Too Keen For Me

Chapter 34: The Neediest Person

"Tristen, stop," I choked out as he tickled me on the floor.

"Not going to happen," he said, continuing his path of destruction.

"Ok! Ok! I give. Tristen, I. Can't. Breathe." I wiped tears from my eyes.

Instantly he stopped, allowing me to roll over on my side, and gasp for air.

"Next time you better think through what you're going to say," Tristen threatened as I regained myself.

I nodded as he checked his phone.

"So any word from Miles?" Tristen asked.

I shook my head at him, causing my loose ponytail to fall out. "No, I just wished Miles would text me back," I pouted as I thought about the message I sent him two days ago. I thought he would respond quickly, but here I was, waiting for his text that might not even come.

Seeing him in town just reaffirmed that there was so much we needed to say to one another. But if we kept taking so long to respond, maybe that was the universe telling us there was nothing left to say.

"Maybe he's busy," he shrugged as he pointed to my phone. "Your phone is buzzing."

"Who is it?" I asked hesitantly. By now, the news of Isaac getting locked up was old. However, a few of his die-hard fans had not relented in giving me peace.

"Unknown number," he said as he handed me the phone.

I looked at the buzzing phone until it stopped.

"You aren't going to answer?"

"No," I said as a voice message lit up my screen. Hesitantly, I put the phone to my ear to listen to it.

Sobs were what I heard first. "Isla?" Miles' voice rang out. "Can you come over? I need to talk."

For a second, the world stood still. My heart fluttered as he said my name, but it was almost instantly replaced with a pit in my stomach which made me feel nauseous. Something was truly wrong and there was no use in wasting time. I had to go see him.

I looked at Tristen, knowing that he was leaving on a trip traveling around Europe in the next hour. If I left now, I wouldn't be able to see him off. "It's Miles."

Tristen nodded as he brought me into a hug. "Go."

I held onto him tightly. Sometimes Tristen was a terrible brother, but other times, he was perfect, and this was one of those times. "You're the best brother, I hope you know that."

He chuckled as he let me go. "I'm making up for things I messed up."

"You don't have to do that," I said as I stood up from the ground.

I told him countless times that it wasn't his fault that Isaac went ballistic. "Just take a lot of photos and call me when you land in Spain, will you?"

He smiled. "Next time it will be you, traveling the world."

"I hope so," I said as slipped on a pair of flip-flops. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go help your friend."

I gave one last smile to him before walking out the front door to get to Miles'.

Somehow he got my new number and called, which meant something. His voice rang around in my mind on repeat, hoping to find an answer thought it. What did he need to talk about? I just prayed that I would say the right things to him.

I parked on the street next to his complex and ran to it, not thinking about how long it had been since I was once here. I just hoped he still lived here.