I can’t believe it’s only been a week since the club incident. It feels so much longer than that. So much has happened, both good and bad.

It’s been an emotional roller coaster ride that I’m quite happy to get off. Except for maybe the high points, like Cairo and playing guitar, and Cairo, and getting to play at prom…and Cairo.

Oh, and watching Holden’s promposal yesterday was pretty damn awesome. I’ll definitely label that as a high.

He asked me and Cairo to help him out. When he told us his idea, we got Velocity on board too. At the end of baseball practice, as we walked for the locker rooms, Velocity was set up on the grass where Cairo and I first kissed. The whole team kind of jolted to a confused stop while I laughed and ran forward to grab the guitar Cairo had set up for me. As soon as I had it over my shoulders, I winked at Roman and he clicked us into our rocked-up version of “Sweet Creature.” Holden got down on one knee with a bunch of daisies he’d hidden behind the tree, and I swear Maddie nearly cried.

Chloe’s eyes were glistening too, although she looked more pained than happy. It made me sad for her. I really wish she could find a guy to prompose to her. She’d make the sweetest date in the world.

Cairo caught my eye and I couldn’t help being distracted by him. The look in his eyes, the way he winked at me, made my body sizzle.

And I’m all about the body sizzle. Cairo did kiss me breathless in the music room the day after I told him I loved him. He makes it easy to say, and I’ll keep whispering it to him for as long as I can.

Because it’s true.

I love Cairo Hale, and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.

I can’t help a small grin as I shuffle down the hallway. The smiles are hard to control when I’ve got my boyfriend on the brain.

Man, I wish I wasn’t still grounded. It’s only been a week and I’m already hating it. I’ll be going insane by the time graduation rolls around. Hopefully Dad will find it in himself to loosen the reins, or maybe Mom can talk him around. She seems a little more flexible on the punishment thing. She’s definitely more open about my future.

She took it so much better than I thought she would. I guess I should have been honest with her from the start. I could have used her as an ally and maybe not gotten myself into such a big mess.

Honesty felt like such a big risk, and in some ways it was, but it’ll pay off in the long run. I seriously can’t keep lying my way through life just because I’m scared of how people will react.

I cringe as I walk into the dining room, my body tensing like it always does.

But Dad’s not there and my chest expands with relief. Maddie’s at the table, a dreamy smile on her lips as she spoons granola into her mouth.

“Just got a text from Holden?” I point at her finger resting on the edge of her phone.

“Uh-huh.” She grins. “He’s taking me out after the game.”

“Did you ask permission?” I roll my eyes.

She copies me and mutters, “Why of course I did. Mom says it’s cool.”

I sit down beside her, fighting a sharp twinge of jealousy.

“What are you guys going to do?”

“Oh, um…we’ll go hang out at his work for a while.”

“At the old people’s home?”

“Yep, and then he’s taking me out for the evening.” She grins. “I don’t know where, but he told Mom and she gave me this excited smile.”

I wiggle my eyebrows at her and she giggles, quickly catching the dribble of milk running down her chin.

“You’ve got it worse than I do,” I mutter.

She grins, her cheeks blooming red.

Mom walks in, smoothing down my hair as she brushes past me. “Morning, sweetie. Nice to see you’re still alive.”

I roll my eyes. “Mom, it’s not even nine-thirty. Do you even know what sleep in means?”

“Yes.” She finishes putting on her watch. “I slept in until seven this morning.”

“So no, you don’t know what it means.”

Mom gives me a droll look and heads into the kitchen.

“She’s already cleaned the bathroom and kitchen, plus gone for a run this morning.” Maddie cringes.

“Aw, man, she’s the worst when she’s stressed.”

“I know, right? Like a robot that just won’t shut down.”

“You think she’d be more relaxed now that Uncle Conrad’s gone.” I slump back in my chair. The reality of that whole situation still stings. I hate that it came down to that.

Uncle Conrad’s not allowed any technology at this rehab place. I’m planning on writing him a letter soon to let him know about prom and stuff. Not sure if it will make him feel better, though.

“Mom’s stressed about the money Dad had to pay that Santiago guy. I’m pretty sure they borrowed from some friends in Ohio, but I don’t know who.”

“It has to be the Mathersons. They’re loaded.”

“It must have been so humiliating for them.”

I cringe.

“Plus I think she’s still nervous that Santiago might go back on his word and hurt us somehow. Like even though the debt’s been paid, it’s still not over.”

“But it is.” I frown. “He’s not going to take on the Armitage police force for no good reason. Dad will bury him. If he touches any one of us, Dad will call in the FBI or something. He’ll go after the guy with everything he’s got.”

“I know.” Maddie shrugs. “But I still can’t believe he paid the money.”

“It was justice, Mads. Uncle Conrad owed the guy. I can understand why Dad did.”

“I bet it killed him, though. He’s probably working overtime trying to find some excuse to nail the guy.”

We both seal our lips as Mom walks back into the room. Her herbal tea is steaming as she sits down beside me and gives us both a tight smile.

“Dad’s hoping to be finished up in time to get to the game. Chloe better be home soon. She needs to get ready.”

“She and Rahn probably stayed up till the early hours of the morning talking about climate change and the humanitarian crisis in Somalia. She’s probably still blissfully asleep in bed.”

Mom’s about to give me a dry glare when the doorbell rings.

I jump up with a teasing smile and head for the door, wondering who it is.

Swinging it open, my smile falters when I see the panicked look on Rahn’s face.

“Are you okay?” I whisper, not even sure why I’m talking so softly. It’s like instinct is telling me to keep this on the down low.

“Chloe’s not home, is she?”

“No.” I frown. “I thought she was staying with you.”

“Well, she was supposed to.” Rahn winces.

I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at her. “What’s going on?”

“I was her cover. So she could go on a date.”

My lips pop open. “What date? Does Chloe have a boyfriend I don’t know about?”

Rahn’s skin pales by another degree and I’m starting to feel her panic in my own chest.

“Rahn.” My voice is low. “What’s going on?”

“She didn’t come home last night. I waited up for a really long time but then just couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was expecting her to sneak in, but when I woke up this morning she was gone.”

I blink, trying to compute what she just said. “Are you telling me she spent the entire night with some guy?”

“No,” a deep voice croaks.

My eyebrows dip together as I poke my head out the door and nearly keel over when I see Vincent Mancini leaning against our house.

His eyes are dark with torment as he turns to face me. There’s a deep bruise along his jawline and his bottom lip is split.

“I was supposed to meet her last night.” His face bunches with anguish. “But I couldn’t make it, and now she’s disappeared. She had some stuff she wanted to tell me. We needed to talk and I was supposed be there, but…” He looks like he’s about to throw up. “I’ve got to find her. Please tell me she’s in her room, because if she’s not, I think something bad has happened to her.”

My head is dizzy with this unexpected revelation.

My sister is dating Vincent Mancini.

And now she’s gone…and quite possibly in danger.

She’s… I hold my breath, jerking away from the door and bolting down to Chloe’s room. Shoving the door open, I quickly scan her neatly made bed. The room feels like it hasn’t been slept in last night and my gut starts to plummet.

Chloe’s gone.

She’s missing.

She’s…

“Max?” Maddie pops her head into the corridor as I hustle back to the front door. “Is everything okay?”

I shake my head and somehow manage to choke out. “Shit, Mads, we’ve got a really big problem.”

* * *

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