Page 98 of Everything But Mine

The ringtone hums faintly through the hallway, and I follow it to his room, leaning against the doorframe as his phone buzzes unattended on the bed. For a second, I stare at it, my pulse thudding harder with every vibration against the mattress. My stomach tightens beneath my palm at the same moment panic rushes hot through my chest. Up until now, I’ve been angry. Hurt. But now… with his phone here, fear takes hold of me.

My fingers shake badly enough that I nearly miss Diego’s contact.

“Hello?” he answers on the third ring, voice rough and deep.

“Hey, are you busy?”

Fabric rustles. Something creaks. Then, muffled away from the phone, I hear him mutter, “It’s Mandy.” His tone is sharper when he speaks again. “What’s going on?”

“Eric isn’t with you, is he?” My own voice comes through thin and scraped.

“Mandy.” My name sounds tense and brittle. “Why?”

I force air into my lungs. “He left around 6:30. He was… he had a run-in with Daray. He said something to him, Diego.”

“Where did Eric go?” Beneath the curtness, unsteadiness taints his voice. “What exactly did he say?”

“Climbing, I think. He took a duffel bag.” My grip tightens around the phone. “But I don’t think the gym is open this late.”

More muffled movement. A curse under his breath, Diego whispering something urgent I can’t make out. When he speaks to me again, his voice is controlled, and it scares me more than panic would. “Amanda, listen to me. Be ready in twenty minutes. We’re going to look for him. Together. Got it?”

I nod automatically.

“Amanda,” he says sharply. “I need words.”

“Yes. Okay. I’ll be ready.”

He hangs up without another word. No reassurance or pretending this is probably nothing. Just action to quench the fear.

Eventually, there’s a knock on the door, but Diego doesn’t wait for me to answer. The lock clicks almost immediately—he has no problem opening Eric’s door. He pushes inside, scanning the apartment, dark brown eyes sharp and wandering, as if part of him expects Eric to be here, and all of this to be some misunderstanding. Val follows close behind him, eyebrows smooth behind her glasses, her hair falling loosely in dark waves around her shoulders.

“And he really didn’t say where he went?” he asks in a high-pitched tone. His shirt’s buttoned wrong, off by a hole or two, the hem crooked across his torso.

“Just said we’d talk—later,” I manage to say.

Val frowns, stepping in and crossing her arms. “You said he took his climbing bag. That makes sense. It’s his outlet. It’s not self-destructive. It’s centering for him. If he was on edge, it was smart.”

Diego shakes his head. “And he left his phone?”

I point to the cell on the coffee table.

“Motherfucker,” Diego mutters. “Daray got in his head.” He sits on the couch, cushions hissing under his weight, as he drags his hands through his hair.

Val looks at me, and her voice is gentle but firm. “Amanda, how did he seem when he left?”

“Tense. Quiet.” I rub at the ache building beneath my ribs. “But not angry.” My throat tightens around the words. “He looked me right in the eye, asked if I’d be okay.” I swallow hard.

Diego’s head snaps toward Val. “You don’t leave your phone behind,” he says, already pacing again, agitation rolling off him in sharp, restless movements. “Not when you’re responsible for a pregnant woman.”

Something in me bristles at the wording, making me curl my fingers into a tight fist. I’m not some obligation Eric forgot to take care of.

“I can take care of myself.” I breathe in sharply and add, “It’s not like him.”

Diego runs a hand through his face. “It was like that last time.” His voice breaks a little. “And then—” He stops himself, jaw clenching.

Val steps forward, her hand landing softly on my wrist. “Amanda.” She adds pressure to her hold, so I look at her. “You have to trust him. Withdrawing now is not withdrawing then. He’s worked on knowing his triggers. He knows how to avoid emotional overload, so he won’t do things he’ll regret.” She pats the back of my hand. “Climbing is repetitive, physical. It forces him back into his body.”

Diego still looks unconvinced, shoulders rigid with tension.