AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Duuuude,what the fuck is wrong with you? Your aim is complete shit. I thought I left early last night so you could get some sleep and I don't have to kick your moping ass all day."
Wes is about to launch the controller at me for getting killed the eighth time in the last hour. Fucking zombies keep biting me in various body parts before I can react, which makes him lose as well.
The video call with Lilly left me wide awake until after four, and my best friend showing up here at nine sharp, like the last several days, didn’t help either.
Mom stuck her head in, informing me that she was taking Natty and her friend Olivia out for a girls’ day, including dinner at their favorite restaurant. That'll be good for Nat. She seems to be handling the current situation better than the rest of us, but that doesn't mean it doesn't affect her. On their way out, I pulled my little sister aside and told her that we're going to have a brother-sister date this weekend. Her face lit up like I had given her the best present ever, and my stomach sank. I have to be around more for her, get my head out of my selfish ass.
I knew that Dad was downstairs in his office, doing his secret spy work or whatever he does, but other than that, I hadn’t seen him today.
I’m about to restart the game when my phone starts ringing. I peer over and see Denielle’s name scroll across the screen. Why is she calling me? She's not supposed to be back until tomorrow. Wes told me earlier this week that she'd been bitch-texting him several times about how Charlie had turned into a serial party-drunk, but she's been radio silent since Tuesday evening. I assumed they had made up and were getting at it like the horny rabbits they are.
"Who is it?" Wes mumbles as he picks out his weapons for this round.
"It’s D?" My tone makes it sound like I’m asking him.
"Huh? Why—"
The call cuts off, my voicemail probably picking up. Within two seconds, it rings again. That's odd. Maybe she came back earlier and needs a ride from the airport?
I pick up the phone and swipe to answer. "Hey, D. What’s—"
"Have you talked to Lilly?" she bursts out so loud Wes glances over.
Huh?
"Uh...last night, yeah. Why?" I lock eyes with my best friend, who scowls at me. Busted.
"SHE’S NOT HOME!" Den yells into the phone.
"What do you mean? Where the hell are you?" My confusion turns into annoyance. Why can no one ever talk in complete, coherent sentences?
"I'm in LA. At her place. She's not here. Or at least no one is opening. She wasn't supposed to leave the house, so she has to be here. But she's not opening the door." She speaks so fast it takes my brain a moment to catch up.
LA?
My hand tightens around the phone. "What are you doing in LA?"
How the hell did she get there?
"Dear Lord, McGuire!" Her exasperated tone makes my blood boil. "I found my longtime boyfriend doggy-styling a sorority slut yesterday, so I jumped on the next flight to Los Angeles to see my best friend."
"And she let you?" I ask, half incredulously, half pissed. Pissed because Den is there and I'm not, but also at the way she talks to me—like I'm an idiot.
"I didn't give her a choice," she confesses. "I called her from the airport after I bought the ticket. She told me to let her know when I landed, but she didn't answer. I assumed she just didn't have her phone with her, so I took a cab. I had the address, and she must've put me on the list because this Harvey doppelganger at the gate let me through once I gave him my ID. Now I’m knocking and ringing the doorbell, and no one is answering. I can’t reach G either." She draws in a shaky breath. "Rhys, I’m freaking out."
My pulse increases the longer she speaks. She's freaking out? What am I supposed to do? I’m across the fucking country. "What do you want me to do? You're there—" The phone is ripped out of my hand, and I glower at Wes, who is standing in front of me, my phone in one hand and the other lifted defensively so I don't clock him. I could still get a good punch in, though. His guard is way too low.
"You need to take a breath, bro. You're about to blow a gasket."
I’m gonna show you a gasket, fuckface!
I'm ready to launch myself at my best friend to fight him for my only connection to the West Coast when he lifts it to his ear. "D! I heard most of it. Walk around the house. See if you can find anything. Another door or something. Rhys is going to call Nate and George."
I narrow my eyes at him. Since when did he turn all drill sergeant?
"Okay," Denielle's voice comes through the speaker; he must've enabled it when he stole my damn phone.
