Page 55 of Where Love Lies

She shakes her head like she doesn’t understand something, looking at me with sorrow-dipped eyes. “Dad was supposed to pick me up an hour ago,” she starts, frustration in her voice. “He won’t answer me back either.”Damnit Cam, not this shit again.When he’s a no call, no show, it usually means he landed himself in jail.

I grab my phone, looking at the time. Two-thirty. No texts or voicemails either. I raise my brow, looking at Paige.

“When did you last talk to him?”

“Um, I’m not sure. Couple days after the fight, maybe?” She shrugs. I rub my temples, trying to think. It’s not my job to go chasing him down at some dirty bar anymore, but the weight of him still being Paige’s father has me putting my art aside and looking for my keys.

Paige rides with me into the city, and we check Cam’s place first. The one-story house has seen better days. Paint chipping, shutters hanging off, weeds overgrown, taking over the dry-rotted porch. Paige knocks, and I try to look through a window. It’s scummed over with nicotine and dust, the dark curtain blocking the view. Jesus, and I let Paige come over here.

“He’s not here,” I mutter.

Paige turns, pointing to the driveway.

“His truck is here, though.”

I bite my bottom lip. If he went on a bender, he would’ve taken his truck. The entire time I’ve known him, he’s never had a sober driver come get him. A bad feeling fills my chest. My forehead starts to sweat. Grabbing my phone, I look through our mutual contacts and text his sister and his fishing buddy, asking if they’ve seen them.

“Come on, let’s go sit in the van while we wait for someone to text me back.” I press my hand on Paige’s back, ushering her to come and rest. Reluctantly, she goes, sitting in the passenger seat, her legs kicked up on the dash. Climbing into the driver’s seat, my back is slick with sweat, so I turn the van on for the air conditioning. A black bird flies over the house, circling it like it’s roadkill, ready to tear it apart until nothing is left. It caws and flaps it wings, and I can’t help but wonder what it’s really going off about. Tapping my phone on my thigh, it finally dings.

I read aloud, so Paige knows what was said.

“Hey, I haven’t been able to get ahold of him for a couple of days.”

Sighing I glance up at Paige, who is biting the inside of her cheek.

“Wait, his sister wrote back. Aunt Liz says I don’t know.” I scoff, wow that was helpful.

“Mom, where is he?” Paige’s voice wobbles, and I shake my head. “Let’s head back and I’ll make some calls.” I try not to sound annoyed, but Cam has done this so many times, it’s hard not to get pissy.

“No, do it now!” Paige pleads, fear clouding her eyes, and I see just how scared she really is.

“Alright, calm down.” I place my hand on her shoulder.

I phone the hospital, but he’s not there, as well as his favorite bar, but nobody has seen him. I don’t know who else to call. Sitting back in my seat feeling defeated, I say, “I have one place left to call, the jail,” I tell Paige, and I’ll be honest, I’m getting nervous myself. Where is he?

Waiting on the station to pick up, I remember having to do this several times when I was married to him, but I always found him within an hour. But something in my gut tells me this time is different.

“This is the sheriff speaking,” she answers.

“Yes, I’d like to report a missing person.”

Coming back home, Heston’s truck is parked in the driveway. Getting out of the van, I notice Paige’s shoulders slumped, so I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. “They’ll find him,” I assure her. Her lips pull into a tight-lipped smile before she slides out of my hold. As she walks into the house, I inhale a deep breath, tilting my head back against the headrest. I swear, if Cam is high in some abandoned house or trapped in a basement for unpaid debt, I’m going to kill him for making his thirteen-year-old daughter think the worst has happened to him.

28

“Yes, this is what I needed,” I mutter softly. My mouth fills with a hot earthy tone, and I savor it. Smoke instantly begins to circle around and drift into the wind. I love the taste of weed. I kept the joint I took from Layla and Paige, needing it tonight more than ever. I look up at the full moon as it hangs brightly in the sky like a lantern. It’s quiet out here, except for the air conditioners’ soft humming and I somehow find peace in the noise, wanting to fall asleep right here. It would be safer than in my own house, since Heston still won’t get out and I was preoccupied with finding Cam and keeping Paige calm today rather than starting up another fight with that asshole. I’m going to have to actually do something rather than say something to get him out. For him to see that we are done, that there is no saving this relationship. He’s a blind man living in a fantasy world. Exhaling, I look down at my phone for any missed messages about Cam. Still nothing.

A tiny voice inside me tells me I’m wasting my time, that Cam isn’t our responsibility. He’s a grown man who makes his own choices. But I wouldn’t be able to look Paige in the eye if I didn’t do everything I could to bring him back to her. I place my phone down and run a hand through my hair. I’m so fucking stressed I could smoke two joints tonight…with wine. I’ve never been one to smoke weed regularly, but I’ve done it a few times in my life. Even with my mom. You know what, I should grow a small plant or two. I lightly laugh at the thought. I could only call them tomato plants so long before Tenly figured it out. God I’d love to see her reaction to finding pot plants all over my property.

A bright light flashes in my eyes, causing me to squint and raise my hand in an attempt to block it. A tall shadow stands in front of the moonlight, making it impossible to identify who it is.

“You been smoking weed, ma’am?”

My shoulders relax, and I blow out a puff of smoke, coughing. “Jesus, you scared me.”

Laughing, Rhodes sits down next to me and turns the flashlight off, the smell of his cologne, mint, orange, and woods, drifting over the weed.

One hand on his knee, he twists to look at me.

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