10. Austin
Austin
A s soon as I rounded the corner at the bottom of the bleachers and looked up, my plastic cup filled to the brim with beer nearly burst in my fist. Of fucking course , McKenna left. She couldn’t do what she was told even if it’d save her goddamn life.
I stomped up the metal stairs, footsteps echoing as people slid away from the edge, out of my way. I was sure I looked about ready to kill someone, and truth be told, I was. McKenna was not getting out of this shit easily.
“Where’d they go?” I asked Booker, the question coming out more like a statement, as I set my beer on the bench and scanned the crowd in front of us.
“Claimed they had to pee.” Booker looked about as pissed as I did, arms crossed and jaw set. Hell, there was probably a reason no one chose to sit within five feet of us.
That was wise of them.
I pinned him with a glare. “And you didn’t go with them, why?”
“The girls claimed we’d lose our seats if all of us left, and you fucking ditched me.” His eyes were slits as he turned his attention up to me.
I nearly rolled my eyes but stopped myself. McKenna was rubbing off on me. The thought had me pulling my cowboy hat off my head in frustration, my hands needing something to do.
“I have Brynne’s location on my phone,” Booker went on, flashing his cell at me. “They’re still at the bathrooms if you want to give ‘em hell. Apparently, they don’t listen to me.”
I rolled my lips together. “I’m in the same boat as you, Booker.” I ran a hand through my hair before setting my hat back on my head. “I told her to stay put.”
Booker chuckled, the sound grating on my nerves. “She’s giving you a run for your money, huh?”
Giving him one last glare that promised death, I ditched my beer and headed back down the bleachers, not stopping until I found Brynne waiting by a tree about ten feet from the bathrooms.
“McKenna still in there?” I asked, focusing on the open restroom door. The question came out harsher than I would have liked, but fuck, I couldn’t hide that I was irritated with their carelessness.
“Yeah. I came out about five minutes ago.” She looked up from her phone long enough to do a double take of me. “You look pissed.”
“I am pissed. I told her not to move, and look where she is now.” I flung a hand at the small building.
“She just had to pee, Austin.” Her voice of reason was pointless right now. “You know,” she went on, “being overbearing is only going to make her push you away more. ”
I scoffed, flicking my gaze up to the branches above us as if they’d give me the patience I so desperately needed right now. “She can try to push me away all she wants, but her safety is the number one priority.”
Brynne cocked her head to the side. “Is it?”
I looked at her now, her gaze disbelieving. “Is what?”
“Is her safety really your number one priority, or are you using this as an excuse to be near her?”
“Merely a week ago, she wanted to kill me. You think I’d put myself in front of her for no reason when she’s pissed at me for not letting her attack my best friend?”
“Yes.”
“How fun,” I deadpanned, turning back to face the restrooms. “You must think the note is a joke, too, then.”
“I think she can handle herself,” Brynne clarified before turning her attention back to her phone.
After what felt like minutes, I glanced at her. “How long has she been in there?”
Brynne’s eyes flicked up to the top of her screen like she was checking the time. “Eight minutes or so now.”
My jaw clenched, and Brynne studied the look.
“What? Her stomach might be hurting.”
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, that patience the tree didn’t care to afford me slipping even more. “Then maybe she shouldn’t be at a fucking rodeo. Hell, we shouldn’t even be here in the first place.”
Brynne offered no response to that. We’d already been over this on the way here, and like always, the girls had won.
Focus now trained on the open door again, I grew tired of waiting.
“Go back to Booker. Now.” I didn’t wait around to see if she’d refuse. But I did glance back on my way into the restroom to make sure she was heading in the direction of the bleachers. Then, I rounded the corner into the women’s restroom and found it…empty.
Every stall door was wide open, not a single person in here.
I passed by each one, checking behind the doors like she might be hiding somewhere.
When I made it to the last one, my gaze roamed the stall until it stopped on the open window.
I narrowed my eyes on it before entering and reaching up to look outside.
There was no one out there. No sign of a struggle. Nothing.
As I lowered myself back to the ground, I found the latch to the stall barely hanging on to the door by one screw. A chunk of the part it was supposed to be connected to hung on to it, indicating the door was likely kicked in.
With a muttered curse, I exited the bathroom and frantically searched the now-thin crowd. The bull riding event had begun, so nearly everyone was back at the bleachers. After looking over each person scattered about at least three times, I knew she wasn’t down here.
McKenna was gone, and I had no fucking idea how to find her.