Page 43 of One Little Lie
“Cut the shit, Halton. You don’t get to keep her,” I grumble under my breath even as a small kernel of hope tries to break through my heart.
Turning left at the end of the drive, I come to a fork in the road a half-mile from camp. Referring to the map, I turn right, following the coast. If she went for a walk, she’d want to see the ocean.Right?
It doesn’t take long to make the two-mile loop. But a mile in, the sky turns black with storm clouds and unleashes God’s fury. The panic I’ve fought to keep at bay explodes.
The golf cart slips and slides through the dirt roads. It’s a pain in the ass, but I finally make it back to camp. Just as I make the turn onto the driveway, the damn cart splutters to a stop and dies.
“Just fucking great,” I bellow to the swirling sea, then take off up the path to see if Rylan’s back.
A fear I’ve never known grips me when I realize she hasn’t returned to me.No, not me, numbnuts. She hasn’t returned to camp.
Chapter 15
Halton
Out of options, my stomach revolts as I grab my phone and stab at it until Ashton’s face appears on the screen. Staring into the empty lean-to I know I’m jumping to conclusions, but after my family’s year and the danger they’ve faced, I worry my fear is valid.
“She’s gone.” My voice alternates between hysterical and venomous, but my shaking hands make it impossible for Ash to get a good look at me.
“Who? Who’s gone?” he whispers.
“Rylan,” I bellow. “Are we in danger here, Ash? Would someone have taken her?”
His phone shifts, and Loki’s face comes into view. “Halt? Calm down, brother. Tell me what happened.”
“What happened is I dropped her off at the lean-to and went back to grab our supplies because you only left us with a mother fucking golf cart. When I got back, she was gone. Her clothes are in a pile on the ground, and her phone was tossed on top of them. Would someone have taken her?” All the rage I’m feeling flies out with my words.
Loki glances at someone off screen, and I know he’s talking to Ash.
“Answer me,” I scream.
Preston enters the frame next. His face close to the screen somehow allows me to think clearly. “Preston,” I choke out. “D-Did someone take her? She doesn’t even know. She doesn’t know I lied. I— Fuck! Pres, please tell me she’s not in danger. Tell me what to do! I can’t lose her like this.”
My voice cracks, and I don’t even care if I break down and sob right here in front of them. I can’t lose her like this, I won’t recover. Loki almost lost his wife. Emory almost lost Preston. They have to understand. They have to.
“Get out of the rain, Halton.”
I stare between him and the open sky and realize I never took cover. The rain feels ice cold after the smothering heat we’d suffered all day, but I nod and jump up into the lean-to.
“Do you love her?” Preston asks calmly once I’m under shelter, and if he were here, I’d punch the guy right in the face.
All the reasons I have for pushing her away are meaningless as the worry for her safety takes center stage.
“Of course I fucking love her. I’ve always loved her. What the hell does that have to do with anything? Tell me how to find her. Can Ash put a stop on the ferry? If she’s still on the island, I’ll search every inch until I find her. Just tell me.”
“How long has she been gone?” Ash asks so softly I almost missed it.
“Ah,” I spin in a circle. “I-I don’t know. Maybe three or four hours.”
“Is anything out of place? Were her clothes torn, or do they look like she left them there?”
Images of her naked body flash before my eyes, and are suddenly replaced with my worst nightmare. Her naked body beaten and bruised in a ditch somewhere.
“Halton. Focus. Is anything out of place?”
Pulling at my hair, I take in my surroundings. I’ve moved so much stuff around it’s hard to remember, but I didn’t find anything that caused me to worry more than I already was.
“It doesn’t look like it, no. But she doesn’t have her phone,” I say meekly. The first sign of tears threatens the back of my eyes.
