Page 86 of One of Them Girls

She either blocked me or turned her phone off. One quick way to find out which.

I call Jack. He answers on the first ring.

“What’s up, bro?”

“Hey, can you try calling Cassi?”

“You actually want me to call your girl? Is this a test? Bro’s before ho’s, man.”

I would punch him if I could. “Don’t you dare call her a ho. I fucked up, man. I think she might have blocked my number. Just try, okay?”

“Stop fucking up, man. Cassi’s a great girl. You need to get your shit together or let her go.” The stern, lecturing tone catches me by surprise.

“Seriously, man? Like two seconds ago you said you’d pick me over her. Now you’re taking her side?”

“Well, yeah. I meant I wouldn’t sleep with her or encroach on your territory, but she’s a good girl. She’s my friend. I won’t let you break her heart, man.”

I grimace.

Too late.

I’m glad she has Jack in her corner, though. She deserves it, but I can’t lie and say it doesn’t gut me, it’s not me.

“Point made. Now, will you call her?”

“Yeah, man.”

He hangs up. I wait for what seems like forever for him to call back.

“Straight to voicemail, man. I texted her though. I’ll let you know if she texts back.”

“Thanks, man.”

I pace my room, thinking about where she might be. I don’t stay still long though. Before I know it, I have my keys in my hand, heading to the car.

I go to her dorm first. Rebecca lets me have an earful when she sees me. I don’t think she even knows what happened, but she said the fact that I was looking for her and her phone was off meant I must’ve done something fucked up. I let her lecture me for ten minutes before leaving.

I tried the ice cream shop next. She said once that when she’s sad; she likes to come here and have a cone of strawberry ice cream with real strawberries mixed in.

Unfortunately, she must be more pissed than sad because she’s not here.

My chest grows tight as I check the bar, the library, and the park and still no sign of her.

I keep trying to call her too. Leaving her messages, begging her to call me back.

I take one last shot in the dark and try the old lake about thirty minutes outside of town. The same one she and Ryan used to go to.

I feel guilty as I pull up to the parking area. For a moment, I don’t want to walk down to the clearing. I don’t want to taint this place for her. It takes a couple of minutes for me to realize it was pointless, anyway. Her car isn’t here.

I get out anyway and travel down the area, remembering the conversation we had. Remembering her worries about this place being altered by others as the popularity of the little lake grows.

I walk over to the tree they marked and run my fingers over their initials.

I feel my phone ding and my heart skips a beat.

I’m disappointed when I see Rebecca’s name instead of Cassi’s.

She’s at her parents’. Don’t make me regret this.

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