I held Alex’s phone to my ear, listening to the repetitive ringing at the other end. My fingers gripped the device tightly, my heart sinking with each unanswered call.
"Pick up, Alice…" I muttered under my breath, pressing the call button again.
Nothing. I tried once more. And again. And again.
I lost count after the tenth attempt, but by the fifteenth, my breathing had turned shallow, my palms clammy. My body was still weak, the dull headache still pulsing at the back of my skull, but the growing worry in my chest overpowered everything else.
"Why isn’t she answering?" I whispered, my voice laced with unease.
Alex, who had been watching me in silence, finally sighed and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. He leaned against the marble counter, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
