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With school in full swing,it meant my mornings were suddenly free. Thanks to my sudden fame being Ryan’s ex-fling and reporters constantly following me around, I had a surge of new graphic design clients.
It came right as journalists began swirling around the resort and stalking me while I worked. One night I was securing the exit doors on the indoor tennis court when someone jumped out from behind one wielding a camera. It didn’t take a genius to realize how dangerous that could have been, so I handed in my resignation the next day. I didn’t even offer to finish out my two weeks because the chance that I’d use the job on a future resume was slim to none.
Somehow it worked out now that I was booked up for the rest of the year with new clients, and it allowed me the freedom to work from home. After our talk, Logan agreed to keep our conversations platonic and strictly about the kids. He also back-paid for the months he’d lagged in child support, helping me secure the new-to-me SUV sitting in my driveway. Four-wheel drive, new tires, and only a little wear and tear on the inside…it was the first big purchase of my single life, and I couldn’t have been happier, especially with winter coming.
The sun shone through the open curtains in my living room, highlighting my dust-free furniture and spotless floors, the ones I now had time to clean. I’d bought myself a harvest flower bouquet and had started decorating for fall as the color on the trees began to change. Leaves littered my front and back yard, a job both Cole and I worked tirelessly to keep up with. We loved spending the time together, and Bella loved jumping in the piles we’d cleared.
“Bexley!” Shay barged in through the front door, scaring the hell out of me. I gasped, holding a hand to my chest. I really needed to get better at locking my doors.
“In here!” I called from my office.
“Did you see this?” My best friend rushed in wearing her medical scrubs, her hair swept up in a tight braid and her face lowered, staring at her cell phone.
I turned in my chair to take her in. “See what?”
Shoving her phone in my face, she exhaled heavily. “Ryan dropped out of that movie in Brazil.”
“No!” I gasped, clutching the phone.
I usually tried to ignore the news, especially celebrity gossip, which wasn’t easy in this small town, but Shay knew I craved details about Ryan, anything that seemed real or substantial.
“It says he walked off set, broke his contract due to a family emergency.” Shay watched me for a moment, concern softening the skin around her eyes.
My heart was out of sync. It had to be. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even see as ideas spun in my mind.
“I need to call them, make sure they’re okay.” I stood, spreading paperwork across my desk and shuffling stacks until I found my phone.
“I’m sure they’re okay, Bex. I mean, you’ve been around them nonstop…you would have heard, right?” No, I wouldn’t, because I wasn’t on their list for being an emergency contact. They owed me nothing and if they were in trouble, I’d be the last to find out.
“When I last saw them they said they were going on a cruise for a few weeks, but something could have happened…I just need to call them and find out.” Concentrating, I pulled up Gloria’s contact info and dialed her. It rang a few times before going to voicemail, her cheery voice coming on the line.
“It’s Gloria. We’re unavailable until the end of October as we’re off cruising the Caribbean. Leave a message if you want, or call me next month!”
Hanging up, I slumped against the wall.
“They’re on the cruise,” I explained to my confused friend.
She’d crossed her arms over her chest, biting her lip in a nervous tic.
“So, you think it’s something else then?”
I felt my face crinkle like a piece of useless paper. “I don’t know…I need to know if they’re okay. They’re all Ryan has…if something happens to them…” I trailed off, feeling my heart beat harder and harder in my chest with every second that passed. It almost felt like they were all I had too.
“Could you call Ryan?” Shay inquired carefully.
I lifted my head as regret slammed into me. She must have seen it on my face.
“You didn’t actually delete his number, did you?”
I brought a shaky hand to my forehead. “I couldn’t stand looking at it in my phone. He hadn’t called or texted…” I shrugged to help lighten the feeling. “Why hang on to something that was already gone?”
“Well, what if you drive to Ryan’s house?” Shay asked without skipping a beat or taking the time to tell me how stupid it was that I’d removed his number after how many years I had pined for him.
“I can’t…the kids have school…”
“I’ll take care of them—I have the next few days off,” she quickly offered. She knew how important it was for me to know if Gloria and Gary were okay; she’d seen how they’d extended friendship to us, how they’d slowly become family over the weeks.
