“Pane, I—”
“Rowe—”
We each speak at the same time. The leaves rustle, bringing with them the smell of smoke from the grill. In the distance, people are talking, chatting, enjoying the party that we left.
Pane rubs his bottom lip with his thumb. “You first.”
Great. Now I have to say something. “Well, I—”
His phone rings. Perfect timing.
“You’d better answer that.”
He shakes his head. “It can wait.”
When it chirps again, I step back. “It might be important.”
Pane slides a hand down his pocket and whips out his phone. He frowns at the screen and answers with, “I got your present.”
It must be his brother.
Pane’s silent for a beat, but then his jaw flexes and his eyes become hard. “What are you talking about?” He listens for another moment, and when he speaks, his voice drips with worry. “What do you mean, Natalie’s missing?”
