Page 214 of Risking the Pucking Defense

“Yeah. I don’t…I don’t know what to do.”

“She won’t have gone far. Maybe she just stopped at the store on the way home and bumped into someone.”

“Who, Bea?” I hate to ask that question, but she knows as well as I do how small Hailee kept her circle before letting us in. Hell, even calling it a circle is a bit much.

“I don’t know,” she says quietly. “What can we do? Do you want us to go look for her, or⁠—”

“No, that’s crazy. She’s probably fine.”

“Yeah, of course she is.”

She has to be. There is no way I can cope if she isn’t. It’s just…nope.

She’s fine. Absolutely fine.

There’s no other option.

“If you need us, we’ll be right there, okay?”

“Yeah,” I mumble.

“I mean it, Hayden. I don’t care what time, or how late it is. Call us. We’re here for you.”

“I know. I really appreciate you guys. I’ll call you when I’ve found her. If you hear from her⁠—”

“I’ll tell you immediately.”

“Thanks, Bea,” I say before hanging up and falling back against my car.

There’s still no reply from Hailee, and as much as I tried to reassure Bea, I’m feeling less and less confident.

“Where are you, baby?” I whisper. But unsurprisingly, no one replies.

As I drive back toward her apartment, my eyes are everywhere, looking for accidents or broken-down cars. But I don’t see anything even slightly suspicious.

I call her again and again, but not a single call is answered.

Instead of going back up to her apartment to continue the wait, I head toward mine just in case she misunderstood and thinks she's meeting me there.

It doesn’t make any sense, because I would have been back hours ago. If she were waiting, she’d have reached out, thinking something was wrong.

But she’s not there, and there aren’t any signs that she has been, either.

With no other idea than to head back to her apartment in the hope she’s returned already, I get back in my car and drive back across town.

My heart pounds as fear grips me in its hold, and my hands tremble despite the death grip I have on the wheel.

I pull back into my space beside her car and rush to get out, desperate to crash into her apartment and find her lounging on the couch like my entire world isn’t spinning out of control.

I take off running toward the elevator, and as I press the button to call for it, I turn around. I have no idea why, but fuck, am I glad I do.

The flash of light catches my eye. I don’t know what it is, the reflection off a watch or something. Whatever it is, it’s enough to lure me toward Hailee’s car.

My heart slams against my ribs as I close in on the passenger side.

Please. Please, let that have been her.

My breath catches, and relief floods through me the second I duck down and look inside.