I didn’t know how long I had been sitting under the tree, staring wide open-eyed into blank space. Every time I heard any movement, even the slightest one, my heart was thumping hard in my chest as if at any moment Paul would show up and drag me back to his house.
My phone had been ringing for quite a while, but I ignored the calls until I felt the cold, the hunger, and when I looked at the sky, it was nighttime already, but the moon hid in the cluster of clouds as if it didn’t want to see me.
I licked my dried lips, feeling the thirst for the first time. When my phone rang again, my eyes formed tears as I accepted the call.
“Jeremy,” My shaky voice cried for him.
“God, Sai, I’ve been calling you. I’ve almost gone nuts thinking about where you’ve been. Wait, are you crying?”
“J-J
