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I ducked my head, chuckling under my breath. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Is she here in Hawaii then? I thought you said she was coming, but—”
“Yeah, she’s here.” I nodded, hoping to get off the topic as quickly as possible. “She would’ve loved to have come to get you guys, but she’s feeling sick.”
“Oh no, poor thing.” My mom frowned. “Maybe we should bring her some soup or something? Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, maybe,” I agreed, rifling through my mind for a change of subject. “So, Dad,” I began, “how’s the new album going?”
He leaned back in his chair and nodded. “Good, I guess.”
“Will you be going on tour?”
“We’re too old to go on tour,” he grumbled under his breath, “but we will be. We’re trying to work that so we’re not gone long. The guys don’t want to be away from their kids. Now that everyone is in school full-time it’s hard.” He shrugged. “Should have kept up the homeschooling, I guess.”
“You can’t beat the real school experience, though,” I countered.
“True,” he agreed.
“What are we doing after this?” my mom asked.
“I’d like to head back and check on Ari, and then I figured we could go to the beach.” I shrugged.
“That sounds good to me,” Grace chimed in.
“Yeah, sounds good to me too,” Willow added, smiling up at Dean before laying her head on his shoulder.
“I need to get out in the water with the guys,” I told them. I didn’t want to, though. All I wanted to do was sit with Ari and hold her—tell her everything would be okay.
“No.” My mom shook her head. “I know you, and you’ve probably been training non-stop. You need a break before tomorrow. Take a breather, Liam.”
I winced. “I can’t, Mom.”
She narrowed her eyes on me, giving me that scary look only moms could do. The one that told you she wasn’t taking no for an answer.
We finished our meal and I couldn’t get the bill paid fast enough. I needed to get back to Ari. I didn’t know why, but I had this ominous feeling that something bad had happened. Maybe that feeling was only because of what she told me, or maybe it was something more. Either way, I knew I wouldn’t get rid of this sense of foreboding until I saw her.
I left everyone in the lobby to check-in and get their room keys while I headed up to my room to see Ari. I’d hoped she was okay. I’d hated leaving her after everything that happened and what she confessed, but I knew she was well-taken-care of with Ollie and Talia.
I slid the keycard in the slot and opened the door.
Talia and Ollie jumped up from the couch as soon as I entered the room. They both wore worried looks, which instantly sent me over the edge.
“What is it?” I asked, looking between the two.
Ollie looked down at Talia, his lips twisting down. I didn’t think I’d ever seen the guy not smile.
“What’s going on?” I demanded, my voice rising in anger.
Ollie gave me a sad look and a half-shrug. “She’s gone.”
Ari
I’d had to get out of there.
When I’d finally emerged from the bathroom, I knew I had to make my escape before Liam got back. I’d changed back into my bikini since it was all I had in his room, and ran past Ollie and Talia who I knew were in the living room.
They’d both called after and Ollie had even chased me down, but I dodged him.
