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“And anyone who’s hiding her,” Noah adds pointedly.
I pick up my phone and dial Pepper. She doesn’t answer. It’s only been thirty minutes since I left her.
“She’s probably in the shower or something. We were going through…”
“Elliot’s things?” Dad finishes.
“Yeah.”
He gives me a look that I take as: yeah, I know you have her doing your dirty work. “She brought some stuff by for me.”
“She did?”
Dad pulls something from a drawer behind the bar. “Kinda understood that when she brought these by. Said she was just snooping and thought I might want these.”
“She wasn’t snooping,” I snap, feeling the need to defend her.
“I figured as much. Let me guess. She stays there free of charge as long as she does what you’ve been avoiding all year?”
My jaw tightens, and I’m careful before I snap out of defense. “She wanted to.”
“Grow up, Chase. No one wants to. She remembers Elliot. She knows what he meant to us. How painful it was. She understands. What I don’t understand is how you had the balls to let her do this again.”
Like a teenage kid, I abandon my father’s lecture and swipe my phone, finding a number and dialing. “Charlie, it’s Chase.”
“Yeah, I got that. What’s up?”
“You talk to Pepper today?”
“Yeah. Just a few minutes ago.”
I breathe a sigh of relief and reach for the bag Tessa is handing me. “Great. I’ll bring you guys over an early dinner then head—”
“Oh, she said she was busy.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I asked if I could come by and she said she was on her way out. She sounded like she was in a hurry.”
“I’ll call you back.”
“Where would she go?” I vaguely hear my brother ask behind me as I drop the bag on the counter and start pacing. My mind racing for any clue where she might be.
I come up blank. “I need to go.”
“I’ll come with you.” Noah grabs his jacket and follows me out into the street. “We should split up. You want to take the west side?”
My mind is as hazy as the street as I mutter back in agreement.
Hopping in my car, I head back to the cottage to confirm she’s not there. I keep my search brief. When panic starts to rise, I pause and retrace her steps to before I left.
The boxes…the T.V….Troy.
No. The mention of him usually annoys her or even frightens. The look on her face when I shut off the T.V. was more distant… emotional…painful.
Her parents?
No. Their house foreclosed years ago. The bank sold it.
