Wrong Number

Arthur nodded in agreement. He was aware of the power balance they were up against, but he also knew there had to be something they could do to protect Helena without involving the police. He racked his mind for a possible solution, and then, it hit him like a bolt of lightning-- a plan that could end Israel's parents' threats for good.

"Arthur, you need some sleep. You've been up since yesterday. Look at you. Your eyes are sinking, and there are dark circles around them. It's safe for us to sleep since we are in a very secluded area, and you have set up massive traps around us.

Arthur smiled warmly, feeling all the concern from his girlfriend. "I will. But you have to sleep beside me. We can bring your sleeping bag to my tent so I can look after you whenever I wake up at night."

Helena smiled back at him, relieved. "That's not a problem for me."

Arthur helped Helena set up her sleeping bag inside his tent. "Here we go; it fits so well. Now, we can sleep," Helena said.

They crawled into the tent and zipped it up; the only sound that could be heard was the soft rustle of the tent fabric as they settled into their sleeping bags. Arthur lay on his back, staring at the ceiling of the tent. "Come here," he pulled Helena close and tucked her into his chin.

"I love how your arms wrapped around me. Arthur, I feel so safe," Helena smiled warmly."

"I can do this every night," he kissed Helena's forehead.

"I'd love that."

As they lay there, Arthur's mind began to wander. He thought about how long he and Helena had been together and how much he loved her. He thought about how he would do anything to protect her, no matter what.

They drifted off to sleep after almost half an hour of settling in. But Arthur's mind was still racing with his plan. He barely slept, tossing and turning in his sleeping bag. Finally, at the crack of dawn, he sat up and watched Helena sleeping peacefully.

Arthur quietly got up and left the tent, making his way to the spot where he had set up his traps the day before. He checked them, ensuring they were still in place and functioning correctly. He couldn't risk anything going wrong with his plan.

Once satisfied that everything was in order, he returned to the tent. Helena was still fast asleep, and he didn't want to wake her just yet. He sat beside her, watching her breathe softly, feeling a deep love and protectiveness for Helena.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound coming from the nearby bushes. He quickly got up, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He cautiously approached the noise source and saw a shadow in the bushes.

"Who's there?" Arthur called out, his hand on the hilt of his knife.

The sound stopped, and Arthur squinted in the darkness. He could make out a small deer scurrying away from him. He grabbed a nearby stick and chased it, waving it around and making loud noises to scare it away. After a few seconds of chasing, Arthur successfully drove the deer away.

Arthur quickly returned to the tent, relieved that he had been able to protect Helena from any potential danger. He crawled back into his sleeping bag and looked at her, feeling proud of himself for protecting her even while she was asleep.

He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She stirred slightly but didn't wake up. His phone ringing startled him when he was about to lie back in the sleeping bag. He grabbed his phone and swiped it to answer immediately to avoid waking up Helena. He went out of the tent before answering it.

"Hello, who is this?" He asked, as the number was unknown. No one answered on the other line, and then it beeped. The call ended.

Arthur furrowed his brows, wondering who could possibly be calling him at this early hour. He rechecked the number, but it was still unknown. He shrugged it off, thinking it was probably a wrong number or someone trying to sell him something.

But as he returned to the tent, his mind began to race with possibilities. What if it was Israel's parents trying to track them down? What if they had found out where they were and planned to come after them? Arthur couldn't shake the feeling of unease that was settling in his stomach.

He crawled back into the tent and lay beside Helena but couldn't sleep. He kept tossing and turning, his mind racing with thoughts of the unknown caller and the danger that could be lurking around them.

Finally, after what felt like hours of lying there in silence, Helena stirred beside him. "Arthur, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice groggy from sleep.

"Nothing. Good morning, beautiful," he whispered.

Helena rubbed her eyes sleepily and smiled at him. "Good morning, handsome. Did you sleep well?"

Arthur hesitated for a moment before responding. "Not really. I had something on my mind."

"What is it?" Helena asked, concern etched on her face.

"I've been thinking about Israel's parents and the threats they made against you, against us. I should devise a plan to stop this once and for all," Arthur said, his voice serious.

Helena sat up, now fully awake. "I thought the same thing, but what power do I have compared to them?" She said, disappointed.

"We are in this together. We will surely come up with a good idea. Before that, we need to start with a good breakfast."

"I'll help you make breakfast," Helena said as he clung to Arthur's arms.

"It's fine. You can just stay here for your morning meditation and Yoga."

"You know what. That's what I really needed these days. I've been skipping my morning meditation for days, and it's not doing well."

"Okay. You do that while I'm making breakfast," Arthur kissed her lips and went out of the tent.

Helena felt grateful for the rare opportunity to indulge in much-needed alone time. She sank onto her meditation mat's soft, plush cushion, closing her eyes and focusing on breathing deeply in and out. Her breaths were like waves of calm washing over tumultuous waters, making her feel lighter and more settled with each passing moment. She let go of every thought that came to mind until she was completely empty, blissfully free from distraction.

After ten minutes had passed, Helena rose from her meditation pose, stretching out her cramped limbs before beginning her daily yoga routine. She moved fluidly from one pose to another, feeling every muscle stretch and flex under the guidance of her practiced movements. The quiet hum of her breath filled the tent as she bent and twisted and turned, sinking deeper into herself with each motion.

As Helena ended her morning stretch, she left the tent and saw Arthur on the phone. "Arthur?" She called out his name. Arthur turned to her; he smiled warmly as he ended the call.

Arthur walked close to her, in his hand a mug of coffee. "Breakfast is almost ready," he kissed her on the lips. "Here's your coffee; I know this is what you wanted early in the morning."

She took the mug, sipped, and savored her latte. "Thanks. A perfect start to the day," she smiled. "Baby, who was on the phone?"

Arthur shifted his weight, averting his gaze and scratching the back of his neck as he spoke. "Wrong number." His lips were pressed together in a thin line, and his voice was tight and forced.

Helena's eyes flicked from Arthur to his coffee cup. He had an uneasy look in his eye and a slight tremor in his hands, but she decided to ignore it and continued to sip her latte slowly, savoring the sweet taste.