I tried a new tactic—I called Luna.
“Hey, Axel…” She answered on the second ring, but I cut her off before she could say much more.
“Luna, it’s Axel. I know you are having a girls’ night, but I just need to talk to Stella for two minutes. I’m outside her place. Do you mind sending her to the door? Sorry.”
“Umm…I’m not at her house. I had to go to a family thing tonight, so she was just going to hang by herself and relax. Did you try calling her?”
“Yes,” I told her. “Twice already.”
“She might be in the shower and not next to her phone,” Luna added. “Do you want me to try to call her?”
“No,” I replied. “Go enjoy your family night. I will wait a few minutes and try again.”
“If she doesn’t answer, there’s a fake rock by the pansies along the side wall that has her spare key in it,” Luna told me, giving me the code to open to rock and get the key out.
I didn’t want to break in, but I needed to talk to her.
“Okay, good luck,” Luna said, and I thanked her before we hung up.
My plan was to give her another few minutes in case she really was not near her phone, but, admittedly, I was starting to get worried that my mother had said something vastly inappropriate and she was ignoring me on purpose.
It didn’t take long for me to spot the fake rock, so I quickly retrieved the key and tried calling her again as I walked back to her door.
Again, no answer.
Just as I slid my phone into my pocket, I heard a man yell, followed by a loud crash and then a female scream. Not just any female—Stella.
What the hell?
Braden!
I needed to get to Stella fast, but I also wasn’t stupid. I pulled my phone out as fast as I could to send a text before I went in.
Me: I’m at Stella’s. Braden is here. Screaming and loud crash. I’m going inside. Send backup.
That text went out to everyone on our staff. This may not require full backup, but I had no idea what I was walking into, so I needed to be prepared.
I put the key in the lock and turned the doorknob quietly. I didn’t have a weapon on me, so the best I had was the element of surprise.
And hopefully some good luck.
