Private: So, do you promise? If you can’t, I get it. I’ll find someone else.
Fuck that. There will be no finding anyone else for anything.
It’s easily justifiable though. I’m sure her brothers would want me to promise whatever I had to so she’d give me the information to find her.
Me: I promise.
Private: Okay.
I can almost hear her small voice, see her cogs turning, feel her sweet breath puffing out as she considers trusting me.
Private: I’m lonely. That’s stupid, isn’t it? I’ve craved freedom my whole life, and now that I have it, I’m lost.
Me: There’s nothing stupid about needing people. We all do.
Private: Who do you need?
I’m not sure how best to answer that to convince her to confide in me. The last thing we need is to make this more complicated. Maybe it already is. At present, she’s the only thing I need. She’s all I see. My only mission. My sole craving. I’m not sure if that’s because she’s missing or because she invaded me. So, I settle on vague honesty.
Me: My family. Friends. You.
Three minutes tick by, and panic slithers through my veins. Maybe I should have worded that differently. Included her in the friend category. But I was afraid that would … I don’t even know. What else would we be? I’m about to correct myself when another text pops up.
Private: I sang tonight. I play the guitar and enjoy singing. The lead in a cover band canceled, and I overheard the bartender fretting about it. So, on a whim, I volunteered.
That’s it, Little Moon. Talk to me.
Me: Impressive. Where did you sing?
Private: This gothic club. It was exciting but also overwhelming.
Me: Makes sense. But you did it. I couldn’t do anything like that—perform in front of a crowd. How many people were there?
I open my laptop, prepared to search for gothic nightclubs while I wait for more information.
Private: A lot. It was crowded for a Tuesday. Hundreds maybe. They invited me back, but the crowd was a little rough, so I’m not sure.
My fists clench as black spots ring my vision. I inhale a deep breath to steady myself.
Me: Rough with you?
Private: Forward but manageable.
Me: Were you hurt? Did anyone touch you?
Private: I handled it.
She fucking handled it?My blood boils at the thought of her needing tohandleanything. But I’ll drop it for now and remedy the situation my own way once I reach her.
Me: What are you doing now?
Private: Drinking.
Liam’s comment about finding her with a man slaps me across the face. Red. Everything is shaded crimson. My teeth grind before chomping into the well-worn hole I’ve created on the inside of my cheek, drips of coppery blood filling my mouth.
Me: Alone?
Private: Yep. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be lonely.
