Chapter Thirty #2
"You could have told Lyndall what you knew, what you suspected, and then Lola. Or, fuck, I don't know? Acted like the adult you apparently are and discussed what to do with Lola. Instead, you what?"
"Oh, I bet you're going to tell me."
"Damn fucking straight. Because instead of doing what you should do and being honest, you decided to sabotage more of your life."
I drag air into my suddenly starved and tight lungs. "I didn't attempt sabotage on purpose, asswipe. I didn't talk about it to Lola because, why should I? If I was wrong, then I'd upset her needlessly. And don't you think Lyndall deserved to know first? Shit. Fuck."
He stares at me like I've grown another head. "Frankly, I'm missing the days of your insane sexcapades."
"Fuck you, Cade."
He shakes his head. "Need a reminder? The blonde who was married, and you say lied, or the threesome that went wrong when the boyfriend of one of the chicks you were banging came home early and found you butt naked and balls deep in his girl while you tongued his sister's cunt?
Or maybe the redhead you had no idea was engaged. I could go on. But I won't."
Well, thank fuck he's not making me relive all my sexual past.
I give him a shove. "What's the point, Cade?"
He shoves me back. "My point is those stories had entertainment value. This? Not so much. I love Lyndall like she's my own family. She is, in a way, like you are. And Lola's pretty fucking cool, too. But man, oh man, have you inexplicably decided to make things hard."
"This is different." I dust down my hoodie, my chest tight.
"You've been lying to Lola. To Lyndall. Shit, you suddenly decided it's cool to omit truths. Jesus, Enz. Didn't I warn you?"
He did, but I still stand by not having said anything until I had proof. Problem here is that when I got it, Dad had to go and break the news first.
"I was going to. You know, Cade, everyone makes mistakes. Maybe I screwed up with Lola, but fuck. Imagine if I told them both, and it turned out not to be true. I'd be causing trouble when I never needed to. When I didn't want to."
He breathes out. "I can see that."
I gulp down air and try to find calm. "And I never expected it to happen like that. A fight with Dad that escalated into a brutal yelling match. And I most definitely didn't know they were home."
He points an accusatory finger at me. "That, right there, is something you should keep a secret. The last part."
"I don't get it. I've been trying with Lola, trying not to fuck up, and somehow, I do."
"There are ways and means—" Cade stops, stares at me. "And oh, my fucking God. You're in love with her, for real, aren't you?"
"That's my sister you're talking about," I deadpan.
"Lola. You know I meant Lola." He shakes his head. "Mr. Smooth falls to pieces when he falls in love."
In love? Me?
I care. She's in my heart. She's an obsession in my blood.
Love?
It's not about me being in love, though. It's about her.
And she's not.
I shove a hand through my hair and look at him. "What do we know, Cade? Lyndall dumped her phone, so we can't get her. I should've fucking put a tracking device on her."
"Backpack?"
I hold out my phone and show him. "That's at home. She has a lesson next door, she doesn't take her pack there."
He frowns as my phone buzzes. "What's this number?"
I look at the unknown number, and my heart leaps.
I answer it.
"Hello? Lyndall?"
There's silence, and I can hear some voices creating background noise, and then someone speaks. "Enzo? It's Lola."
My knees almost buckle. "Are you okay? Are you in trouble? Is Squish—"
"I'm fine."
I breathe a sigh of relief, then panic rises. "Is it Lyndall?"
"Listen to me, okay?" She pauses. "Please."
"What is—"
"It's no one's fault. Your staff think I'm at your place."
I close my eyes.
My place.
Not home.
My place.
And she is not there.
I open my eyes. "Where are you?"
Rage fills me.
How the fuck did she sneak out? And she definitely snuck out, otherwise security would have told me they'd taken her someplace.
"I'm with Lyndall."
I mouth the words at Cade.
"Thank fuck. Give me the details. I'll be there in a few minutes."
She makes a sound, then she speaks. "No, Enzo. She's fine. I'm fine."
Relief keeps flooding me.
They are both okay. My sister is okay.
Wait.
What did she mean by no?
"Where are you?"
"I can't tell you. She wants to see me, not you. She's furious. Doesn't want you anywhere near her."
Cade is clearly trying to get a fix on the number on his phone, and he has inched closer to try and listen in.
I have to stop myself from shouting. "I really don't fucking care. You should be home. You both should. Anything could happen. And if you really had to go, you needed to take one of your guards."
"I didn't. Lyndall told me what to do to sneak out, so I did. I don't think she wanted a guard—"
I almost shout. "It's not safe. The guards aren't a fashion accessory. Where you go, they go."
"Well, that's too bad. I can't time travel, and I'm here now with Lyndall, so—"
"Put her on and tell me where you are!"
"No and no. And I'm staying until she's okay, whether you like it or not. Just so you know, I'm not calling for permission. Or for help. I just thought I'd let you know what's going on."
The bottom falls from my world. "But—"
"But nothing. And you should be grateful I'm letting you know anything, considering you don't deserve it."
"For fuck's sake, Lola, I know I screwed up, big time. I'm trying to fix it—"
"You want to fix things?" Her voice softens slightly. "I get that. And I know you do. But, Enzo... sometimes, you can't, not right away. Giving Lyndall the space to talk without you there might help, way more than you realize."
"Fine. But call one of our cars to get home."
"You're not to be outside."
"I'm out. With Cade. We were looking for Lyndall. But..." I take a breath.
It's a moment of truth, a moment that, as I think on it, holds everything.
And I hope to fuck I make the right decision. "We'll head home and wait, okay?"
"Thank you." She hangs up.
"I know where they are," Cade says.
I hesitate.
That important moment pushes at me.
"Fuck, man, I don't know what to do."
"You like to crowd those you care about. Lola, Lyndall. And while you can usually do it with Lynds, Lola's different. Give her and your sister room to breathe. We'll go get a drink, and we'll wait."
Waiting isn't my favorite sport, apparently.
But I will. I don't want to lose Lyndall.
I can't lose Lola.
And there's Squish...
I sigh heavily. "Let's go home."
And though I desperately want to send a car, or better yet, lurk outside wherever they are, I don't.
I just hope and pray they'll be okay.