Page 73 of Quiet Obsession
“Help me out here,” he continues. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Elias. You’re in the ring every other week and it’s still not enough?”
“It’s enough... mostly.” I swallow hard, throwing an arm over my eyes, my blood boiling when his phone keeps vibrating. “Just not today. Greta’s husband’s dead. Jeremiah wants me at the funeral.”
The anger lining Hyde’s features smooths into understanding. He knows I haven’t attended a funeral since my mother died. The mere memory of the day her life ended, and my nightmare began, fucks with my head.
“Fuck, alright. I get it,” he says, straightening his back. “I’m coming with you. I’m sure Dash and Noah will tag along, too.”
His phone rings again.
He shows me the screen, then answers, tapping theloudspeaker so I can listen in.
“I’ll take a wild guess that you’re babying Creed, Maxi Ward, am I right?” Dash’s voice fills the room, the grin that’s undoubtedly curling his lips bleeding into his tone. “I saw him peel out of the parking lot earlier. Will he live?”
“Unfortunately,” I say, propping my head against the pillows. “No broken bones this time.”
“Success,” he chuckles. “Anyway, either of you know where Mini Ward might be? Abby’s here and she’s losing it.”
Hyde straightens, cocking his eyebrow. “Why?” he asks. “What happened?”
“She won’t say,” Dash replies. “Just keeps asking if anyone’s seen Millie. She left her phone behind.”
“Have you checked with Noah?” Hyde asks.
“I’m here, too,” Noah’s voice comes from Hyde’s cell. “I haven’t seen her. She’s not in the library or the cafeteria.”
I know where she might be, but I’m not saying it aloud for Noah’s benefit. For a second, I wonder what he’d look like if he knew I lost my goddamn mind inside Millie today.
Taking Hyde’s phone, I mute the microphone.
“She’s probably at the gym,” I tell him and before he can ask why I’m hiding that from the others, I unmute the call.
“I’m coming back,” he says. “I’ll help you look.”
He pockets his phone, rejecting the call and relief floods my chest.
Whoever’s so desperate for his attention can wait. I both love and fucking hate that he chose me over whoever’s blowing up his cell. It goes on a while longer before it finally stops.
I’m balancing on the verge of sleep when vibrations shake me out of it an hour or so later.
“I need to get that,” Hyde says, his brows pulling together as he stares at the screen, up on his feet already.
Before I think of a way to stop him, he answers.
“Mom? It’s—”
He stops dead, three steps from the door when his mother’s scream peels out loud enough to fill the room.
“Hyde!” she wails, so fucking heartbroken it sends shivers down my spine. “It’s Millie, she—” The words turn into broken sobs.
I sit up. I don’t know who Millie is, but my heart slows to a crawl. Hyde’s still frozen, his nails whitening as he crushes the phone.
“Mom? Mom, are you there? What’s—Dad? What’s going on? What’s happening with Millie?”
Whatever’s said next doesn’t reach my ears. Words hum low, but whatever’s said has my best friend stumbling forward and grasping the wall.
“Hyde,” I start, tearing my cannulas out. “What’s happening?”
He spins on me, eyes wet with tears. “I’m on my way,” he tells his father, every word brittle.
