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I feel my forehead crease. “What she battles?” I scoff, indignant. “You mean her engagement to Mister Money Douchebags? Yeah, that’s a real first world problem right there.”
The bewilderment that crosses her face quickly morphs into one of understanding. “You don’t know.” She says it so fast, so assuredly, that her words strike me like an insult.
I don’t know.
Before I have a chance to press, Melody tilts her head and blows out a puff of smoke. “It’s probably not my place, but I think Ari might be in real trouble.” She shakes her head. “And honestly, if you have any real desire to be with my girl, you should know how to take care of her.”
“What are you talking about? Tell me.” Panic encases me with icy chills, my patience gone.
“Come on,” she says, nodding her head toward her bike. “Get rid of that bulky douche padding. You’re not riding on my bike like that.”
“I’m not riding on your bike period,” I say. “And you’re not leaving here without telling me what the fuck is going on.”
“Fine. Just tell me where she is, and I’ll leave you to your ass-slapping game.” At my shameful expression, she turns her back on me and releases a low curse. Within the same beat, she spins back around to face me and says, “Ari’s sick, Ryder. You got that?” She widens her eyes. “She’s bulimic. Anorexic. Whatever the correct term is these days. But really, I just call it trying to deal with her uptight life and pressure-inducing parents. The girl pecks at her food, and when she gets really upset, she can go days without even thinking of it.”
The truth of her words hits me over the head like a damn mallet. All of a sudden, I’m worse than an idiot; I’m a negligent asshole. I had the proof right before me; all those days where I let her convince me she was just tired, stressed, full—where I was more concerned about us than her. I focused on all the wrong shit—just all the wrong issues.
“We need to find Vee,” I say, and I’m already storming toward the locker room to get changed before Melody can counter.
“All right, then,” she says, running to catch up with me. She tosses her cigarette, her combat boot stubbing it into the ground as she passes. “We need Vee. Okay. Who’s Vee? Am I going to have to get all rowdy on her?
Damn, but this is who Ari hung out with in rehab? There’s a whole side of her I don’t know. And I’m going to rectify that right now.
* * *
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask Vee, fury simmering at the edge of my voice.
Vee looks between Melody and me, her gaze dancing back and forth like she’s trying to find the missing link. But the link is the girl who’s gone missing. The reason why I’m seething and about to lose my shit if someone doesn’t come forward with the truth.
“She didn’t want you to know, Ryder,” Vee says, sagging against the wall. “Her father sent some guy named Markus to pack her stuff…then Ari was gone.” She cringes. “She lost so much weight. I thought…I don’t know. That she had a bug or something. I could hear her in the bathroom at night losing her stomach. I was so worried about her.” She stares me in the eyes.
“She needed a doctor.”
“Shit, Vee.” I grip my hair at the roots. “Then why the hell didn’t you come to me?”
“You? Why would I?” She pushes off the wall and walks toward me. “You were the reason she was so worked up. The last thing I wanted was for you to come around and upset her even more.”
“Where did he take her?” I ask, completely over the whole thing. Ready to find out what I came here for. I’ll deal with my brooding guilt later. Vee doesn’t deserve my wrath. Besides, she’s right. How could I claim to be in love with Ari and not notice how sick she was? Even from a distance? How could I be that egotistical?
Vee shrugs. “Ari said they were taking her to the hospital. That once she got better, she’d be back.” Vee hugs her arms around herself. “But when I went there later that night, the doctor told me her family had checked her out already. He didn’t look happy about that at all.”
Motherfucker.
“Yeah, her dad’s a real piece of work,” Melody says. She looks at me. “We have to find her.”
I nod. “I know. I know.”
“Ryder,” Vee says, her voice low. “I’m sorry. I didn’t figure it out until it was too late.” Her green eyes brim with tears, and I deflate. All anger wiped from my system.
“It’s not…” I clear my throat. “It’s not your fault, Vee.”
Melody groans. “Hey, losing time here. Where do her parents live?” She glances between us, her dark eyes wide. “Sorry. Not to be insensitive, but we have got to get a move on.”
“I know where they live,” I say, remembering the last time I was there. A surge of shame floods me like a tidal wave as my last words to her reverberate against my skull.
Damn. I know what I have to do, and it will probably end with my ass in jail—but this time, I’m not quitting the fight. I should’ve never stopped fighting for her. Ari needs someone who will never give up.
I head for the door, but Vee grabs my arm. “I’m going with you.”
