“I don’t know what you’re speaking about,” Jake says, his voice nonetheless calm. “But when it’s as a result of I turned you down, that wasn’t something private, Nyx.”

Whoa. I missed one thing as a result of I had no thought there was any proposition or rejection on both facet. However then once more, I used to be in my very own head proper after Andy died, so numerous issues most likely occurred that I didn’t take any discover of.

“Nice. No matter.” It feels like there’s some shuffling of papers. “However I need the fucking cash at present.”

“I can write you a test as quickly as your signature is on the dotted line,” Eliza says, and the close to pleasure in her voice is audible even to me.

There’s silence, and once more, extra papers being moved round. I assume she’s signing, and both Cassidy or Eliza can be signing. I don’t know who has to do what on this state of affairs.

I need to high-five anyone. I need to roll down the window and cheer at passing visitors, ‘Ding dong, the witch is useless.’ I’m dying to unmute the cellphone and inform her to fuck off, however I don’t. My thoughts shifts to Sloane and why she might have referred to as me thrice in a row.

Hanging up on the assembly as quickly as potential, I hearken to my voicemail and listen to Sloane’s voice, very upset and nervous.

“Cooper, that is Sloane. Pay attention, we acquired information that Penny is the one who tampered with Fiona’s e-mail method again when. However that’s not why I’m calling proper now. She’s run away. Give me a name while you get this.”

What the hell? Penny screwed with the e-mail? Why would she try this?

“That is Sloane once more. Simply attempting to succeed in you. Give me a name when you may.”

“Cooper, please name me.”

One thing in her voice within the final message has me extraordinarily nervous. And it’s largely as a result of she’s so involved. I perceive that she is compassionate and feels for Penny indirectly, form, or kind, no matter what she’s completed. However one thing isn’t including up with this equation.

The concept she would mess with the emails to get us to argue doesn’t make sense since she has emotions for Ethan, not me. If I assumed Penny had a crush on me for one second, I might have tried every thing in my energy to dissuade that woman from any notion that something might come of it. I might have completed every thing I might to make her hate me. And I’m fairly fucking good at making girls hate me.

However possibly my radar is off-kilter. Possibly Sloane has utterly warped my sense of actuality to the purpose the place I can’t inform when a child is crushing on me. I’m too blind to it. Something is feasible, I suppose. I hit the accelerator just a little more durable to attempt to make up time. I must get again, and I would like to assist discover Penny.

I name Sloane again, and when she solutions, my abdomen ties itself in knots. All ideas of Nyx, Sloane’s interview, tabloid tales, and wrecked guitars exit the fucking window after I hear the panic in her voice.

“Cooper. Thank God you’re OK. I used to be so nervous about you.” She’s out of breath as if she ran to get the cellphone, and I image her in her workplace, and I immediately need to be there along with her. I need to maintain her and inform her I’m high-quality. All the things will probably be alright. “I don’t know in case you listened to my messages, however now we have a state of affairs with Penny, and now she’s run away. The police aren’t doing something as a result of it hasn’t been twenty-four hours but, however we’re working along with her mother and her associates and doing every thing we are able to to find her. Are you able to assist with the search?”

She says all this in a rush, and it’s exhausting for me to maintain up, however I do and need I hadn’t pushed so fucking far-off as a result of now I’m unable to assist after I’m wanted probably the most.

“Shit. I’m nonetheless about an hour away from L.A. proper now, however I’m heading again, and I’ll be there as quickly as I can. Do you’ve any thought why any of this has occurred or is occurring?” Deep down, I need Sloane to have all of the solutions to this as a result of I can’t determine it out.

“Oh, I didn’t understand you had left city.” She’s quiet for a second, and I can’t inform what she’s feeling from her voice. “I’m nonetheless on the Basis for now. Come right here in case you can. As for why, I’ll inform you what we all know while you get right here. Hopefully, we discover her earlier than then.”

What the hell has Penny completed?

thirty-four

Want That You Had been Right here

Sloane

After hanging up with Cooper, my coronary heart settles a bit, figuring out he’s conscious of the state of affairs. The Basis has change into the epicenter of the search, and Fiona and I are appearing as coordinators as associates, household, employees, and even strangers are out in better Los Angeles on the lookout for her.

As I watch for Cooper to reach, I am going over my final interplay with Penny to see if I can glean something that will level to the rationale she ran away and possibly the place she may need gone.

Ethan has been very quiet throughout all of this, however I can inform he’s clearly upset. Possibly he has emotions for Penny in spite of everything. He finally went alone to search for her though a number of individuals provided to go together with him since he appeared so upset. The willpower in his demeanor actually acquired everybody eager to do no matter they might to search out her.

Fiona is taking calls from everybody looking out and retaining observe of the place individuals have appeared so efforts aren’t duplicated. From the seems of it, all of L.A. is roofed. Hopefully, meaning we’ll discover her sooner somewhat than later. Fairly quickly, the solar goes to set, and night time goes to fall. Even with all these individuals looking out, discovering her will probably be tougher.

Penny’s mom is sort of beside herself however is driving round to any location Penny has ever been to in her life. I can’t think about being in her place and having my baby purposely alone on the streets of L.A. Not solely is the town enormous, however elements are extremely unsafe, and there are actual risks on the market. The concept she would go wherever exterior the town isn’t even being entertained by anybody, however the risk she caught a bus, prepare, or aircraft shouldn’t be utterly dominated out. No person who is aware of her thinks that was an possibility, so we hold the search pretty near house.

Attempting to cease the ideas of worst-case eventualities from overtaking my thoughts and attempting to not make up eventualities the place any of that is my fault, it’s a protracted hour and a half wait till Cooper reveals up. When he walks into the workplace, it’s as if time stops, and every thing strikes in sluggish movement. After not being round him for a couple of days and solely having my reminiscences of him, it’s as if I’m seeing him for the primary time.

The purple in his hair appears just a little deeper, the blue in his eyes seems just a little brighter, and he stands taller, simply total extra spectacular. I do know it’s my mind taking part in tips on me, however he feels extra like himself than he did.

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