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I walked to his dresser and lifted my phone, frowning at the screen. There had been three missed calls from Val. A rush of panic settled into me. It was just after six, but if for some reason Gracie was up earlier than usual, she would have sent a text telling me to get my ass home.
Not the repeated calls. She knew where I was. I made sure to let her know so that she wouldn’t worry and Val knew how to keep my little caterpillar occupied in my absence.
Something’s wrong.
“Shit,” I hissed, feeling the panic settling into the pit of my stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Jaah was at my back and then in front of me when I turned with a frown in place.
“Gracie. Or well I don’t know but it has to be. Val called three times. I have to call her back.”
I stepped around him and swiped to unlock my phone, navigated to my recent calls, and pressed Val’s name.
“You need to come home now,” she answered which caused my heart to constrict.
“What’s wrong? Is it Gracie? Is she okay? Did something happen?”
“She’s fine, Cadee. For now. I can’t promise she’ll remain fine after what just happened.”
“What happened?” My voice elevated, laced with panic.
“Look at the link I sent you.”
Oh god, oh god, oh god.
My palms were sweaty and trembling as I swiped out of the call screen and moved to the text. I exhaled and clicked the link which was to an article on Caught Live and the headline caused my stomach to drop with what felt like the weight of a ten pound boulder.
Lost and found: Artist Sol and singer/songwriter Honor found together tucked away in Coleman, South Carolina.
“No…”
The phone slipped from my hands and white noise took over. I heard Jaah talking to me and when I didn’t respond he kneeled to pick up my phone.
A string of swear words followed, all of which sounded foggy and blurry to me. I had zoned out because this wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. I had been so careful. For five years I had been careful.
No one in that world knew about Gracie. I made sure to keep her sheltered and protected. It was necessary because even if he didn’t want her for the right reasons, he would be selfish enough to want her just to spite me.
Wanting Gracie would give him a way to have a part of me which was why I’d ran. Left that world behind. He didn’t deserve any parts of her goodness but I might have just messed all that up.
I was breathing heavy to the point of almost gasping for air. It felt like I couldn’t get enough and my breaths were shallow.
I heard my name but all I could do was stare blankly at my biggest mistake. All my fears, everything that had been swirling under the surface broke free and I felt lightheaded.
“I have to go.” My hands were trembling uncontrollably as my eyes darted around the dark shadows of his bedroom.
“Okay, but talk to me.”
“No,” I stated bluntly, snapping out of my fog, allowing my eyes to meet with his. He was holding my phone which I snatched from his hand and began moving toward my shoes.
“Cadence, slow down. You’re not going anywhere like this. Not with you all freaked out. You’re concerned, I get it…”
“No, you don’t get it. They know where I am. He will know where I am and that means he’ll know where Gracie is. I can’t…”
“Who?”
I could see the confusion in those alluring brown eyes. I couldn’t blame him. He had no clue who I really was. I’d kept that part of my past tucked away because it wasn’t who I needed to be anymore. I couldn’t because that meant putting Gracie at risk.
“I messed up. How could I have been so irresponsible? I really messed up. I have to go.”
