Grey shoots me a grateful look before continuing. “I thought she’d found it and uninstalled it. But her phone was just off, or in airplane mode, to be precise. Because the location just pinged, and…” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “She’s in London.”
London.
She’s gone back to the place she was so desperate to escape.
My mind races, trying to understand why she would return to a place that caused her so much pain.
Because we caused her more.
And her sanctuary was violated.
“London?” Morgan repeats. “But you said her family was awful. Why would she go back there?”
I shake my head, trying to make sense of it. “I don’t know. Maybe she felt like she had nowhere else to go. Or maybe…” I trail off, unable to finish the thought.
“Maybe she thinks we won’t follow her there,” Misha finishes, his face pale.
Grey nods, his jaw set in determination. “Well, she’s wrong about that. We’re going after her.”
“Hold on,” Grandpa’s voice interrupts. “You can’t just chase her across the world. She clearly wants space.”
“We can’t just leave her there,” I exclaim, my voice rising. “You don’t understand what her family is like. She needs us!”
Morgan holds up a hand. “Okay, let’s all take a breath. We need to think this through rationally.”
But I can’t be rational, not when Amelia is so far away, potentially back to being abused by her parents becausewefucked up. “There’s nothing to think through,” I insist. “We’re going to London.”
I look at my friends, seeing the same determination reflected in their eyes.
No matter what it takes, we’ll find her and bring her home.
THREE
When I stepout of the en suite, I hear the theme song fromTetris. Wearing a simple but elegant navy-blue dress that falls just above my knees, with a modest neckline and a fitted waist, I look more put together than I feel.
Walking into my closet, I slip on a pair of black ballet flats, opting for comfort over heels.
I hate heels. I’m tall enough as it is.
I’ve taken a nap, but I still feel drained. My old room feels foreign, like a relic of a past life I’ve desperately tried to escape smelling like lavender fabric softener.
August sits on the edge of my bed, his face illuminated by the glow of my old Game Boy that he holds only inches away from his face.
“You’re going to strain your eyes,” I tease, settling at my old vanity. The wooden chair creaks beneath me, a sound that echoes through my childhood memories.
He looks up, a wry smile playing on his face as he puts the Game Boy aside. “Says the girl who spent her youth coding in the dark.”
“Touché,” I concede, turning on my phone before reaching for my brush. As I start to detangle my hair, wincing as the brush glides over my bump, my phone starts to buzz incessantly.
What the…
I don’t think I’ve ever received that many notifications before. Like,ever.
Switching it to silent, I check the screen. Oliver, Misha, Grey, Morgan, even Mr. Donovan. They’ve all tried to reach me, and a pang of guilt twists in my stomach, but I push it aside.
I’ll call Morgan tomorrow. Let her know I’m okay.
For now, I need to focus on getting through this godforsaken dinner. And the talk I should have had with August since he told me about the divorce. “So,” I begin, meeting August’s eyes in the mirror, trying to keep things light. “How are you holding up? With the… you know.”
