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“No, it’s not, but for the first time in my life, I’m disappointed in you.” His words sting. “That girl you claimed to love had a rough life. For once, she had faith in something, which was you. Hope your wounded pride was worth it. Thad is so worried about Ember, he’s talking about moving her.”
“Why?” Panic sets in.
“He wants her away from all the reminders of people that hurt her, including you. Give her a fresh start. “
“That’s not fucking happening. I’m on my way home now.”
“I’m not sure you deserve someone as wonderful as her. You have a woman who is so selfless she put herself in danger to protect the ones she loves. She knows she did wrong, but your form of punishment doesn’t fit the crime.” He doesn’t let me respond before hanging up.
I immediately dial Ember’s number. The first time, it goes to voicemail, but the second time, Cruz answers.
“What?”
“Where’s Ember.”
“Sleeping.”
“Why is she sleeping there?”
“You have no clue, do you? No fucking clue. She’s here because she lives here.”
His words gut me. “Since when?”
“Let’s see, about five days after you left, we found her.”
“What do you mean, found her?”
Finn’s head snaps to me.
“Why do you care, Robbie?”
“Because that’s my fucking girlfriend.”
“Really, I’m pretty sure that girl is gone. What’s left is a shell.”
“Cruz, we’re on our way back to Nashville. I’ll be at your place in four hours.”
“Don’t come here, Robbie.
s. e I said, she is not the Ember you know.”
“Want to elaborate?”
“Not that I owe you anything, but at this point, who gives a shit? Ember lived in a hotel for five days until we found out.”
“Where the hell were you?”
“Don’t you dare question me. I’m carrying enough guilt. We all were upset with her, Robbie. We didn’t know you were going to leave her.”
Pain rips through me. “I’m coming to get her.”
“No, you’re not. If you care about her at all, leave her alone tonight. We had to slip a sleeping pill in her water to get her to sleep. She dozes off until she has a memory of you that jolts her awake. Then she goes back to staring at the damn wall.”
“What the hell?”
“Call her tomorrow. She’ll answer. She looks at her phone fifty times a day, hoping to hear from you.” The line goes dead.
A weight settles in my stomach, and my body sags against my knees in shame. “I’ve seriously fucked up,” I admit to my two best friends.
