Page 118 of Balancing Act

Sarah didn’t say anything at first, just studied her, and for a moment, Beth saw past the sarcasm and sharp edges of the person who had always been there. The person who had known her long before any of this—before Jamie, before Washington, before she’d even figured out who she wanted to be.

Sarah tipped her glass slightly in Beth’s direction. “Yeah,” she murmured. “Me too.”

The choice was suddenly crystal clear to Beth. She wasn’t taking the residency.

She wanted to tell Jamie.

Beth glanced at her phone, but there was nothing.

Her stomach clenched. The unease she’d been pushing aside all day settled deeper and heavier as she pulled out her phone again, double-checking for missed calls. Not even a text.

Sarah must have noticed the change in her expression. “Still no word from Jamie?”

Beth shook her head. “No. It’s weird. We don’t usually go this long without talking.”

“Call her again from my phone.” Sarah handed over her device, Beth nodding as she pressed Jamie’s contact.

Ring.

Ring.

Voicemail.

Beth’s heart thumped hard against her ribs.

Something wasn’t right.

The remainder of the weekend passed, and still nothing from Jamie. She tried to shake off the unease creeping up her spine.

It was fine.

Jamie was fine. She had to be.

But the silence felt wrong. Off. Like an itch she couldn’t scratch.

And yet?—

Beth scanned the arena and spotted Amanda near the coaches’ section. She made her way over quickly, weaving through the crowd.

“Amanda,” she called out, trying to get her attention.

Amanda turned at the sound of her name, her expression shifting from focused to curious when she saw Beth. “Hey. Everything okay?”

Beth hesitated, then let out a small, self-conscious laugh. “This is going to sound silly, but have you heard from Jamie?”

Amanda’s brows furrowed. “Not since what, Friday?” She checked her watch. “Why?”

Okay, now she was extremely worried. “I just—I haven’t heard from her. At all. And she was supposed to call yesterday to watch Lily compete, but she never did.”

Amanda frowned. “That’s weird.” Without missing a beat, she pulled out her phone. “Hang on, let me try her real quick.”

Beth watched as Amanda dialed, then pressed her phone to her ear. A few seconds passed before her expression shifted to puzzlement. She pulled the phone away, glancing down at the screen.

“Straight to voicemail,” she said.

Beth’s stomach dropped.

Amanda, sensing her worry, immediately added, “I bet she dropped her phone in the water or something. You know Jamie. She’s probably cursing herself out somewhere for breaking another one.”