Chapter 194: Leave Me Alone

Words : 1218 Updated : Oct 6th, 2025

Chapter 194: Leave Me Alone "Is this Mr Jonas?" Mari asked when Jamal received the call, holding her nose with her other hand so that she would sound differently. Jamal frowned. "Who is this?" "Your secret admirer. I’ve been in love with you for years...." "Mari! Whose phone did you steal?!" he asked laughing, knowing she was the only one silly enough to pull such a prank. Mari laughed, "How could you guess so easily?" "It’s not the first time you’re doing this to me. Plus you’re the only person I know who is this crazy, and who has my number," he said and she laughed. "I’ve missed you soooooo much, Jam. How have you been? What’s going on over there? How is our first love? And how’s our mini Jam?" She asked excitedly. "I’ve missed you, too. Abigail and Josh are fine," he said with wide smile, "But is it safe to talk? Whose phone is this? Are you parents aware that..." "Relax, Jam. It’s safe. It’s not my phone though. I will call you when I get one. I heard you are aware that my parents staged my kidnap," she said, wanting to know if he had been told before or after it happened. "Kidnapped? I wasn’t told about any kidnap. I was only told that you were sent to somewhere safe," he said, thinking about his conversation with her mom. Mari sighed. "You won’t believe they made me believe I was being kidnapped," she said, telling him the details of how she had been kidnapped, "It was like some sort of thriller movie. I kept calling my Dad, and he kept assuring me he was coming. It was crazy as hell. The only reason I’m forgiving him is because the host here is a really hot guy and I like him," Mari said, and Jamal chuckled. "Well, I’m happy to hear from you again. I’ve missed you so much..." "Miss me no more, my darling Jam, for I am here for you now," she said dramatically and he laughed. "So, it’s really okay for you to have a phone now?" He asked hopefully. "Yep. But this isn’t my phone so you will have to wait for my hot boyfriend to get me a phone so I can reach you...." "Boyfriend? You’re dating the person your parents asked to watch over you? Or is it someone else?" Jamal asked with a concerned frown. "I have my parents blessings, don’t worry. At least my mom’s blessings. You know if I have her approval my dad has no say in the matter. Is there anything you want to tell me privately before I add Emily to the call? I’ve missed talking to you both and I want to make very good use of this opportunity," Mari said, and Jamal considered it for a moment. Anything else could wait until she got her phone. "You can add her on," Jamal said, and Mari dialed Emily’s line. Away from there, Emily held her glass of water in one hand as she walked back to her room. As she passed the living room, she glanced inside and saw Callan again. He was still lying on the couch, facing the backrest, his knees pulled up close to his chest. But this time, she noticed something strange. He was making a soft, whimpering sound. Like a hurt puppy. Emily stopped. Was he... crying? Her hand tightened around the glass as she took a slow step closer. The closer she got, the more she could hear him. His voice was muffled, but she could make out the tiny, broken words. "No... no... please... don’t... I’m sorry..." Her heart squeezed painfully. He was having a nightmare. And whatever he was seeing was hurting him. Emily set her glass on the coffee table. She bent down beside the couch so she could see his face. His eyes were squeezed shut. Tears were slipping down his cheeks. He was crying now. Emily frowned. She didn’t know what to do. Part of her wanted to let him be, but seeing him like that made her chest ache and she wasn’t sure leaving him in that state was the right thing. Slowly, she reached out and touched his shoulder. "Callan," she whispered. "Wake up." He didn’t move. He didn’t even seem to hear her. She tapped his shoulder a little harder. "Hey... wake up. It’s just a dream." Still nothing. Her worry grew bigger inside her chest. She slid her hand down to his arm and gave it a small shake. "Callan." Still no response. Emily’s heart beat faster. She shook him harder this time. Suddenly, he jerked awake with a loud gasp. His eyes flew open, wide and panicked. He sat up so fast she almost fell backward. For a moment, he looked around like he didn’t know where he was. His chest moved up and down, fast and shaky. When he saw her face so close, his eyes flickered with embarrassment and he let out a quiet curse under his breath as he quickly wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand and pulled away from her touch. Damn! How could he have slept off out here? What was she doing here? He wondered as he glanced at the clock to confirm that it wasn’t morning yet. "Why are you out here when you should be in bed?" He asked before she could ask him anything. Emily watched him quietly, her eyes were soft and concerned. She could tell he was trying to shift the attention away from himself. Her voice was soft when she spoke. "I went to get a glass of water. Are you okay?" she asked. "I’m fine," Callan said hoarsely. His eyes wouldn’t meet hers. "You are fine?" she repeated gently. She pointed to his damp cheeks. "Your eyes were wet. That doesn’t look fine to me." His jaw tightened. "So why did you ask if you had the answer already?" She could tell he was trying to pick a fight so that she would leave him alone. He would have to do better than that. "What were you dreaming about?" she asked carefully. Callan looked down at the couch cushion, his hands clenched tight. "It has nothing to do with you," he said, his voice flat. "Just leave me alone." Emily’s eyebrows pulled together. She didn’t like the way he wouldn’t look at her. She could feel the wall he was putting up, brick by brick going even higher. "Callan—" she started, wanting to tell him he didn’t have to hide. "Did you think I was dreaming of you? Everything is not always about you, Emily," Callan said, and this time Emily’s nostrils flared. "I’m sure you weren’t dreaming of me. We both know it wouldn’t be a nightmare if you were," she snapped at him as she moved away from him. Satisfied that she was backing off, he picked up his phone from the edge of the couch and stood up. Without another word, he walked past her quickly, his steps uneven, like he was still trying to shake off the nightmare. Emily turned and her brows pulled together as she watched him go. He disappeared down the hall, and she heard the soft click of his door closing.

Chapter 194: Leave Me Alone

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