I went to see what was going on only to find Mandy standing there, trying her best to look solemn.
She forgets I know her. One look in her eyes told the story. She was fucking gloating and it took everything in me not to punch her in the face.
“What are you doing here?” I had to play it easy. I couldn’t afford to alienate her farther, but neither could I appear to be giving into her shit too easily, she might grow suspicious.
“I heard about your...friend, I thought I’d come by and offer my condolences.”
“My fiancée went missing do you know anything about it?”
“Of course not why would I?” It’s a good thing she’d never set her sights on being an actress, because she wouldn’t have been any good at it; talentless bitch.
“I’m asking everyone who was at the game the same thing. Anyway, you can’t be here.”
“Oh, come on. We’ve always been friends, even before we started dating. I don’t see why we can’t be friends again.”
I gagged when she ran her finger down my chest and only her hiss of pain stopped me from breaking it off.
“Keep your fucking hands off me.” That’s it; I can’t play nice with this one no matter what. I’m going to find Sian one-way or the other and I won’t use this bitch’s help to do it.
I slammed the door and went back to the others. They were organizing flyers to hand out from the stuff I’d placed on the table.
It was humbling to see how many of our friends had shown up here, and how many more were still coming. Some I hardly knew, though we’d gone to the same school, even shared the same classes in some instances.
I knew it wasn’t for me that they were here. They weren’t looking for handouts or favors from the Hollywood golden son, they were all here to help a friend.
Chapter 8
The next morning, I was still up sitting in my window looking out at the cottage where we’d spent so many happy hours.
Mom and dad had come home a few hours ago after the others had already left.
There was a press conference planned for today and the news was already running the story.
I took a quick shower and headed downstairs. It was Saturday, no school and anything else that I might’ve had on the agenda, was squashed for now.
The bell started ringing before I could even reach the kitchen.
“Hey bro.” It was Shane and his girl Tammy, followed five minutes later by Jared and the ever-fussing Belle.
If this shit wasn’t happening, those two would have me in stitches just from the looks on their faces; but I was pretty sure that I was never gonna laugh again unless I found her.
“Okay bro, I know you’ve got a plan so let’s hear it.” The bell rang again and pretty soon almost everyone from the night before was back, it wasn’t long before they were all here with a few extras.
Mom and dad joined us as poor Marisa fed the horde. I handed out the flyers and posters with her face on them while they chowed down on pancakes and eggs.
I couldn’t eat if my life depended on it. I knew the thing was to stay strong for her, but fuck that. If anyone in my position could swallow their own saliva they were a better man or woman than me.
“Son come with me a minute.” I followed dad into his study, realizing that I was just going through the motions. It was as if I was outside of myself, watching all of this going on.
I’m pretty sure that was because my heart had not yet accepted that she was gone.
“What is it dad?” His stalling made my guts hurt even more and I held onto the wall as I braced for what he was about to say.
“Don’t say anything about her being dead I don’t want to hear that shit.”
“No son it’s not that it’s just...no one has anything son. I’ve had the men combing the area outside both schools.
They’ve checked the cameras between here and there and there’s no sight of her on any of them.
That’s not to say that she or whoever took her didn’t use the back roads to get wherever they were going.”
“Thanks dad.” Yeah, I really didn’t want to hear that shit right now, but I couldn’t take it out on him.
Mom came over and hugged me when I walked back into the kitchen. “I’m going to find her mom don’t worry. Can you do me a favor, can you feed Jasper for me I wanna get going with these flyers and stuff.”
“Sure no problem.”
We got organized and headed out to the streets to hand out flyers and put them in shop and restaurant windows where they were allowed.
I was pissed enough to note down every asshole that said no to putting up a flyer. Later, I’ll deal with their asses.
By late evening, we still had nothing and I was fighting hard to hold onto hope.
How did people deal with this shit? How do you not go fucking mad with this shit?”
I kept calling her phone with the same results. Of course the cops had tried to find her phone but no luck there. Wherever it was, it was off, and her last call had been the night before she’d gone missing.
I felt like a caged animal in my room later that evening, and then my dog came scratching at the door.
That’s another thing, I’ve seen those news documentaries where people talk about the shit they did in crisis and I have to say, none of that shit rang true for me now.
My mind couldn’t seem to hold a thought and I was one big ball of pain and anger. In other words, I was barely functioning.
I let Jasper in and he looked at me like I was the worse parent in the world. Fuck.
He went to the bed and sniffed around and I realized he was looking for our girl. Then he started acting the fuck up, which meant he wanted out.