Page 121 of Trust Me Always

Bestie: haha. I figured you would be tagging along.

She sends a wink face emoji.

Tagging along?

Bestie: Are you guys already on the road? If not, you should wash your face. And maybe brush your hair.

I can’t even laugh and enjoy her teasing; I’m too confused. I hit the FaceTime button, officially prepared to be one of those people who walk around talking like it’s not super fucking annoying.

She declines at first, and I start to type out my threat, but before I can pull the trigger on the Send button, her video call comes through.

She’s sitting up in bed, a gray T-shirt—that is not hers—pulledover her. My eyes instantly go to the collar, where her hair is still tucked inside it.

“You ho-bag, you were naked, weren’t you?” The guy in front of me looks over his shoulder, but I ignore him, staring at my best friend. “Where’s Noah?”

Ari smiles tiredly, still tucked in what looks to be quite the lavish bed. She turns the phone his way, and sure enough, the man is shirtless, covers pulled up to his waist.

“Good morning, Cameron.” He smiles, tugging so she’s tucked half against his chest.

“You’re naked under that blanket, aren’t you?”

“Really?” someone sasses behind me, but I ignore them too, aware it likely sounds like a throuple thing going on here.

Ari puts a hand over her face, but Noah only chuckles, kissing her hair in that cute little way. It’s such a lovers’ thing to do.

“Wait, you’re not in the truck. Is he on his way?” She yawns.

“Right. Back on track.” I scoot a few spaces forward, finally inside the building now. “Who is going where and when, and why did you think I would be tagging along?”

A small frown builds on Ari’s brow. “Mase said Brady was headed home for the weekend since it’s their first bye week.”

My head yanks back. “Home? Like to the beach house in Oceanside home, or home home, like to his parents’?”

“Parents’.”

My mouth drops open. “What the hell? He didn’t even tell me. I was just with him last night at the ice cream thing. He walked me back to my dorm and didn’t say a word.”

She glances at Noah before turning back to me. “I’m not sure, Cam. I called Mase to ask him something about Thanksgiving, and he mentioned it.”

“When?”

“About an hour ago maybe?”

I lift my head. There are only two people in front of me now. I can practically taste the Caramel Cookie Crumble latte.

I groan, stepping out of line. “Love you, bye.” I hang up, pulling up Brady’s number.

It goes straight to his voicemail, so I hang up and try texting him instead.

Me: Where are you?

I start walking toward the gym, aware that it would have been his first stop this morning. I halt, looking in that direction.

But if he was going out of town, maybe he wouldn’t make time for the gym. Knowing him, he got up super early and hit the road so there was “no wasted time.”

OMG, he hasn’t answered my text. Is he already on the road?

I call Mason, but it’s Payton who answers.

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