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Gray took a deep breath. He didn’t want to blast his sister, but she was scaring the crap out of him. There was no way he was going to let that happen. He needed to find her.
“I wasn’t afraid of Suzanne creating a scene, Dani. I don’t give a shit. I was afraid she would make Sam feel bad. Sam has self-esteem and self-worth issues. Suzanne was getting ready to pounce, and I didn’t want Sam to have to deal with that.”
Dani snorted. “You think watching you walk away with your bitch of an ex-wife helped her self-esteem and self-worth issues? You made her feel like Suzanne was more important, Gray!”
Gray dropped his head and covered his face with his hands. The cold dread crawling through his stomach threatened to steal the very breath from him. His back stiffened so that he felt one wrong move would break him. He sat hunched over in the kitchen chair in his parents’ kitchen and a hopelessness settled in over him. Tears sprung to his eyes at the thought that he’d made Sam feel unimportant, just like her parents. No, he was worse than them because he told her he’d never do that to her.
Mary spoke up. “That’s enough. We need to find Sam. Gray, you need to grovel, beg, or do whatever you need to do to get her to talk to you. It isn’t going to be easy.”
Harry added, “It’s getting late. Gray, why don’t you stay here tonight?”
“Thanks, Dad. I want to be home in case Sam comes home during the night.”
Dani reminded Gray, “Your house isn’t her home, and I doubt that she’ll show up there.”
He stood abruptly and stalked to the kitchen door, letting it slam behind him. He drove home and sat on the sofa continuing his efforts to get her to answer his calls or texts. He stopped being angry that she wasn’t responding to him and became scared thinking he’d never see her again.
The little sleep he got was while sitting up on the sofa. He rotated his head hoping to relieve his stiff neck muscles. Standing, he stretched his sore muscles. He’d been so stiff and tense that his muscles now protested. He slowly made his way to the master bathroom, turned the water on its hottest setting and took two aspirin while waiting for the water to steam up the room.
He drove to Sam’s house and found Shelia there showing the house. She said she hadn’t spoken to Sam, but if she did, she’d let Sam know he was looking for her. Gray thought he would go to the mall and see if she was there. She liked going to Starbucks, so he’d start there. He’d drive around all fucking day if he needed to.
Around ten o’clock Gray’s phone rang, and he instantly answered without looking, “Sam?”
“It’s Dad, Gray. Any luck?”
Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the headrest in his SUV. He’d been watching the plethora of people coming and going from the mall. He was simply at a loss as to where she’d be.
“No,” he responded softly.
“Well, come on over and have some lunch. Your mom is worried you haven’t been eating and you need to be with family right now.”
“Dad …” He let out a breath. “I just can’t. I won’t be able to handle it if everyone starts in on me. I’m barely hanging on as it is.”
He heard his father mutter, “Fuck.” Which caused his head to pop off the seat. Harry never swore. “Gray, don’t make me come and find you. We’re worried about you and Sam. When your mother worries, I worry. When we’re both worried, your sister worries and, dammit, we need to see you and know you’re okay. So, get your ass over here now!”
Taking a deep breath and rubbing his tired eyes, he said, “Okay. I’ll be there in a little while.”
Pulling into the driveway, he exhaled in relief to see he was the first one here. He walked in and sat at the counter with Harry while Mary cooked. The sad looks on his parents’ faces made the tears flow, and for the second time in two days, he cried. If he could just talk to her and tell her how sorry he was.
“Mom, I love her so damn much. I never dreamed I’d find her. She’s the one; she is, I knew it the first moment I saw her. I’ve been trying not to scare her by moving too fast, but dammit, as soon as I find her, I’m going to marry her. I’ll do anything to get her back,anything.”
His mother came around the counter and hugged him to her. She laid her cheek on the top of his head and smoothed the tired muscles in his back. She cooed soft words to him and reassured him Sam would come home when she’d been able to lick her wounds.
“I made her feel just as bad as they have all her life. Ihaveto make it right. I broke a promise to her that I’d never treat her like she didn’t matter.”
Lunch passed agonizingly slow. Gray pushed the food around on his plate, but each time he thought about taking a bite, his stomach revolted. He was the first to leave, wanting to finally call Josh.
Josh told him that Sam was at Adam’s for Julie’s birthday party. Then Gray remembered that she’d told him about it. He felt better knowing she was okay, but he knew if he went there, it would cause a scene, and he didn’t want that. So, he decided to wait for her to come home.
He called Sam’s phone a few more times and still no answer. Her voicemail was full, so he couldn’t leave another message; it wasn’t helping him anyway. He went home and tried to sleep, but when he could fall asleep, he couldn’t stay asleep. By three a.m., he got up and went into his office to go through emails and see if he could get anything done.
On Monday morning, Gray’s phone rang. Popping his head up from his desk, he grabbed the phone, hoping to God it was Sam and was disappointed to hear Dani on the other end.
“Sorry to disappoint you, brother, but I wanted you to know that I went to Sam’s office to see if she was there and Jessie told me she called in sick today. Jessie didn’t know where she was, just that she wasn’t coming in.”
Gray closed his eyes. He couldn’t go another day without finding her.
“Gray, did you hear me?”
