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The hint of accusation in her tone is a balm. She wouldn’t sound indignant if she were worried.
Mariana must be with her.
“I’m not sure,” I answer.
“I haven’t heard from Mari either,” Livvy says, her tone biting.
The breath leaves my lungs.
“I need to go,” Livvy says. “Sofia and I need to talk.”
I take a deep breath to fight the dizziness descending over me. If Livvy hasn’t heard from her, this is dire.
As soon as Livvy hangs up, I pull up Mariana’s name in my contact list. My heart thrums in my ears as I press her name for the seventeenth time. It rings once before going to voicemail, and I want to throw my phone against the wall.
Lord, help me find her.
Mariana
Rows of vineyards stretch out along the rolling hills. The evening sun casts a golden hue over the narrow highway.
Damn, I love driving. The rumble of the road makes my frazzled brain grow quiet. I could almost forget that I’ll be back in Santa Barbara in an hour, and all of my troubles will be in front of me again.
The buzz of my phone interrupts the lulling hum of the road. When I glance at the screen and see the name, my heart seizes.
Brandon.
After taking a deep breath, I set the phone back in the cup holder and tighten my grip on the wheel. This is probably the twentieth time he’s tried to call me, but I’ve somehow been able to stay strong. I haven’t even listened to any of his voicemails.
At first, I was impressed with myself for my strength. What if those voicemails are full of regret and longing? What if he’s telling me he made the biggest mistake of his life, and he wants to be with me no matter what? Even if it means losing his church.
But what if he’s not?
I’d rather hang on to this heavenly hope, even if it makes me feel pathetic. I’ll face the reality when I get back to Santa Barbara.
As the voicemail notification chimes, I force myself to take in my surroundings. The ocean stretches out, an endless blue. The house in the distance is as big as a castle, like Brandon’s house. What would it be like to live there with him, waking up every morning to a view like this?
I’d scarcely see it because I’d have him. His big body would be wrapped around mine like it was in those magical few nights we had on that trip. Or maybe I’d be sitting at a vanity while he braids my hair. We’d be too consumed with each other to notice the view.
Ugh. Fantasies like that will only slow the healing of my broken heart. I’ve seen evidence of it in Sofia.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hard on her for holding on to Finn so tightly.
An hour later, I stretch my arms up high after stepping out of the car. The air is much cooler than it was in Anaheim, and it’s refreshing after my long, stuffy car ride.
Everything will be okay.
I’m resilient.
As soon as I open my apartment door, Brandon’s huge form looms over me. “Why the fuck did you not return a single one of my calls?”
I take a step back, and my pulse pounds against my throat. “What are you doing here?”
His jaw clenches. “Answer my question.”
I blink once, hardly able to process the sight in front of me. What is he even doing here? I glance at his side and see Sofia on the couch. She shoots me an apologetic look. “I told him you were fine.”
“Answer my question, Mariana,” Brandon repeats.
