“Well, if that’s the best you can do, keep your dumb ideas to yourself!” She looks down at the linoleum floor, trying to think of anything that might help. And then it hits her. She lifts her eyes to her daughter. “Oh, shit, did you write aboutdoing thisin your diary?”
Zane, who clearly had his ego bruised, shoots Sienna a dirty look. “What does that have to do with anything?”
She ignores him and continues to stare at her daughter. “Ivy? Did you?”
Ivy nods.
Sienna covers her mouth with one hand. “Poppy must have been trying to find me.” She turns to Kitty, needing to share her confession with a mother who would understand. “She tried to tell me last night, but I wouldn’t listen because she’s not supposed to be reading her diary.” Her eyes fill with tears, and she starts shaking. “I got so mad at her. But she was just trying to protect her sister.”
Kitty doesn’t offer her any sort of comfort. No hug. She doesn’t tell Sienna not to blame herself or that she is doing the best she can. Instead, she sits there, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Sergeant Chambers cuts into the conversation from his position at the doorway. “Okay, so the most likely scenario is that she went looking for help and got lost.”
Zane nods a few times. “That’s good, right? They’re not kidnapped or something. They’re just lost.”
“Yes, it’s our best-case scenario, but out here, it’s still bad,” Sergeant Chambers says. He turns to Ivy. “How long ago did you leave them alone?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe an hour ago?”
“Did you hear anything outside?”
“No, just the music and the crowd.” Ivy breaks down sobbing. “Oh, God, it’s all my fault. I never should’ve left!”
“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have left!” Claudia yells.
Sergeant Chambers takes hold of the situation with a quick shout of, “Hey!” He pokes his head in and snaps his fingers at Claudia. “You, come on. We’re not going to find your son in here.”
Claudia stalks out, leaving Sienna, Zane, Ivy, and Kitty in the trailer.
Kitty gets up and walks out without a word.
Zane sighs. “I’ll go too. Ivy, get dressed and get back to our trailer.”
ZANE
Zane lumbers down the steps and spots Steven. He lunges at him, shouting, “You son of a bitch!”
A security guard blocks his way while Steven ducks and covers his head with both hands. “What the hell, man?”
“I knew it! I knew you wanted to…” He shook his head, unable to say it. “With Ivy?! She’s a fucking child.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
A rush of fury filled Zane. “Don’t you dare act like you didn’t know she was in there waiting for you!”
“I didn’t!”
“Like hell! I’m going to fucking kill you!”
The security guard tightens his grip. “Come on, man. This won’t help anything.”
“But it’ll fucking feel great,” Zane spits out.
Ivy steps outside. “Dad, stop it! He didn’t know.”
Zane crumbles as he looks at his daughter. “Why would you want to…? Is it to hurt me?”
She nods and tears fill her eyes. “You deserve to hurt. After what you’ve put us all through. I just wanted you to feel it too.”
