Chasm hesitates a moment before giving a sharp nod and heading into the house.
Normally, I’d be super creeped out at the idea of Tess hacking into Parrish’s electronics, but … I think I’ll make an exception this once. Just so we can find him. Just so I can look into his eyes and know that he didn’t leave because of me, because of us.
Us.
By eight o’clock, Tess has officially lost it. She’s alternately crying and going dead silent, pacing around, checking and rechecking every room in the house. The entire Vanguard family—Chasm and me included—is seated in the living room, awaiting news.
“I’ve spoken to the police; they’re on their way over.” Paul taps his phone against his palm, his annoyance diminished from its peak this morning. He’s clearly worried, too. And so am I. My stomach hurts so bad, it feels like I’ve got the worst period cramps known to womanhood. It’s all nerves, but it’s manifesting in so many physical ways. My head is pounding, my body is sweetly sore from last night and I can’t even enjoy it, and I want to scream.
Where are you, Parrish?! What the actual fuck?
“The Seattle Slayer probably got him,” Kimber murmurs, and Tess just loses her shit completely.
“What did you just say?” she snaps, her voice like a bolt of ice. In an instant, she’s standing in front of Kimber and tearing her phone out of her hands. “You’ve just lost phone privileges for a week.”
“Mom!” Kimber screeches, scrambling up out of her seat. But it’s too late. Tess shoves the phone into her purse and then plants her elbows on the surface of the counter, letting out a small scream of frustration that surprises the shit out of all of us.
“I can’t do this again, Paul,” she breathes, and I almost feel sorry for her. No, no, I do feel sorry for her, even after last night. I can’t help myself. My empathy flares as I watch her shoulders shake with quiet sobs. Her husband comforts her by pulling her into his arms, and I’m reminded of Parrish all over again, of the innumerable times he’s hugged me close and let my cry.
Fuck.
Kimber comes to a stop a few feet behind her mom, her rage dissipating like smoke. Even she can sense how serious this is. Nobody’s seen Parrish since last night. I’m probably the last person to have seen him, and that does not sit well with me.
“What about the security cameras, Paul?” Tess is asking, and my heart drops. Oh. Shit. If they check the cameras, they’ll see me and Parrish kissing in the hallway. They’ll see us open the door and talk to Chasm. I’m not exactly sure where all the cameras are located, but they might even see him giving us condoms.
Chas and I share an alarmed look, but there’s quite literally nothing we can do about it.
“I checked three times already,” Paul tells Tess, and Chasm’s brows go way, way up. It’s very clearly a what the actual fuck? sort of a look. “There’s nothing there. The drive was full. We haven’t actually recorded anything in weeks.”
The look she throws her husband is venomous.
“You could’ve set it to upload to the cloud, or automatically erase over old footage.” Tess’ words are sharp, fully intended to inflict a blow on her husband. She’s hurting and she doesn’t know what to do with that pain.
“I’m sorry, honey. I really am, but what can I do now?”
Tess frowns at him and stands up, starting her pacing game all over again.
“Lucky break,” Chas whispers, sitting a little closer to me than is really prudent. Kimber notices, but she doesn’t say anything, not today. After we get Parrish back, I’m sure I’ll hear alllll about it.
“Guess so.” Doesn’t feel like a lucky break. I’d rather have had Tess and Paul see us kissing than spend anymore time wondering what happened to Parrish. Tucking my legs up against me, I wrap my arms around them and try not to let my mind stray down paths of ‘what if’. What if I’d stayed with him last night, risks be damned? If he was upset about something, maybe we could’ve talked it out? Did I pressure him into sex? What if he wasn’t ready?
“Don’t blame yourself, Little Sister,” Chas tells me, reaching out to put an arm around my shoulders. The contact surprises me, but I don’t dislike it. This time, however, Kimber really does level a violent glare in my direction. “He’ll come back. Just like Lumen. Don’t worry about it until tomorrow. If he isn’t back then, we’ll freak out together.”
I give a little nod, relaxing into Chasm’s warmth. But I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong here. Something is really, really fucking wrong.
By the next morning, the Vanguard house is a chaotic mess. There are detectives in the kitchen, a fresh slew of reporters outside the gate, and a surprise visit from Maxx.
