kind of stuff all the freaking time."