Page 124 of Unravelling The Beast

"Stay in tonight and don't tell anyone that I'm here, okay?"

She gives me a small, wary nod and then I release her wrist, letting her go.

When I hear the door close, I shuffle up the bed and groan as I curl into a ball. Tears continue to pour from my eyes, soaking my pillow, but I soon find myself exhausted and falling into a deep sleep.

I'm on my way home, driving in my Lamborghini and I glance at the time to see it's just gone past 9 p.m. Suddenly a call comes through on my speakers and I glance at the screen to see it's my sister, Sara.

I sigh before answering it with a calm tone

.

"What's up?"

"Arlo, where are you? It's late and Cree is already asleep."

I pull my head back in confusion.

"What the fuck do you mean Cree is already asleep?"

"Wait, Wren didn't tell you to come and collect him from my house?"

I grit my teeth as I respond, becoming agitated.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Sara?"

"She called me today and asked me to collect Cree because she had a family emergency."

My jaw tenses with annoyance as I stare ahead, my grip on the steering wheel tightening.

"She didn't tell me shit."

"She was acting weird, Arlo. She wasn't herself, so maybe it's serious and she just didn't have time to tell you. I'm not sure."

"I'll be there in 10 minutes."

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

As soon as she hangs up, I try to call Wren, but the ringing continues without an answer, and I become enraged and yell at the phone.

"Answer the fucking phone!"

When I pull up outside Sara's house, I quickly exit the car and walk to the door, where she is already standing with Cree asleep in her arms.

When I take him from her, he immediately cuddles me and continues to sleep, as Sara whispers.

"Did you manage to call Wren while you were on the way?"

I speak bluntly, irritation rushing through me.

"She's not fucking answering."

I stroll away before strapping Cree into the car, getting inside, and driving away.

As we drive home and Cree is asleep, I try to call her again, but she's still not answering, which causes me to have a nasty, horrible mixture of rage, worry, and paranoia rolling around inside of me.

When we arrive home, I take Cree straight to his bed and undress him before putting him in his pajamas. I try to do it as gently and slowly as possible so I don't wake him, but it's fucking difficult because I start thinking all kinds of weird shit about Wren because this isn't like her at all.

She'd never leave Cree without telling me what the fuck was going on. Yeah, we fuck and she owes me nothing, but she takes her job very seriously; I know it, and I know she knows to contact me first before anyone fucking else when it comes to leaving Cree.

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