Comeon.
Eventually I catch Noah’s name flashing past and stab at the screen. The call starts ringing. Seconds stretch out like minutes. I don’t even know if I’m out of breath anymore or if my heart is still beating normally. The only thing I can feel clearly is the adrenaline flooding through my body. Then I hear some rumbling on the other side of my phone. “Maddy?”
That's not Noah. I recognize that voice.
“Ryan? Shit sorry—I meant to call Noah, I’ll hang up—”
“Where are you?”
I let out a shaky breath. “I just need to call Noah.”
I hear a door close on the other side of the line. “Maddy, where are you?”
“Ryan, I really need to call—”
“Maddy, I can hear something is wrong. I don't care where you are, tell me what is going on and I’m coming to you right now.”
I open my mouth, trying to form words, but they hardly come out, so I swallow and try to focus.
“There was a break in,” I start, my voice shaking. “At the cafe. I’m going there right now.”
“Shit—okay Mads, listen to me. You go to the cafe and I’ll meet you there. I will call Noah.”
I sniff. “Okay.”
I hear an engine starting though my phone as I hang up.
After ten more minutes, I turn around the corner and the cafe gets in sight. There are at least three police cars on the street. I cross the street and see people walking by, looking curiously to see what is going on.
A car screeches to a stop at the curb the exact second my feet hit the sidewalk. The door flies open, and Ryan’s already halfway out before the engine even settles. He slams the door shut behind him.
“Mads!” His eyes sweep over me, fast and worried, taking in my red face. “I called Noah, he’s almost here.”
I nod, breath tight. “Okay.”
We move toward the front door together, but a yellow POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS tape is stretched across the doorway. And an officer steps forward, holding out a hand. “Sorry, you can’t—”
“That’s my dad,” I say, voice sharper than I meant. “I need to get inside.”
Ryan steps in beside me. The officer looks between us, then over his shoulder at the chaos, and then finally lifts the tape. “Go ahead. Stay to the right.”
The minute I step inside, my lungs squeeze. Shelves are knocked over. Bags of coffee beans split open on the floor like someone ripped them with their bare hands. The register drawer’s hanging open. Chairs flipped. The cozy, warmHazel & BeanI know looks like it was shaken upside down. And then I see him. “Dad?”
He turns at the sound of my voice. His shoulders collapse in relief and cross the room, shoving past a small table on its side. I throw my arms around him.
“Are you okay?” My voice cracks. “Are you hurt?”
“No, honey,” he murmurs, hugging me back just as tightly. “I’m alright. Just rattled.”
“Noah’s coming,” I say, pulling back to look at him. “He’ll be here any minute.”
“Good,” he tries to smile, but it wobbles.
Ryan steps a little closer. “What happened?”
Dad runs a hand over his face. “I came in this afternoon after closing to start prepping. Walked through the front door and it was already like this.”
My breath stutters. “You didn’t see anyone?”
