Thirteen
Duke
Alice’s phone lights up, dancing on the table. I peer at the words that blaze across the screen—‘BLOCKED NUMBER’. Heat sears my chest. I snatch the phone up, slapping it to my ear. The caller hangs up, and the room goes silent.
I wait for him to call back, but he doesn’t. A moment later, Alice walks into the kitchen. She’s wearing a white hoodie and loose cotton shorts. Her skinny legs clop together as she freezes in the middle of the room.
“Duke?”
I shake myself from the stupor and hide her phone behind my back so she can't tell why I’m upset. “Hurry and eat. We’ll be late.”
While Alice slides into her chair, I walk to my bedroom and slip her phone into my pocket. After closing the door behind me, I dial the blocked number. The call drops. I groan in frustration and to
