Sixteen

My ringing phone wakes me up at the crack of dawn. I left my curtains open last night–after standing at the window listlessly staring at the city lights outside for a long time, unable to sleep once I emerged from the bathroom and found Ben gone.

The light coming in through the window tells me it couldn’t be later than six o’clock. I reach for my phone quickly, afraid that it’s a call from home and maybe something happened to Daisy. A call at this hour can’t be–

I pause my thought when I see Teddy’s name on the screen. Steve gave me his number and told me that he would look for me.

I clear my throat and sit up in bed. I receive the call and press the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Are you at the lobby?” a masculine voice asks from the other side.

My eyebrows draw together. “What?” Was I supposed to be at the lobby?

“Didn’t I tell you that you should be at the lobby at thirty past five, ready for the run?”

Run? What run? “No, you didn’t.”

“I didn’t call you yesterday?”

“No, you did