I drew in a shaky breath, letting my eyes close again.I was safe here.I was home, next to Bryan.I was more than safe.
The quiet was broken by a soft buzz from my phone on the nightstand.I frowned, reaching for it, expecting a text from one of the other guys.Maybe Seth reminding me about Sunday dinner.But the screen glowed with a notification from my security app.
Front Door: Motion Detected.
I tapped the doorbell camera feed and froze.
Two figures stood on my front porch, one of them in a dark uniform.The familiar badge patch on the older man gleamed faintly in the morning light.
Officer Brelly and Roman Davies.
My stomach dropped.There was no good reason at all for those two to be at my doorstep at seven in the morning.
“Shit.”
Bryan stirred beside me, startled awake as I practically launched out of bed.“Cadence?What?”
But I was already halfway to the door, heart pounding.
I barely remembered flying down the stairs.My bare feet hit the hardwood, my pulse echoing in my ears, louder than even the sound of them knocking.
I yanked open the door to see Officer Brelly’s hand raised, ready to knock again.
“Officers,” I said, breathless.“Is something wrong?What happened?”
Officer Brelly’s expression was the same calm one he’d always had, his dark eyes filled with kindness.“Morning, Cadence.Sorry to drop in like this.”
Davies stood beside him, arms crossed, towering as usual.His scar caught the light, the old military sharpness still in his posture.“We got a call from Mr.and Mrs.Goodrow.Said their son was missing.”
I blinked.“What?”Bryan was most definitely not missing.
Officer Brelly sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.“Apparently, after an argument last night, Bryan ran from home last night.They reported him as a runaway.”
“He’s seventeen!”I said too loud as anger surged through me.Did his parents seriously do that?“He’s not—he’s fine.He’s here because his parents—”
Davies raised a hand, stopping me.“Easy, Cadence.We know.”
Behind me, footsteps thudded on the stairs.Bryan appeared, hoodie half-zipped, hair messy from sleep.He stopped cold when he saw the two of them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.
“Afraid not,” Officer Brelly said.“Your parents were concerned.Said you left angry in the middle of the night.”
Bryan’s jaw clenched.“They took my car keys.I had to leave.”
“Yeah, well,” Davies said dryly.“They told dispatch you were taken.Which means we get to spend our Sunday morning checking to make sure your girlfriend didn’t kidnap you.”
My face burned.“What—no!I didn’t—”
This was so ridiculous!Me?Kidnap Bryan?I looked over at him.He was just over six feet tall, the tallest of all the guys, and while he didn’t play sports, he was still in good shape.If anything, he’d have kidnapped me.There was no way I’d ever be able to overpower him.
Officer Brelly’s mouth twitched, trying not to laugh.“Relax, Cadence.We know.But maybe next time, just...don’t harbor a runaway, huh?”
“I didn’t harbor anyone,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
“Sure, sure,” Davies said, mock serious.“But you might want to write that in your diary tonight just in case you end up in court for kidnapping your boyfriend.”
Bryan groaned.“Can we not—”
