Page 12 of Hunt for the Roses
“He’s not home. I tried calling and texting him, but he hasn’t responded to me,” I explain. It’s evident from my voice that I’m hoping Dane has answers for me.
“Maybe he got caught up at work?” Dane suggests
I sigh into the phone. “He didn’t sound super busy today. He said he was stopping by the store after work and was supposed to be home by six thirty,” I respond.
“Alright, I’m sure there’s a reason. Let me see if I can get in touch with him,” Dane suggests.
“Okay. Thanks,” I say.
“You got it,” Dane says before hanging up.
I place my phone down on the couch, before sitting up straight and looking out the window behind me.
Stillnothing.
I see a text pop up from Dane a couple minutes later.
Dane: Just tried calling him and I sent a text. Will let you know if I hear something.
An eerie silence starts to fill the room, and I feel like the walls of my living room are starting to close in on me. I decide to shake the feeling and call Kyle’s mom, and luckily she answers after a couple rings.
“Hi, sweetie,” Pamela answers.
“Hi, Pam, I’m sorry to bother you so late. Have you heard from Kyle? He was supposed to be home a couple hours ago, but he hasn’t come home yet,” I explain.
Pam pauses before speaking into the phone. “What? No, I haven’t. What’s going on, you sound nervous…” she trails off.
“I don’t know, maybe I’m overreacting. It’s just, I tried calling and texting Kyle, but he hasn’t gotten back to me, and he said he would be home by six thirty,” I say.
“Okay.” Pam sighs. It seems like I’m making her on edge now, and as much as I don’t want to make Kyle’s mom worry, my nerves are getting the best of me right now. “Let me try calling him and I’ll let you know if I hear from him.”
“Okay,” I say in a hushed voice. I can’t even muster any other words because it feels like I suffocate a little more as everyone I talk to makes me lose more hope.
Hope that everything is okay.
I swallow a nervous lump in my throat, and just flip my phone face down on the couch to try and relax a little. I continue to look out the window every couple minutes as time passes by excruciatingly slowly. I start to become more aware of each passing minute and second without Kyle walking through the front door of our home. And with each minute and second that ticks by, I start to feel a shadow casting over my heart, dimming the sunlight that’s been shining over it.
Minute by minute.
Second by second.
Tick tock.
Tick tock.
When the clock reads nine thirty, I start to pace around my living room and kitchen. I hear my phone vibrate, and I race to my phone on the living room couch. My heart sinks when I see Dane’s name on the screen, but in the same breath I think he may have answers now.
“Have you heard from him?” I ask.
“No. You sure he wasn’t going anywhere else after work?” Dane asks.
I let out a nervous breath. “I’m sure. At least he didn’t mention anything.” I put my hand to my forehead. “I’m starting to get worried, Dane,” I say in a shaky voice.
“Alright, calm down. Have you tried calling his mom?” Dane asks.
“Yes, but she hasn’t heard from him either,” I say.
“Okay, calm down. Let me try calling Trent and I’ll call you back,” Dane says before hanging up. But just as I hang up with Dane, I hear a knock at my front door.
