She scrunches up her eyebrows. “That’s weird,” she mumbles to herself.
“Why is that weird? Thought I had her locked up in my closet?”
She leans against the doorframe and informs me that Trinity has been gone for over twenty-four hours.
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.
Trinity hasn’t come home for more than a day. Why? Where is she, and is she okay?
Worry fills my gut as I get up from my seat. “Has anyone heard from her?”
She shakes her head as a distressed look crosses her face. “That’s the problem. She was upset when she left. Her mom’s worried she might do something.”
God, no. Please let it not be what I’m thinking.
“Did she tell her mom where she was going before she left?”
“Leo, aren’t you listening?!” my sister exclaims, frustrated. “No, she didn’t. If we knew where she was, I wouldn’t be in here, asking y—” She’s cut off when Elijah walks into the room.
“What’s with the glum faces?”
“Trinity’s been gone since yesterday morning. No one knows where she is.”
Elijah looks at us funny. “I saw her yesterday. I drove her into town. She was acting really strange.”
“How?” I demand.
He continues, “She asked me to drive her into town, so she could pick up her car. She literally ran out of my car with a weird look on her face. I assumed she was going home. If I had known she wasn’t … I wouldn’t have driven her.” His jaw clenches.
“So, she was acting weird?” Amelia asks. “Like sketchy or mentally not okay?”
Please don’t say—
Elijah looks at us both, and his eyes widen. “Mentally not okay. I saw it clearly on her face. She was in a state of panic. She jumped out of the fucking car to get out faster.”
Shit … no. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I can’t let this girl do something she’ll regret.
“Oh God,” Amelia blurts out. “What if she crashed somewhere … or she’s hurt? We need to find her.” She rushes out of the room, and not a minute later, I hear the engine of her TT start and speed off.
“I’ll go search too,” I say over my shoulder, already walking out of the room, needing to know she’s okay.
If something happens to that girl, it will destroy me.
“I’ll stay here just in case she comes back home,” Elijah says from the front door. “I’ll call you if she comes!”
My feet pound against the pavement. Starting up my car, I speed off onto the road. I know I should slow down because of the cop lurking in the shadows, but the only thing running through my mind is her.
I really hope she’s okay … not that I care if she isn’t. Who am I kidding? I care a whole damn lot. I never hated or disliked her. I pretend to be someone I’m not when I’m scared. This entire time, I’ve been in denial.
God, please let her be okay.
I drive randomly through the streets. I don’t know this town well enough to know where she would be. I think about going to the tree house, but that’s obvious. I know she’s smart enough not to go there if she doesn’t want to be found.
My fingers tap the steering wheel as panic consumes my entire body. Eyes wide, I feel frustration take control of my emotions. I don’t know where to go, and if I don’t know where to go, how can I help her?
Trinity’s the smartest girl I know. She always seems to prove people wrong. If I were Trinity, where would I go?
The tree house. I’m stupid. She would go there. She knows people would think that’s an obvious place and skip searching there.
