“I’m her husband.”
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t matter. You’ve never been put on the release form, so I can’t tell you anything.” She pulled away from him.
“What about as her friend?”
“As her friend, I’m telling you, you need to talk to your wife.”
“She’s gone.” His voice cracked on the words. He scrubbed both hands over his hair, his face, as if that would somehow erase the harsh reality. “Her clothes are packed and she’s not at her place.”
Miranda’s face twisted in sympathy. “Oh, Piper, what are you doing?”
“Just...just tell me. Is she sick? Cancer? Some kind of autoimmune thing? Is she dying?” His throat closed up at the thought. She’d been so tired the last couple of weeks, and he’d barely been around to notice. What if it was something serious? They’d barely had any time together. How could he lose her now?
Miranda laid both hands on his shoulder. “I can’t give you the specifics. But I don’t think it’s breaking any laws to tell you she’s absolutely not dying.”
“Then what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know.”
“She’s not answering her phone.”
“Okay, sit down. Let me call and we’ll at least establish whether she’s avoiding you or if she’s avoiding everyone.”
Which of those options was supposed to be better?
Myles was far too agitated to sit. He paced the living room while Miranda made her attempt and got voicemail.
“Hey, sweetie. I was just calling to check on you. Call me back, okay?” She hung up. “Not just you.”
“Now what?”
“Honestly? The only thing you can do is wait. There’s no reason to believe she’s in any danger and not enough time has passed to file a missing persons report. You can check with her parents or Leah, but I doubt she’d go to them if she were upset.”
Myles jerked toward her. “Upset? Why is she upset?”
Miranda spread her hands. “I’m making an assumption here. She wouldn’t pack if she wasn’t upset. It’s the kind of impulsive thing she does. Did you two have a fight?”
“No. We’ve barely seen each other to fight. I was around more the last week while she was sick than I have been the entire time since we got back from our honeymoon. Work’s been keeping me busy. I’ve been trying to move some things around and get things in place so that’s not the case all the time.”
And what the hell good was any of it if she’d left him?
“At this point, I think you should just go home and wait. Text her that you’re worried. I’ll get up with everyone else. If anybody hears from her, you’ll be the first we notify, okay?”
“Okay.” He let her shuffle him out of the house, climbed back into his car. But it wasn’t okay. If she’d really left him, he wasn’t sure it would ever be okay again.
He pulled out his phone and texted her. Piper, I’m worried to death. Please just let me know you’re safe.
Myles stared at the screen, but there was no notice that the message had been read. No dancing bubbles to indicate a reply. Just silence. Terrifying silence.
He put the car into gear and began to drive. There was no way in hell he could just go home.
~*~
“I need your guest room.”
Tucker took her overnight bag without question, and Piper was grateful. She needed all her flagging energy to make it up the stairs to his apartment. Her house would’ve been more practical, but that’s the first place Myles would look, and she simply couldn’t face him yet.
“You get your paperwork delivered?” he asked.