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“Shh, Mia. Shh.” Cade gathers me close, running a hand down my back. He doesn’t speak or taunt me, he simply holds me as if we’re a pair of lovers stealing touches in the dark.
There’s a loud crash down the hall, and he stiffens. “Looks like the cavalry has finally arrived.” Cade eases back to look me in the eye. “But soon, Mia. Soon we’ll be together again.”
He starts inching away, his form shifting and simmering until the shadows swallow him whole. I step forward, blinking and blinking some more. But there’s nothing. No sign Cade was ever here. I slide down the wall, silent tears streaking down my cheeks.
“Mia?” a voice calls out. But it’s not the voice I yearn to hear. “Mia… fuck.”
Ashton reaches me and crouches down. “What happened?”
I blink up at him, the edges of my vision blurry, and my lips twist with pain.
“I think you are all right. I think I’m losing my mind.”
18
Bexley
"Where is she?" I bark at Brandon the second I get to him on the dance floor.
The last time I looked over, he was dancing with Mia while some guy I had no interest in talking to tried to engage me in conversation.
"Uh… bathroom?" he asks, looking around, proving that he has no fucking idea.
"You're meant to be looking after her," I shout, slamming my palms down on his chest, my anger swirling around me like a storm.
I catch Tim's attention before the three of us set off on a search mission while Fawn goes to check the ladies’ room in case she’s just escaped for a little peace and quiet. I couldn't really blame her if she has; this party fucking blows. I'd rather be hiding in the bathroom, that's for sure.
The ballroom shows no sign of her.
"Anything?" I ask when Fawn emerges from the hallway.
"No."
"Shit."
Lifting my hands to my face, I rip my fucking mask off, my patience with the thing long vanished. Tugging on the length of my hair, I look at the others, fear washing through me.
She could be anywhere.
"Security have this place surrounded. They wouldn't let her leave," Tim says, concern evident on his face.
"What's going on?" Sasha asks as she, Channing and Alex finally join us. "Where's Mia?"
I narrow my eyes at her, livid that she's clearly been enjoying herself popping pills while Mia is fuck knows where. "We don't know, that's what's fucking going on. You were all meant to be watching her," I snap at them.
"Let's split up. We'll find her faster," Channing suggests.
Everyone turns in a different direction, and I take off running down the hall.I have no fucking clue where I'm going. I've only ever been in one of three rooms in this colossal building. I just have to hope she's not gone far.
Each second feels like an hour as I run down endless hallways, throwing random doors open and peering inside, but it's to no avail.
Coming to a stop at a dead end, I thread my fingers through my hair, pulling until it burns.The silence around me is oppressive as I stand and stare out of the floor-to-ceiling window before me. Gravestone Forest stretches out into the darkness beyond, only the tree line visible with the bright spotlights from the building illuminating it. Just like at the house, I will myself to see him, to see what Mia believes she sees, but there's nothing.
A noise causes me to turn around, every hair on my body standing on end, and I take a step forward, straining to hear it again.After a few seconds, I hear it again. A sob.
Racing forward, I turn toward one of the hallways I haven’t been down yet and run all the way to the end."Get the fuck away from her," I bellow when I see a figure crouched down beside Mia.
"Whoa, man," Ashton says when I wrap my fingers in the fabric of his jacket and physically drag him away from my girl.
