Page 119 of Balancing Act

Beth forced a small smile, nodding. “Yeah. You’re probably right,” she said.

But the uneasy feeling didn’t go away.

No, that feeling was still present when Lily had placed first in the all-around. And still, Jamie hadn’t called, and at this point, that worry had turned into a simmering frustration with Jamie’s complete lack of communication.

Beth’s eyes found Lily on the floor, beaming. Her hands clapped over her mouth in disbelief as her teammates rushed her, hugging her and cheering. Emotion swelled in Beth’s chest, and her pride momentarily overshadowed everything else.

She turned to Sarah, meeting her gaze. Sarah had been with her all day, had watched the stress build in her, had seen how she kept checking her phone, waiting for anything from Jamie.

Sarah didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Instead, she squeezed Beth’s hand—a quiet understanding.

Beth swallowed past the lump in her throat. She had to pull herself together. Because Lily was running toward her now, still breathless, eyes shining with her excitement.

“Did Jamie see?” Lily asked immediately, practically bouncing on her feet. “What did she say?”

Beth hesitated. Just for a second. Just long enough to feel the cost of what she was about to do to protect not only her daughter, but Lily’s relationship with Jamie. She had to choose between hurting Lily or lying, and she absolutely hated that. And Jamie had been the one to put her in this position.

She forced a smile, willing her voice to stay steady.

“She was so impressed, Lil,” Beth said.

Lily grinned, eyes bright with happiness. “Really?”

Beth nodded. “She couldn’t stop talking about how amazing you were out there.”

Lily beamed, bouncing on the balls of her feet before rushing back toward her team.

Her hands shook slightly as she rubbed them over her jeans. Sarah’s voice was quiet beside her. “That was a good lie.”

She clenched her jaw, breathing sharply through her nose. “Jamie shouldn’t have made me do that.”

That evening, when they landed safely back in Washington, Beth pulled into the driveway and immediately knew something was wrong.

Jamie’s car wasn’t there.

The house was dark.

She sat in the driver’s seat for a moment, gripping the wheel so tightly her knuckles ached. Maybe Jamie was out. Maybe she’d run to the store, or she was at Shannon’s, or maybe she was inside and left her car somewhere else.

Beth grabbed her bag, hurried up the steps, and unlocked the door.

Silence greeted her.

She flicked on the lights as she stepped inside, her heartbeat picking up. The house felt empty in a way that made her uncomfortable.

She checked the kitchen. The bedroom. The studio.

Nothing.

Jamie’s shoes weren’t by the door. Her jacket wasn’t on the hook.

She pulled out her phone with trembling fingers and dialed again.

Voicemail.

She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to breathe, but the panic wasn’t just rising anymore—it was drowning her.

Where the hell was Jamie?