Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CORINNE WILDE - PRESENT DAY
Two hours later, there’s still no sign of Taylor, and I haven’t heard from Conrad.
When I get back to Foxglove, Lewis is pacing on the porch. He looks up frantically when I round the last patch of trees, and he sees his car come into view.
I watch in real time as he processes that it’s me, not her. His face falls, shoulders slump, and it crushes me because it means he hasn’t found her either.
As I exit the car, he rushes toward me. “Anything?”
“I didn’t find her.” I swallow, licking my lips. “I think it’s time we called the police.”
He pauses. “I’m not sure.”
“I’m not really asking your permission.” In fact, I’m already dialing.
He puts his hand on my phone, stopping me. “Don’t I get a say in this? She’s nearly eighteen. If we handle this the wrong way, she might hate us.”
“If we handle this the wrong way, she might end up dead, Lewis. These woods aren’t safe.
Especially not at night. Especially not for a young girl.
” The words catch in my throat, and I realize too much about what happened to my mom’s sister is playing in my head here.
She disappeared and was never heard from again.
Maybe I’m overreacting, but she won’t answer our calls, and we can’t find her. I’m not waiting until it’s too late.
I look at him finally, wondering whether he’ll agree or leave me alone in this decision too, but eventually, he nods and pulls his hand back.
“I’ll try her one more time, but if she doesn’t answer, I’m calling the police. Period.”
“Agreed.” He touches my arm as I tap her name in my call log, waiting.
Seconds pass, but she doesn’t answer. I meet Lewis’s eyes, warning him of my next step without saying a word. Just as I’m preparing to call the police, deciding what I’ll say, the phone rings.
I answer in one breath. “Taylor?”
“God. What do you want, Mom?”
Her voice stalls my heart. “E-excuse me?”
“Why are you blowing up my phone?”
“Where are you? I was about to call the police. I’ve been all over town looking for you. Everyone is looking for you.” My voice is breathy and scared. I can’t feel my fingers or toes.
“What the heck? I’m fine.”
“I asked where you are. The storm’s almost here. It’s not safe for you to be driving.”
“You can’t just disappear like this,” Lewis chimes in, leaning over my shoulder to see the phone screen.
“I’m out. I went out.”
“Not an answer. You need to tell us where you are. You can’t just take my car without asking.”
“I didn’t take it. I borrowed it. I’ll bring it back when you two stop fighting.”
We exchange a look of confusion. I’m not sure I heard her right. “But…we weren’t fighting,” I tell her.
“All you ever do is fight anymore. Over the house, over me. It’s miserable. I’m sick of it.”
“Honey, what are you talking about? No one was arguing tonight. We made dinner. We were planning to eat together. You need to come home so we can talk about this.” It feels so out of left field. I have no idea where any of this is coming from.
Did Lewis say something to cause this after all? Did something happen while I was taking my bath? Or maybe while they were out today? Did he tell her I’m always picking fights? Did he complain about me enough to make Taylor leave?
I side-eye my ex-husband, wondering why I ever thought I could trust him again after all of this. He comes back around for one day, and Taylor disappears. I’m not na?ve enough to think that’s a coincidence.
“I’m not coming home,” she says firmly. “Not tonight.”
“Taylor, Bug, listen—”
But she doesn’t listen. Not to either one of us.
Instead, she hangs up.