Page 89 of The Confidant

The stranger’s mouth closes as he glances at the door.

“Sorry. I thought you were that asshole ex and his crew. Where the hell haveyoubeen in all this? She moved months ago. You should know that if you’re herbrother.”

His mocking response makes me want to deck him, but that urge dies quickly as I absorb what he said.

“She moved. Her shop closed. And you’re telling me that someone was harassing her at home?” I mutter in weak disbelief.

“We will find her, Asher,” Max tells me with a determination I haven’t grabbed yet. He sounds like he’s ready to walk through fire and brimstone to get it done.

And half my family wishes he weren’t around.

“What is happening?” I turn to him in complete confusion. A broken man looking for a lifeline. I haven’t felt this fucking helpless in so long. Addie is who I always turned to when I feel like this, and she’s gone.

“We’re taking this over. That’s what’s happening.” Trevor gives a nod to Max, who releases me.

Tera wraps her arms around me so tight I can barely breathe.

“I can find her. Iwillfind her,” she says, nodding even though she’s crying. Trevor is murmuring to the neighbor, who’s watching me with angry confusion.

“Wewill.” Max’s hand drops onto my shoulder with a bruising grip, his lips set in an angry line.

Three people surround me with love and warmth that feel both foreign and welcome. Not one of them says a word as I break into silent tears, hiding my face in Tera’s neck.

Chapter Eighteen

Tera

I glance at Asher, passed out on the bed, still fully dressed. He fell into an exhausted sleep somewhere around three in the morning. He has spent all that time on the phone with anyone he can think of to find his missing big sister.

Her best friend, Damon, has him blocked on his phone.

Suzette doesn’t know anything about what’s going on. She was just as shocked as Asher to hear her shop was closed. She promised him she was on her way to help with her husbands in tow and that she wouldn’t stop trying to reach her by phone or email.

Their mom has been trying to call and interrupt his desperate search, but he’s been ignoring her. When he called Daniella to question her, she admitted she didn’t call Adelaide about her move because she didn’t want extra drama. Maman tried to take the phone before he could ask anything else, so Asher hung up.

Sophia had more information.

She found a social media post about Adelaide that she didn’t want to talk about, no matter how much Asher begged. Something from her boyfriend. When Asher asked for the name since Addie is single, he was furious. Adelaide broke up with this William guy over a year ago, and Sophia didn’t know. When she heard that,shewas the one begging. Asking Asher not to look up the post, whatever it was. She said it was clear the guy was trying to hurt her with it, but she was confused about why he waited so long after the breakup to act.

Then she admitted she showed it to their mother, who went insane over it and still hasn’t calmed down.

I’ve been off to the side, making notes on key factors to look up.

William, unknown last name, posted something months ago. Sophia found it and reported it back to their mom. Maman took her temper out on Adelaide. Ex harassed her via social media and in person. Shop closing. No contact since the post from either side of the family.

What’s brewing makes my stomach squiggle all around with nerves. This is bad. Here’s hoping that she’s off on an island training to come back fighting, main character style.

But she’s a confidant. I don’t know much about the tropes for that lifestyle. They're the sidekick without the usual hands-on approach. How could I let that kind of character slide through the cracks? I’m a dang sidekick. I should know better! I should have started looking up helpful hints when he first admitted she’s the only one who could convince him to talk to Max and Trevor openly.

I’ve been an oblivious idiot again.

I wait for Asher to wear himself out with questions before I start digging. I’m not sure he’ll want to see whatever started this.

I’m sitting on the floor with my laptop baby on the coffee table when Trevor comes out of his bedroom.

“Hey, babygirl,” he mutters, rubbing a hand roughly down his face. “You got anything?”

“Just starting,” I admit.

---