Page 49 of Game Changer

“I mean, it’s not a real–”

“Did I not just tell you to shut the hell up? You’ve broken my best friend’s heart, AJ, with adultery and shit. I want to run you over with your own car right now. So stop talking. Let’s find Lisa and I can take her to get drunk and forget all about this hockey boy stuff she’s got in her head.”

You deserve all this and more. Just shut up, take it like a good punching bag and leave the explaining for the woman you actually love. Though I feel like you’re gonna need to do some work with the best friend, too.

***

“It’s been over an hour, is there nowhere you talked about? Nowhere you talked about taking her? No other friends she could be with?” Even Jeremy’s voice had taken on an edge of panic.

AJ shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed in Chelsea’s hotel room head in hands. They’d given up aimlessly searching for Lisa around Huntsville and decided to set up camp in the hotel. Lisa had left all of her belongings and the likelihood was that she’d need to come back eventually, if for no other reason than to change her clothes and shower.

Where the hell could she have gone?

Chelsea’s phone barely rang once before she’d picked up.

“Lisa? Is that you? Where are you?”

He sat wracking his brain for a few minutes before an idea came to him.

“Crap.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I know where she is.”

“You do?”

AJ nodded slowly and rubbed his temples.

She wouldn’t have, would she?

“Where?”

“Ireland.”

Jeremy looked at AJ in disbelief. “She wouldn’t! Would she? Her stuff is all here!”

“Wait, Lis? Whereareyou?” Chelsea demanded.

“Chelsea? Where is she?” AJ asked. “She’s gone home, hasn’t she?” he asked Chelsea, somberly.

Chelsea’s face said it all, and AJ took off out of the hotel room with Jeremy on his heels.

“Dude, be reasonable. You can’t just hop a plane and follow her to Ireland!”

“Why not? She hopped a plane here!”

“That’s different. She planned it. This is, I dunno what the fuck it is. Plane tag? Expensive as shit? Stupid? Suicide? You don’t even know if she’ll talk to you if you find her.”

“I have to try. I have to go to her.”

“I doubt your parents are going to front you cash for something this insane.”

“They won’t. But I have a spoiled, trustee-baby best friend who throws his money around who could front me.”

“You’re right, you do,” he pulled out his phone and pushed some buttons. “Done.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll pay you back.”

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