Chapter 55
fifty-five
I only last four hours before I find myself outside Alice’s apartment, knocking on the door.
I still haven’t seen any sign of her, at my place or hers. Still, I have no idea where else she could be. Her things are still packed in a tidy pile in the corner of my closet, and her laptop tracker hasn’t moved from my living room.
Ella said Pierce took her to my apartment. I even pulled up the tracking record from his company car—including the five minutes he spent parked on my curb before driving himself home.
So where the hell did she go?
And why is her phone turned off?
The software on her laptop is designed to ping all tethered devices in case of an emergency. I vowed to myself I wouldn’t use it unless I had to… but when I tried to activate the cell’s tracker and found it disabled, panic began to set in.
Did someone take her off the street? Some money-starved paparazzi or a crazed celebrity stalker, hellbent on using her for info on Grayson and Ella? Were they waiting for her inside my building?
Or did she simply… leave?
She has the freedom to do whatever she wants, but somehow, I can’t picture her doing this. She’d know I would worry. She would care.
The red door jerks open. Tris stands on the threshold, her hazel gaze laughing. “Well, well, if it isn’t the roommate stealer. Looking for our girl? Last I heard, she was on her way back to your—”
I brush past her and start walking. “She isn’t at home. I haven’t talked to her all afternoon.”
I shove into Alice’s dark bedroom. It’s cramped, full of too many things for such a tiny space—but I only see the pieces that are missing. My pieces.
All the things she brought with her to my home.
Her top bookshelf is missing most of her favorites.
The nightstand doesn’t have her phone charger or her day planner on it.
There are no sketchbooks or wedding photos laid out.
The corner of her bed skirt is stuck to her comforter—likely from where she took out her special shoe box when she had to pack in a hurry.
She isn’t here.
And hasn’t been.
Tris comes up behind me, crossing her arms as she rolls her eyes. “I told you, dude.”
Panic spurs me forward. I move into Alice’s space, my eyes scanning for any clues. Because I know, something isn’t right here.
My stomach lurches, hoping against hope that I’m mistaken. “Try calling her,” I mutter. “Maybe she just blocked my number for some reason.”
With a wary look, Tris pulls out her phone and dials Alice’s. For half a second, I hold my breath. Instead, Tris sighs. “It’s off.”
I clench my teeth so hard, they make a cracking sound. “Come on. We have to move.”
Fear widens Tris’s eyes. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her look concerned about anything. “What are you saying, Amir? Spit it out.”
I start dialing my phone. “I’m saying Alice is missing.”