“I was there for him at a pivotal moment in your existing relationship,” he tells me. “I’m sure Ryan will tell you later.”
“If I can find him,” I mutter darkly. I check my phone, just to see if he’s replied yet. I’ve only got missed texts from Cat, no doubt wondering what’s happening.
“We’ll find him,” Nate says reassuringly, before shifting into Security Professional Mode. “If he’s not in his apartment, there’s a limited number of places he could be. Beau, you check Velvet and Vice, see if he’s drinking away his problems. Luke, you know a few of his poker buddies, check in with them. James, can you check the gym and the building perimeter?”
“‘Perimeter?’ What is this, a manhunt?” Luke jokes.
Nate shrugs. “Yes. Ryan needs us. Pippa, check his favorite take-out places. I’ll have Cat stay in Ryan’s apartment to let us know if he comes back.”
“Text Brinley, too,” Beau suggests. “She said he was at the Copper Cup a few days ago. Maybe he went back.”
Nate nods, opening his phone and creating a group chat. “Everyone, send a message as soon as you spot him. We’re going to find him.” He shoots me a small smile. “I promise.”
Nate
2100 hours check-in.
Cat
He hasn’t come home yet.
Beau
He’s not in Velvet and Vice or Terrace.
Luke
Nobody’s heard from him, and I’ve been patrolling the southern perimeter.
James
I’m on the northern perimeter. No sign of him.
Luke
I’m waving! Can you see me?
James
…
Brinley
I’m closing up shop and coming over. This is so exciting!
Cat
Pippa? Any news?
I sigh,my breath white against the night air. Dozens of texts, but none of them are from the one person I’m hoping for.
Over the past three hours, I’ve run by every bar and restaurant Ryan has ever liked—ever evenmentioned. There was no sign of him, and I’ve walked so much that my feet feel like they’ve doubled in size. I sink down onto one of the benches outside of the House of Cards, and I can practically hear my toes sighing with relief.
I should go back up to Ryan’s place to debrief with Cat, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Going back to his apartment without him feels too much like defeat.
It’s not like I have any better ideas for how to find him, though. Earlier, I thought about calling some of Ryan’s past hook-ups. Even though the idea of Ryan with another woman makes my stomach heave a little, I’d do it, if it meant finding out where he was. It would be a pointless exercise, though. Ryanalways believed in a clean break after sex, so the odds of him keeping up a casual friendship with his exes is zilch.
As a last resort, I even called Mom and Jack to ask if they’d heard from him. Jack left the call the second I said Ryan’s name, but Mom was at least concerned. She promised to text him and made me promise to send her some updates.
