AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Byron checked his watch relieved, and not sure why her mother sounded so alarmed. “Just over two hours ago. She said she was going back to her dorm to turn in an assignment, then head back home right after.”
“Oh, thank God!” she said sounding overly relieved. “So, she wasn’t at school anymore?”
“No,why?”
“You haven’t watched the news? There’s some kind of standoff at her school. A shooting, and we haven’t been able to get a hold of her in over two hours. Xochitl isn’t answering either.”
Feeling his heart thud, Byron stopped in his tracks. “Standoff?”
“Yes, we’ve beensoworried.” Her mother went on. “Her father is already headed out there with his brothers and my son. But you’re saying two hours ago she was going back to her dorm?”
“Yeah.” He nodded suddenly feelingenormouslyrelieved. Obviously, her mom was overreacting, right? “She also mentioned needing to pick up her phone charger but would be headed out right after. She should be there soon. Maybe her phone just wasn’t charged enough. It might’ve died on the way.” He explained about Savannah having left her car charger at his place. “The one at her dorm only charges on the wall.”
It made sense, he told himself inwardly, despite her parents being this worried making him feel alarmed. All Byron’s calls to her had gone straight to voicemail. Even if shewaspissed at him, she wouldn’t have deliberately turned her phone off knowing her family might try to get a hold of her. Her mother said she’d call her dad and let him know, since he was likely still thinking the worst.
“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything,” Byron said. “Please call me if you hear something first.”
“Will do.”
They were off the phone, but there was no way Byron was going back to filming. There had to be something he could do. “I gotta cut this short, guys,” he said as soon as he was back to where they were waiting on him, but didn’t even wait for them to respond, or bother to explain why.
He hit speed dial as he rushed upstairs to his apartment. To his surprise, Savannah’s phone wasn’t going straight to voicemail anymore, but she still wasn’t answering. He waited until it finally did go to her voicemail before hanging up.
Grabbing his keys, he cursed himself for not having asked Savannah’s mom for Xochitl’s number. He’d never thought to ask Savannah for it either. With no other recourse, he told Nine to close up for him because he had to leave ASAP and headed to her dorm.
He rushed out and into his car, his mind racing but he refused to give into the ugly thoughts that maybe she’d been in an accident or something worse. Since her phone was ringing now, he tried her mom again. “When’s the last time you tried calling her?” he asked as soon as she answered.
“I was calling every five minutes but since its going straight to voicemail, I stopped trying about twenty minutes ago.”
“Try her now. It’s ringing now but she’s not answering. She was upset with me whenIlast talked to her, but I’m sure she’ll answer you.”
Her mom was quiet for a second, but thankfully didn’t ask why Savannah was upset. A few minutes later he read the text from her mom letting him know Savannah hadn’t answered.
“Fuck!”
He banged his steering wheel and tried Savannah again a few more times. Each time it rang until it went to voicemail. As he pulled into the parking lot of her dorm the line surprisingly clicked midway through the third ring and Byron’s heart nearly burst with relief, until he heard the male voice on the other end.
“Hello?”
Glancing down, he checked to make sure he hadn’t hit a different number by mistake, but confirmed it was hers. It’s when another thought of why she might be missing came to him, and he was hit with a mixture of terror and rage. “Who the fuck is this? And where’s Savannah?”
“This is her father.”
Byron stopped cold just as he jumped out of his car and almost smiled. “Mr. Moreno? You found her?”
“No. Just her phone.” Feeling the blood thrum in his ears, Byron swallowed hard not sure what to think. But he started toward her dorm anyway. “What do you mean?Where?”
“Here at her dorm. We just got here. It was still on the charger.”
“What did Xochitl say? Has she seen her?”
“No one’s here. When’s the last time you talked to her?”
“About two hours ago.”
Byron explained what he’d already explained to her mother, minus the part about her being upset with him. Then let him know it was him knocking at the door. Her uncle Angel opened it, looking as worried as Byron was now feeling.
Her dad walked out of her bedroom holding a phone. It rang and they all froze but her father frowned when he glanced down at the screen. “Valerie,” he said to them then answered. “Babe, it’s me. I’m at her dorm. The door was unlocked, and her phone was here on the charger but no one else is here.”
