Micah’s voice drops. “Something terrible already happened.”
A thick and heavy silence settles over the kitchen again. I look around my safe, quiet, ordinary house, and feel the weight of how far away he is. Not just in miles. Inworlds.
“Tell them,” I say softly. “Everything you can.”
Micah nods. “I will.”
I take a slow breath, forcing my lungs to cooperate. “And when you find out anything,anythingat all, you tell me.”
“Of course.”
I stare down at my hands, at the faint tremor I can’t quite control. Because I refuse to believe this is the end of what I can do. “When you get back, we’re coming up with another plan,Micah,” I say with more confidence. “We’re going to get him out.”
He nods. “I agree. He’s my best friend, Emma. He’s done so much for me and protected me. I’d die for him.”
I shift, sighing into my mug. “Hopefully you won’t have to.” My phone starts buzzing on the counter, and Heather glances at it.
“I’m going to step into the other room,” she says, voice soft. “Take this.” She nudges my phone toward me.
The screen is already lit.Mom. I hesitate just long enough to consider not answering. Then I do. “Hey,” I say, forcing the word to sound normal. Micah smiles sweetly at me before joining Heather in the guest room.
“Oh, sweetheart,” my mom breathes, relief rushing through the line. “There you are. I was starting to worry.”
“I’m okay,” I say quickly. “I promise. I just…needed a couple days.”
“I know. Heather has kept me updated,” she says gently. “And I know you text every morning. But texts aren’t the same.”
I close my eyes and smile despite myself. “I know.”
A pause. “You’re on speaker, by the way,” my dad’s voice chimes in. “Your mother refuses to hold the phone like a normal person. Jessica, will you just let me hold it? Shit.”
I huff out a quiet laugh. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, kiddo,” he says warmly. “We were hoping we’d hear your voice soon.”
I push back from the counter and wander toward the sliding glass door. “Sorry, I’ve been a little…distant.”
“You don’t ever have to apologize for that,” my mom says. “We just wanted to know you’re okay.”
I step outside, where the cold air smacks me in the face. The ocean is loud today—restless, crashing against the rocks. Novatrots over immediately, tail wagging, and I crouch to scratch behind her ear.
“I’m safe,” I say. “Just working through some difficult stuff with Jude.”
There’s a soft silence on the other end. My mom is the first to speak. “What kind of difficult stuff, honey?”
I stare out at the water, at the way the waves keep breaking. “He’s…struggling,” I say carefully. “With drugs. And he broke away from the band.”
My dad exhales. “Yeah. I saw the headline.”
My stomach twists. “Of course you did.”
“It’s hard to miss,” he says gently. “I’m sorry, Emma bear.”
My mom sighs. “I talked to Rachel, you know. After you came to visit them with Jude.”
My fingers still in Nova’s fur. “You did?”
“She said it was a beautiful visit,” Mom says. “She and Alaric have been so scared for him.” Her voice softens. “So…thank you, sweetie. For doing that for them.”