ChapterSix
Sydney
Iscream into my pillow, muffling my frustration, after I check my burner cell for the umpteenth time today, and it still displays no new messages or calls. It’s been one month since my boyfriend moved to London. One month since the day that was both the best and worst day of my life. I don’t regret giving Jared my virginity, but I hate the memory will always be associated with our tearful, painful goodbye.
A knock on my bedroom door forces me to sit up. “Come in,” I say in a deadpan voice, expecting one of my brothers. Dad is at a loss what to do with me, and he’s been calling in reinforcements because I refuse to speak to him or even acknowledge him. He has ruined my life, and I’m never speaking to him again. Hence why my brothers are showing up on a biweekly basis. Not that it matters. I’m not close to Felix or Tucker, and I barely know their wives. My brothers were fourteen and sixteen, respectively, when I was born, and the age gap was too large. Both were at NYU when Mom died and then out making their way in the world. They were never here when I was growing up, so there was no time to form a bond.
They are virtual strangers. I don’t know why Dad thinks I will listen to them.
“Earth to Sydney Shaw.” My best friend snaps her fingers in front of my face, yanking me from my inner monologue.
“Oh, it’s you.”
“Wow.” Cayenne flops down on the bed beside me. “Way to make a girl feel wanted.”
“Sorry.” I hug her briefly. “It’s not you. I’m glad you’re here. I just thought you were Felix or Tucker. Dad’s been sending them up totalk sense into me.” I use my fingers to make air quotes.
“Fuck him. Fuck them all,” my bestie loyally states.
“My sentiments exactly.” Grabbing a pillow, I pull it into my body and lie on my side as I check my cell again.
“Still nothing?” Cay asks.
I shake my head as pain stabs me in the heart. “I don’t understand it. Apart from our call when he first arrived in London and daily texts the first week, I haven’t heard a word from him. It’s been complete radio silence. He hasn’t even posted anything on social media. It’s as if he’s disappeared off the face of the earth. It doesn’t make sense. I thought maybe his parents had found his secret phone, so I’ve been emailing him too, and nada. No reply. I’m really worried. What if something has happened to him?”
“I’m sure he’s okay. He’s probably just busy getting settled into his new house and new school. It doesn’t excuse the lack of contact though, and I’m pissed on your behalf.”
“Jared would never be too busy for me. Something doesn’t add up.” Even with the difficulties posed by the time difference, I know Jared would find an opportunity to reach out to me at least once a day.
“Give me his number and his email. Let me try reaching out to him.”
“I doubt he’ll respond to you if he hasn’t responded to me, but I guess it can’t hurt to try.” I send his contact details to Cayenne’s phone, and she busies herself sending him a text and an email while I scroll through my phone, swiping over the succession of texts and calls I’ve made to my boyfriend on a daily basis since he moved overseas. There are literally hundreds of calls and messages, and that’s before I count the emails I’ve sent him.
“There. Done.” Cayenne repockets her cell.
“Jared promised he would text or call every day, so why hasn’t he?” I muse out loud.
“I don’t know, babe, but try not to worry. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
If only it were that easy.
* * *
Another week passes without any word, and I’m plotting ways I can buy a plane ticket, steal my passport from Dad’s safe, and fly to London to check up on my boyfriend. This is not like Jared. He doesn’t make promises and not keep them. Something is wrong. I feel it in my bones.
“Wow, Sydney, you look amazing,” Anvil says, his gaze raking over my much thinner frame with obvious interest. Leaning against his locker, he smirks as he blatantly checks me out.
He’s such a creep.
Cayenne scowls at him, and I hate we have to involve her ex. Jared moving gave her the push she needed to end things with the cheating bastard. She only approached him today because he’s our last hope. Jared didn’t reply to Cay either, and I’m desperate enough to reach out to Anvil in the hope he has heard from him.
“Have you heard from Jared recently?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest and ignoring his attempts to fuck with his ex’s head by flirting with me.
“Yep.” A smirk ghosts over his lips as all the blood leaches from my face.
Nerves fire at me from all angles. “When?”
“He sent me a text over the weekend.” His grin expands as my heart plummets to my toes.
