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Hey. Any chance you’re back from your surprise date?
Guess not. Let me know when you get this.
Lai, I really need you to come pick me up if you can.
Would it be weird if I call your brother? It would, right?
I need you.
She left a voicemail in between the third and fourth text, which means whatever’s going on, it’s not good. Mali is rarely the type to ever ask for help. She says it’ll damage her badass reputation.
I switch to the texts from Cam.
Where are you?
I’m on my way to get Mali, but why the fuck aren’t you and Hayes answering your phones?
JFC. You have your phone glued to you at all times and this is the time I can’t reach you?
WHEN YOU SEE THIS, GET TO THE FUCKING HOUSE. NOW.
Dread flows through me as I read his messages getting progressively more urgent. And when I switch to the voicemails, it only gets worse.
“Hey Lai. I don’t really know where you are, but if you see this, I need you to come pick me up. I’m at a party at Heather’s and I just really don’t want to be here anymore. I’ll fill you in more when I talk to you, but yeah. Just call me back.”
There aren’t many times I’ve heard Mali sound nervous. She’s normally a headstrong, scared-of-nothing firecracker. But something in her voice sounds off to me.
The only two left are from Cam, and he never leaves voicemails—or calls me for that matter. He’s more of the text or nothing type.
“Dude, I swear to God, now is not the time to go missing. When you get this, fucking call me. Better yet, tell H to call me.”
I get to the last one and goosebumps spread across my skin as I hear Mali crying in the background.
“Shit. Where the fuck are you guys? You need to answer your goddamn phones! No one has sex for this fucking long!”
The message cuts out, and in any other circumstance, I’d probably find the sex comment funny, but not in this one. I look over at Hayes with nothing but fear in my eyes.
“Your seatbelt is buckled, right?” he asks, and I nod. “Good. Hold on.”
My back gets pressed into the seat as he sinks the gas pedal into the floor. The roar of the engine is louder than I’ve ever heard it, but all I can focus on is the fear in my brother’s voice and the sound of Mali crying in the background.
THE TRUCK HARDLY COMESto a complete stop before I’m jumping out and running inside. Hayes is right behind me as we burst through the front door. I check each room as I run through the living room and the kitchen, but there’s no one there. Cam’s Jeep was in the driveway when we got here, so that can only mean one thing.
I take the stairs two at a time and barge into my brother’s room, finding him and Mali sitting on his bed. My best friend is curled into a ball with tear-stained cheeks. She lunges and wraps her arms around me tightly.
“I’m sorry,” she sobs. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
My brows furrow and my eyes meet Hayes’s as he stands in the doorway. Neither one of us have any idea what she’s apologizing about. But I’m guessing the angry look on Cam’s face has something to do with it.
“Wait. What the fuck happened to your hand?” Hayes snaps.
Huh?Mali cries harder as my attention turns to Cam’s right hand, and the icepack sitting on top of it. It’s then that I notice the blood on his shirt.
“Cam!” Hayes yells when he doesn’t answer.
But he doesn’t respond then either. He just keeps his eyes trained on Mali, like Hayes and I aren’t even here.
“Okay,” I say softly, not trying to make an already tense situation worse. “Mal, baby. I need you to breathe, okay?”
