"Hey, what's going on?"
"I'll explain later. Someone needs my help, and I need to get there fast."
Bear steps up behind my friend with a pensive expression.
"Let's go," I urge.
Iris grabs my wrist as I try to leave. "Wait. I'll come with you guys. Let me grab my jacket."
I nod, and she releases me, scurrying off to where she was sitting moments ago. Returning with her jacket and purse in hand, I'm reminded that I left my purse and jacket on my chair. Shit. I'm clearly not thinking straight. Once I locate my bag, the three of us start to weave through the crowd, making the daunting trip from the back of the bar to the front door.
As we walk, I fish my headphones out of my bag and put them in. Once we exit the building, the sounds of bass and people's obnoxious singing fade behind us. I unmute myself to make sure she's still there.
"Clover?"
"Yeah?"
"Just making sure you're still okay. I got your location, and I'm sending mine to you right now."
"Got it."
"I'm fifteen minutes away."
"Hurry."
I had hoped that the ten minutes it took me to get to this point would have given her time to calm down and feel better, knowing someone was on the way. I know now that that was wishful thinking, since I can still hear the fear in her voice.
The memory of Kass telling me about Jade floods my brain. I remember thinking that maybe Jade wasn't as bad as Kass made her out to be. We all make mistakes. I thought maybe he was just holding a lifelong grudge and hurting two people in the process, so I urged him to give her a second chance.
Is this my fault?
I send the location to Bear, and not long after, we're hopping in his car. The silence of the car is deafening. The only sound is my ears still ringing from the loud music in the bar and my heavy breathing. I feel a bead of sweat run down my arm, and I can't tell if it's from the stress of this situation or practically running the whole way to the car to keep up with Bear's long strides and sense of urgency.
Iris turns around from the passenger seat to look back at me. "Are you going to tell us what's going on now, or do wehave to just live in the dark while driving you to a sketchy part of the city?"
"What?" I didn't even look at the location. I check it again, and sure enough, it's a part of town that I'd never personally live in.
"I heard you say Clover. Is that Kass's daughter, or did you happen to meet someone else with that name that I haven't met?"
I mute myself again, so Clover doesn't overhear us talking about her. "No, it's Kass's kid."
"Why is she… I'm so confused."
I lean forward in my seat, so my head is between the driver's and passenger's seats. "Long story short, she called me and asked me to come pick her up at her aunt's house because she doesn't feel safe."
"The aunt that was her mom's best friend?"
I didn't tell the girls all the details of that story, not wanting anyone to judge Kass for not turning Jade in, but they know the gist of it.
"Yeah, that one."
"Shit. Is she okay?"
"I think so. She's just scared of being in a house full of strangers. I think Jade decided to throw a party once Clover went to bed."
"Uh, okay...I have so many questions."
"You and me both."
