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“Not in a few days. We were supposed to have a girl’s night where we ate dinner and all watched a movie together, but Lizzie picked up her phone saying Katie wasn’t feeling well. Dylan, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“I don’t know. I was seriously hopin’ you could answer that question for me. I went to her apartment to talk to her about her quittin’ because she’s not actin’ like herself, and Lizzie was there. She’s hidin’ out at her apartment with that girl as her attack dog.”
“Doesn’t shock me. Lizzie’s good at that,” she said. “What did you guys do?”
“Seriously, I don’t know, Whitney. But I’m worried. We all are. I’m sure you and Lizzie have opinions on all of this goin’ on because y’all care for her, but all of us were together on Saturday.”
“Like at work?” she asked.
“No, Whitney. Together. All of us at once. And we talked about things. Admitted feelings to one another that have gone unspoken for years. Then we all agreed to be with one another, as a cohesive unit. Then Katie comes into work talkin’ about how she can’t do it and it was all a mistake, then the next damn day she quits! Via text message!”
“Okay. So, lots to digest there. But, setting it aside, you think Hunter found out?”
“Hunter’s a very confrontational person. He would’ve come to us if Katie went to him with somethin’ like this. If it was Hunter, he would’ve stormed in here by now and laid into us. I don’t think this is Hunter.”
“Okay. Well, I can try to talk to her. But that’s all I can do.”
“All I’m askin’ is you try. I’m worried sick ‘bout her.”
“I can tell. If it’s all the same to you, I was supportive of the fun. I was wary of anything long-term with all she’s going through and, you know the entire situation, in general. But she was happy having fun, and I was all for it.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
I hung up the phone and turned around to see my brothers standing in my damn office. Their brows were furrowed tightly, and their arms were crossed over their chests. I sighed as I tossed my phone onto my desk, then slumped down into my chair.
“How long y’all been standin’ there?” I asked.
“Long enough. So ya got nothin’?” Caleb asked.
“Not until Whitney can pull somethin’ out of her,” I said.
“This is too weird. You mean to tell me one of her best friends don’t even know what’s goin’ on?” Andrew asked.
“I know, I know. Y’all aren’t sayin’ anythin’ I don’t agree with,” I said.
“What are we gonna do?” Wyatt asked.
“We could always go with my plan,” Caleb said.
“Your plan’s to corner the damn girl ‘til she talks,” Andrew said.
“Well, we didn’t fuckin’ do that last time and look where it’s gotten us! Maybe she wanted to be in the damn loop in the first fuckin’ place! What if we all go over to the apartment?” Caleb asked.
“First, I need you all to shut the hell up,” I said.
“Then what?” Wyatt asked.
“Then, we’ll figure it out. Together,” I said.
CHAPTER 36
CALEB
This thing with Katie was getting to me. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but Dylan wasn’t making any headway with Whitney. Lizzie kept picking up Katie’s fuckin’ phone and all of her video calls were going unanswered, whatever the hell that meant. So, I decided to pay a visit to the only other person that Katie might’ve reached out to.
I decided to go visit Hunter.
I was nervous about talking to him, but I was desperate. Something was wrong with Katie, and I’d gotten in too deep with her to let it go now. I hopped into my truck on my lunch break and drove to Hunter’s place, hoping to fuck he had the damn day off. I got to his house and knocked, then my heart started slamming against my chest when he opened the damn door. He had kept up residence in his momma’s house after she’d passed, but I knew it wasn’t doing him any favors being in a place that reminded him of her like that. I saw his eyes rimmed with red, and I wasn’t sure what was going on. I didn’t know if he was tired or drunk or crying or what. But I knew this was my last shot.
