It had been almost two weeks since my talk with Tade. He hadn’t called and hadn’t shown up at the café to meet me. Then again, I’d effectively pushed him away.

I missed him.

Megan breezed in the door, coming to sit next to me in the common area of the dorm we shared with one other girl.

“What ya doing?”

I pointed at my screen. “Working on a paper. You?”

“I was at the café when the news came out. Tade was there, by the way.”

“What?” I shook my head. “What news?”

I didn’t want to think of Tade. He’d been on my mind all day. Had he moved on?

“They finally released the name of the girl that went missing.”

I’d been so busy with schoolwork I’d forgotten all about her. I’d stopped searching the web when my picture hadn’t surfaced, so I had no idea.

“Who is she?”

“That’s the freaky thing. Her name is Meghan. Meghan with an H. I would have been more freaked out except they posted her picture. She’s got blonde hair.”

A shiver ran through me thinking of my blonde hair. I absently touched it.

“Do you know her?”

Megan shook herself. “No, she looks vaguely familiar, but she was a junior.”

“Do they know who took her?”

“Nope. But word is she’s done this kind of thing before.”

“What’s that?”

“Disappear. Girl has issues with a capital I. She loves sex and goes online to hook up. They have a name for it.”

Megan’s hands moved in the air like she was calling the word to her with an ancient Native American dance.

“Nymphomaniac,” I supplied. When she nodded, I offered another term having learned this subject during my freshman psychology class. Some guy brought it up and the professor deviated from his lecture to talk about it. “Hypersexual disorder.”

“Yeah, whatever. They say she’s one of those.”

“So they think she hooked up with the wrong guy?”

“No, like I said, she’s disappeared before and showed up again high off sex. She’s been known to go to sex clubs.”

“They aren’t looking for her.”

Megan blew out a breath. “She’s like someone important’s daughter. They have everyone searching for her.”

It didn’t take long for my phone to ring.

“Your mom?”

I glanced at the screen and nodded.

“Hi Mom,” I said with false cheer.

“Rae, you have to come home.”

“Why? I’m good here. Really I am.”

“Reagan, a girl is missing. It’s important you come home.”

“But I only have a few more months of school left.”

“Is that more important than your life?” she snapped.

I’d pulled the phone away from my ear to escape the brunt of her shrill tone.

Calmly, I spoke in the phone. “Mom, I’m not leaving.”

“You have to. It’s happening again. Don’t you see?”

“No, I don’t see and I’m going to stay.”

“I’m coming to get you. Pack your things.”

“Where’s Dad?’

“At work.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Mom didn’t have access to a car anymore—doctor’s orders.

“I’m catching an Uber.”

How did she know about Uber? I hadn’t learned about it until after I left home.

“Mom, please don’t. Wait for Dad, okay?”

“I’m hanging up. Just be ready when I get there.”

She ended the call and I dialed Dad.

“It’s my baby girl. What can I do for you?”

“Dad, it’s Mom.”

He exhaled in a way that told me he was at his wit’s end. As much as I hated to burden him, he was closer to her than I was. So I told him all about her call.

“I’ll handle it. If she calls, let it go to voicemail.”

“What if—”

“Just for the next hour or two. I’ll text you when I get home.”

“Okay. Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of your mom.”

I wasn’t sure if he’d heard the news about the girl from school, but Mom would tell him soon enough. He sounded so terribly tired, I couldn’t burden him more.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too.”

My parents may have their problems, but I knew in my heart Dad would do anything for Mom and I wanted someone like that in my life.

I wouldn’t live in fear. Making up my mind, I texted Tade.