Page 31 of Tell Me No
“Ember, my brother better not have spilled the fucking beans to my mom!” I shout, stopping short of the bathroom door.
“I don’t think he did. But I don't know for sure,” she replies, eyes a little hazy.
“Are you gonna get that? Because I really gotta pee now,” Kelsea says, dancing in place uncomfortably.
“Go on, I’ll talk to her and catch up with you!” I tell them, waving my hand dismissively. I pull my phone out of my clutch and swipe to answer it before it stops ringing. “Hey, mom. Whats up?”
Before she can respond, I feel a sharp sting in my neck. Whirling around on my heels, the edges of my vision already begin to blur. I stumble into the wall next to me, my muscles betraying me. Through the incoming fog, I see the man from before fading in front of me, a sinister smile painted across his face.
“Don't worry, we’ll make sure your husband finds you… eventually,” is all I hear before darkness pulls me under.
nineteen
Ev,Eli, and I are crowded around the small bar table, all watching Iris shoot his best shot with a busty blonde at the edge of the dance floor. Seems like a waste of time to me. We all know he’s got a weakness for a certain redhead back in Grovewood, but he’s still pretending like he doesn’t. Shit, I don’t have much room to talk. I fought my feelings for Aurora for as long as I could. But now, I don’t even remember why. My life before her just felt so… empty. Like a waste of fucking time and space on this Earth.
Her discomfort from moments ago still burns under my skin. The idea of anyone ever taking her away from me is enough to knock the air from my lungs. She brushed it off as simple unwelcome attention, but in my line of work you can’t be too careful. I never thought I would have anything in my life precious enough to feel so terrified of losing it.
“Does he really think his bullshit is working on her? Because I’m almost positive she’s a prostitute,” Everett says, pointing towards Iris, leaning against a support beam next to a girl who is most definitely a paid professional.
“Give the poor guy a break. He’s lonely,” Eli says, jutting his lip out in a fake pout. We all laugh, knowing Iris hasn’t been lonely in bed in years.
Kelsea and Ember come walking back towards the table arm in arm. Ember is giggling hardcore at something Kelsea is telling her. I crane my neck to see behind them, my eyes searching for the only woman I want to see. My brows furrow when I don’t find her there.
“Stop! I don’t need to hear anymore. I know my brother’s penis is involved in this story and that’s a HARD PASS!” Ember snorts out a laugh as she drapes her body around Elijah’s. He holds her up, kissing her temple and whispering something in her ear that has her blushing redder than I’ve ever seen before.
“That bathroom was ridiculous. The line was practically out the door!” Kels says, dropping her handbag on the table in front of Everett as he stands to give her his seat.
“Rory still waiting?” Eli asks, and Kelsea gives him a confused look.
“No? You guys didn’t see her?” She asks.
“What do you mean? She went with you, Kelsea.” I feel my heart begin to beat faster in my chest. I will the panic to subside but the ringing in my ears tells me my blood pressure is already on the rise.
“She stopped outside the bathroom, Break. Mom called, and she wanted to make sure Eli didn’t tell her anything,” Ember says, her eyes bouncing between me and her husband.
“Ok, don’t freak out. I’m sure she’s just caught up in the crowd,” Everett says, trying his best to sound calm.
“Iris!” I snap, motioning for him to come back to the table.
“Anybody see her?” Ember asks as everyone scans the crowd.
My eyes skate over every face in the room, just waiting to lock on to the familiar cerulean blues I know by heart. I skip across the sea of unknown faces, desperate to find the only one that matters to me. But she’s nowhere.
“Where is she?” I bark, my fists clenching to the point of pain at my sides. “Where the fuck is she?!”
“Iris, go ask security. I’ll check with the bartender,” Elijah commands, jumping into action.
I’m always the one who acts, always the one calm under pressure with a plan for any scenario. But I feel like I’ve grown roots, cementing me in place to this very spot, unable to move or even breathe without Aurora next to me. My fist slams against the table next to me, causing Ember and Kelsea to jump. My breath comes out in heavy pants, my heart physically ripping apart at the seams at the idea that someone took her from me.
“Break, focus!” Everett shouts, snapping me back into the moment. “The guy, the one she was talking about, do you guys know what he looked like? Did anybody else see him?” He asks the girls.
“Um… I think he was an older guy. Not like grandpa old, but probably late thirties or early forties. I think he was Hispanic? It’s dark and there’s a lot of people, Breaker. I’m sorry,” Kelsea says, her voice breaking a little.
“Hey, it’s ok, goddess. It isn’t your fault,” Everett reassures her, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulder.
“Bouncer didn’t see shit. He’s fucking useless if you ask me,” Iris says. For the first time in my life, I feel like I might actually faint. All the blood in my body rushes just to keep my heart beating. “Break, could this be backlash from the job?”
“What fucking job?” Elijah asks, coming back from the bar with a murderous look on his face. “Bartender didn’t see shit, but I found this in the hallway outside the bathroom.” He throws Aurora’s cell phone onto the table and I feel bile rising in my throat. Instantly, guilt clenches in my chest. I promised him I would protect her.
