Chapter 19
ItextedAlexa again for the fourth time this evening, having already called her three times. I was normally never this clingy, but she typically answered her phone. I sat in the chair by our front door, waiting for her to come home. It was one in the morning and she should have been back from dinner with the girls at least an hourago.
I tapped my foot rapidly on the ground, the sound echoing off the walls. This wasn’t like her at all. I tried to text Lilly next, but all I saw were three dots and then they were gone. Damn her. I wasn’t as lucky with Alexa though. Her stupid Android phone didn’t allow for me to tell if she had read my messages, so I wasn’t even sure if she was gettingthem.
I wasn’t going to wait around any longer. I grabbed my keys, patted my pockets to make sure I had everything, and headed straight for my car. I didn’t care about speed as I raced towards Lilly’s apartment, parking on the curb rather than next to it. I didn’t care. I didn’t have time tocare.
I wasn’t going to wait for the elevator, no. I ran up the stairs to the third floor, hoping it would be Alexa who’d answer the door. I needed her to be in this apartment. If she wasn’t, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening, and for the first time in my life, I was scared of theunknown.
It was Lilly who answered the door and all I could see wasred.
“Tell me where she is.” I pushed through the door, brushing past Lilly. She followed me as I stomped through the apartment, tearing open every door I couldfind.
“She’s nothere.”
My anger rose. “Then where the hell is she?” I looked around the open space of the livingroom.
“She wouldn’t be happy if I toldyou.”
“Dammit, Lilly!” My fist connected with the wall to my left. I turned back to her. Lilly had taken a few steps back and had her phone out. I wasn’t helping the situation and I knew that, but I needed answers and I needed them now. “Sorry.” I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “Please, just tell me where Alexais.”
I said this through gritted teeth, because even asking the question again made me furious. I had no idea where my girl was, and I needed toknow.
“Max…”
“Don’t Max me!” I screamed at her. Lilly was closer now, concern written all over her face. “She’s the love of my life, and I have no idea where she is. I need to know where she is, Lilly. I need to know that she’sokay.”
It was then that I knew I could get anything I wanted from Lilly, because that look in her eyes told me she knew that I was serious. That I meant every damn word coming from mymouth.
“She’s with her father.” I froze in place, confused by what she was saying. My eyebrows knitted together. Her father wasdead.
“What does that evenmean?”
“She went to go visit him.” It dawned on me. She went to where he was buried, that would be the only explanation. Why did she go there though? Why did she leave without telling me? Better yet, why hadn’t Lilly told me what had happened yet, because she clearly knew what was goingon?
“What happened, Lilly?” I kept my place while she went to the kitchen. She handed me a piece of paper she had retrieved. It was an announcement of sorts with flowers all over it. “What’sthis?”
“A baby announcement.” She said it matter-of-factly, like it meantsomething.
“What does this have to do with Alexa?” I looked at the paper again. Cartwright. Alexa’s married name. Mr. & Mrs. due date. My mind started racing. Was this Alexa’s? Was this Adam’s doing? I felt so lost in themoment.
“Adam is having a baby with his new wife.” It clicked. All of it. This was Adam’s doing, and I wanted to wring his neck for it, but I needed to get to my girl first. She needed someone. She may have run, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I would run to the ends of the earth to find Alexa, and that started now. “Text me where her fatheris.”
I raced towards the door. I had no idea where her father was, but I knew I had to go to the airport. I knew I needed to get onto the soonest flight to wherever I needed togo.
“Where are you going?!” Lilly yelled to me as I flew towards the elevator, hitting the down button multiple times. I may have been in a hurry, but I knew no matter how fast I moved, I would still have to wait for a damn plane. I just needed to get there sooner rather thanlater.
“To the airport!” I jumped in as it dinged and rapidly hit the close button. My girl was going to find out just how much I loved her and just how much I was willing to be there for every single damn thing in herlife.
* * *
Lilly had textedme the Las Vegas address for the cemetery where Alexa’s father had been buried. When I arrived, I hadn’t expected the place to be so big. I found an undertaker only a few yards from theentrance.
“Excuse me?” The man turned around, and I knew I looked in bad shape just from the look on his face. He scrunched his nose at my clothes, wrinkled from sleeping on the plane. It was the only way I could make it through the flight without freaking out. It was a miracle that I was holding together right now. “Can you tell me where the Frelan plotis?”
I was hoping that this man had the answers that I needed, but I couldn’t guaranteeit.
“Who’s asking?” The man squared his shoulders and blocked my way along thesidewalk.
