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“Angel?”
My breath hitches at Dad’s voice. He crosses the street as his driver closes the door.
If Dad is already home, that means it’s getting late.
Uncle Lewis straightens as Dad reaches us. My daddy is tall with sandy blond hair and rich brown eyes and he looks like the models from Silver’s magazines. He’s wearing his perfect suit that Marian spends a lot of time perfecting.
“Daddy!” I hug his waist, ruining his suit with my tears. “Please find Xan.”
“What happened to Xan?” His gaze strays from me to Uncle Lewis. They exchange a look I don’t understand as I repeat the gibberish from earlier.
“It’s my fault,” I cry. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t say that, Angel.” Dad strokes my hair behind my ear and kisses my forehead. “Let’s find him and I’m sure he’ll forgive you.”
“I’m sure,” Uncle Lewis echoes with a smile.
The three of us go back to the forest and search together. We go to where Xan and I were and try to cover the directions he could’ve taken.
All the way, I cry as Dad and Uncle Lewis tell me it’s okay and that we’ll find him.
We don’t.
The late afternoon turns into dusk and soon enough, the night starts to fall.
I don’t stop crying. Every time the tears begin to dry up, I think about the amount of fear Xander must be in and then a new wave hits me.
What have I done? What have I done?
“I’ll take Kim home,” Dad tells Uncle Lewis.
“What? No!” I shriek. “I’m not leaving until I find Xan.”
“Maybe he went to his house.”
“Ahmed would’ve called Uncle Lewis if he had,” I insist.
Dad hugs me to his side as he addresses Uncle Lewis, “Call the police. This could be another case like the other time.”
“I doubt it. He wasn’t the target back then, Aiden was.” Uncle Lewis sighs, his gaze straying towards me. “But yes, take Kim home. It’s getting cold.”
I struggle against Dad as he tries to drag me away. “No, Daddy. I have to find him.”
“You can’t, Angel.” Dad’s jaw tightens under the late dusk sun and I don’t know why that makes me cry harder.
I wiggle free from his hold before he can trap me in again.
“Kim!” he calls and his footsteps sound behind me.
No idea where I’m running, but I don’t stop.
I trip and slide down a small hill. My knee burns and stings, but I stand up and continue running.
“Xaaan!” I scream at the top of my lungs. I’m crying and running and heaving.
It’s almost like that time when Nana left me and I knew I’d never see her again.
Only, now, it’s worse because I’m the reason behind his disappearance.
