I didn’t know what else to say. Luke’s voicemail kicked in when I called him, so I took the hint and left it alone. But I couldn’t sit still. My bones felt like they were crawling out of my skin, and I paced my room like a lioness in a cage. Silence was Luke’s armour when he was upset, but the more I replayed our last conversation in my head, the less Icould see him sulking over something so trivial. Back in the day, every other phone call had ended in me hanging up on him. I wasn’t excusing my immaturity—hell no, I was a brat when I got fired up—but Luke was a better person than me. Always had been.
Eventually, I wore myself out and flopped on my bed. After checking my orders for the following day, I wrote a to-do list and took a shower.
Gus was waiting in my room when I got back, his handsome face twisted in a concerned frown.
“What’s the matter?”
“Billy just called me. Luke didn’t show up to visit him.”
Gus wouldn’t let me drive. He forced me into the passenger seat of my own fucking car, and drove like a pensioner to Luke’s house.
The van was gone. My heart lurched. Luke and Billy’s relationship was awork in progress, but there was no way Luke would’ve let him down. Not now, after everything they’d been through.
“Gus—”
“I’ve got a key. Let’s check inside. If he’s not here, I’ll call Fran.”
“Billy didn’t call her already?”
“He couldn’t get through. Call Luke again while I check inside.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Gus pushed me back into my seat. “No. Stay here.”
He wasgone before I could argue, but I got out of the car anyway and called Luke while Gus disappeared into the house.
It rang and rang before his automated voicemail kicked in. I called straight back, but hung up when Gus appeared in front of me, clutching Luke’s phone. “Shit.”
“Don’t panic,” Gus said. “Wherever he’s gone, he’s just forgotten it. He might be caught in traffic on the way tosee Billy as we speak.”
“It’s nine o’clock. He was leaving at four.”
“Then maybe Fran knows where he is, but listen. You two are—”
“Don’t.” I snatched Luke’s phone and saw my apology messages unread on his screen, along with a couple from Billy. “Just don’t, okay?”
We got back in the car and drove to Luke’s childhood home. I had no idea what car his mother was driving these days,but Gus’s muttered curse told me it wasn’t where it should’ve been.
He fished his phone from his pocket and made a call, cursing again when whoever it was didn’t answer either. “Fuck. She’s not here and her phone is ringing out too. We can check the pub, but if he’s not there, I don’t know what else to do.”
I had nothing. Just panic and fear melding with the dread I’d been carrying fordays. Something waswrong. I couldn’t say how I knew, but I did.
“Hang on a sec.” Gus’s gaze flickered to something outside of the car. “I think Barb next door is trying to get my attention. Wait here.”
He left me in the car again, and once again, I got out, but this time I followed him, and reached him just as Fran’s friendly neighbour confirmed my worst fears.
“The police came,”the old woman said. “Luke’s been in a terrible accident.”
