Keeley was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago and she’s late.
“I’m here.” Her voice filters in from outside, the metal staircase clanging from her heels as she makes her way up. She appears in the doorway, the glow of the tarmac lights giving her a halo, and I struggle to hide a relieved sigh as some of the tension leaves me. “Sorry I’m late. Let’s get this plane moving.”
There are plenty of seats for her to take yet she beelines straight for me, sitting down in the empty chair beside me.
“I was trying to reach a media contact of mine, wanting to get ahead of it in case the news breaks. I actually arrived on time. I’ve been pacing the hangar, waiting for her to call me back.”
“Do they know about Landon, or Zane’s arrest?”
“Not yet.” She offers me a soft smile, the edge of it only lifting for a brief moment.
After our panic yesterday, Hayley contacted Blair, Zane’s girlfriend, and discovered that Zane was not only out of the state—back in his hometown—but that he’d been arrested for issues unrelated to Landon.
Without hesitation, I chartered a flight so we could be there for him, and now, we’re finally on our way.
“I guess that’s a shred of good news.” I sink back into my seat.
“It is. I just wish we had more. He needs a win.”
“I know.”God, I hope he gets one.
The flight takes longer than expected due to the bad weather Hayley and Reed were discussing, and by the time we touch down on the runway, it’s the middle of the night.
We’re all silent on the way to the hotel, robotically going through the motions up until we walk through the glass doors into the foyer, and Reed curses out loud. A very un-Reed-like outburst. “How the fuck are we staying in a five-star hotel when Zane’s spending the night in a cell?” He throws his head back and sighs.
“Would you rather I booked a shithole?” I snap, hitting him with a little outburst of my own, and Hayley snorts out a laugh from beside me. “Would that make you feel better? We’re here to help him, Reed. We’re doing what we can.”
“We should be doingmore.”
“Like what?” Hayley cuts in before I can ask the same question. Because if Reed has any ideas of what else we can do, I’m all ears.
Reed sighs again, pulling Hayley into his arms. “I don’t know. I feel kind of helpless.”
“Right now, he needs friends in his corner.” Keeley steps forward and squeezes Reed’s arm. “Us showing up for him ismore than he’s had in a long time. Get some sleep. There’s nothing more we can do tonight.”
She walks toward the front desk and we all follow, checking in before agreeing to meet back downstairs early tomorrow morning.
We say our good nights, and as Hayley, Reed, and Keeley step off the elevator toward their rooms on the floor below mine, an anxious energy surrounds me.
I’m slow to walk to my room, but after dropping my bag, I’m back out the door in less than a minute, too keyed up to sleep. I’ve just sat down in the lobby bar when, as if on the same wavelength, Keeley walks out of the elevator, her weary eyes instantly meeting mine.
“I knew you’d be here.” She smiles brightly as she approaches, sitting down in the chair opposite me.
“Likewise.” I hand her the drinks menu and wave to get the server’s attention. “We didn’t really get to talk on the flight. I wanted to check how you were doing.”
“I’m good,” she lies unconvincingly. “I’ve got a few more calls to make in the morning but otherwise?—”
“I don’t mean workwise. I meanyou, personally. How areyoudoing?”
“Oh? I’m fine with a capital F.”
“Fine?”
“Good.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m more worried about Zane than myself. As should you be.”
“Believe it or not, I can care about more than one person at a time.” I wink, keeping things light for both our sakes.
“You’re just an all-around good guy, aren’t you?”
