CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CAYLEE
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Thank god it’s Friday. It’s been both the worst and best week. Jake and I have spent every night together doing more than just sex, although there has been plenty of that. I’m not sorry.
It’s even better than the first time we were together. More edgy. More erotic. More...intimate. Although I feel like it’s me opening up more than him.
Last night he stayed the entire night. I woke in the morning in his arms and almost cried I was so happy.
But overshadowing everything is our patient Louisa, still missing.
Where is she?
Jake is a former US Marshal, so I had a feeling he was probing for information. Perhaps he thought he could hand it over to his pals on the force. I don’t know, but he was certainly more caring than Brad, who seems completely uninterested in discussing it.
I guess kids do go missing a lot, but he’s shown no compassion, and it annoys me.
Cole can be the same when it comes to things in the news. Perhaps I’m just more sensitive, and because those guys are exposed to the darker side of things in life, they react differently.
It’s not like Brad is to blame. He never left the office. Then again, I ducked out for lunch.
I almost snort.
Brad couldn’t kidnap a sandwich. He’s a suburban husband and dad.
I watch as Brad leans over today’s patient, Trinity. She had her braces put on a year ago and has at least six months of treatment left before she has her new smile.
I blink as the memory of her last appointment flashes back. Brad took extra photos, explaining that the originals had been lost. I don’t know how that happened. I’m very particular about loading them.
Glitches happen, I suppose.
I glance at the computer and remember, while he was taking the photos, he sent me out to get the x-ray machine set up.
We never x-ray after the braces are on.
Yet, it made sense given Trinity’s files were deleted. Brad is nothing if not meticulous.
“How’s your mom and dad?” Brad asks.
“Gwood,” Trinity answers. “Mwee gwoin twoo Hwwawai what kwisswas.”
“Nice.” Brad swaps dental tools as I push the suction into another section of her mouth. “You’ll have to get some surf lessons. Hot tip: don’t wear a bikini.”
Trinity giggles and blushes. “Gwoing up Dwiamond Wed.”
“Diamond Head?” I ask. “It’s a great hike.”
Trinity nods.
“Tell your dad to keep an eye on you. You’ll fall in love with one of those soldiers based on the island and run away to Maui to get married.” Brad chuckles.
“Gwoss. I’m fwiftween!” Trinity laughs.
My attention drifts as a cold shiver drifts over my skin. My imagination is on fire.
Jake is brushing off on me. It’s his job to question everything, but I can’t live like that. I don’t want to go around not trusting people and being suspicious. Most people don’t.
We have a lot of kids coming to our clinic because this is what we do and have for years without a Louisa situation happening.
And Mary Beth.
Adults make up around seven percent of our brace’s clients, but the rest are teenagers. Over sixty percent of those are girls. I’m sure with those statistics the chances of one or two of those missing girls being a client are high.
I bite my lip.
I’m trying to make myself feel better.
It’s all a big coincidence.