Page 112 of No Headlines Please

Already, Maisie's dad had been gone half a year, and I hadn't even sent a condolence card.

I was the worst best friend ever.

And yet, I couldn't shake the belief that if I'd had any clue whatsoever, I would've been there, threats be damned.

Before I could overthink it, I grabbed my phone again. Bracing myself, I hit the call button and held my breath.

I didn't have to hold it long. The call went to voicemail so quickly, I couldn't help but wonder if she'd blocked my number.

After a deep breath, I pulled up the second number – the landline for Maisie's dad's place. It was where Maisie lived, and considering how much she loved the island, I couldn't imagine her leaving.

This time, it rang five or six times before the line was finally picked up and a familiar female voice said, "Hello?"

I literally gasped. "Tessa? Is that you?"

45

Everyone's Favorite

Delaney

The sound of Tessa's voice hit me so hard, I nearly forgot to breathe.

How was this even possible?

I yanked the phone from my ear and studied the display, half convinced I'd somehow called the wrong number. It would make sense, after all, since I'd been calling Tessa non-stop.

But it wasn't the wrong number, which left me completely baffled.

Why was Tessa answering Maisie's phone?

Sounding just as surprised, Tessa said, "Delaney?"

In that moment, I wasn't even sure what I felt. Relief that I'd found her? Confusion about where she was? Fear that Sierra had been telling the truth?

I gripped the phone tighter. "What are you doing there?"

"It's a long story. But where are you?"

This was absolutely surreal. I was where Tessa belonged – inside Tessa's apartment, in Tessa's favorite city, surrounded by all of Tessa's things.

And Tessa?

She was with Maisie.

This, of course, assumed that Maisie was even home. And if she wasn't? Well, people didn't answer someone else's phone unless they'd settled in.

My stomach clenched. Was that why Tessa hadn't been answering my calls? Because even she knew how bad this would look? I mean, it was one thing to borrow someone's cocktail dress and quite another to swipe a best friend.

And now she was asking where I was?

I was literally shaking. "I asked you first. So you're stealing my friends, now?"

I hated how I sounded – hurt and jealous. But it was exactly how I felt. And after spending the last couple of hours crying on Tessa's couch, I didn't have the energy to take it back.

And besides, Tessa was already saying, "No. For your information, I came here looking for you." She sounded snippy, like this was none of my business.

I couldn't help but scoff. "And you just happen to show up on the exact day I call?"