Page 95 of Balancing Act

Please call me back ASAP. Lily emergency.

Her chest tightened, her stomach twisting into a cold knot. The words on the screen seemed to blur momentarily as she tried to process them.Lily emergency.

“Everything okay?” Shannon asked. Jamie quickly moved the phone into view.

“I’m sorry, Shan, I need to go. Something is happening with my girlfriend’s kid, and it sounds serious.”

The word girlfriend slipped out before she could stop it. It hung in the air for a split second. Jamie barely had time to register it. Girlfriend. It felt so natural. But a new panic crept in as she froze, watching Shannon for a reaction that never came.

“Girlfriend, huh?” Shannon’s smile was amused, and Jamie felt a little tension leave her chest. “I’m here for it. Go. Take care of them.”

Jamie blinked, caught off guard by the easy acceptance. “Thanks. I’ll call you when things settle.”

Shannon held up a hand before Jamie could disconnect the call. “Wait a sec,” she said, quickly. “You’re not public about this, are you? Like, publicly out?”

Jamie hesitated. “The important people in my life know, and I really don’t care what anyone else thinks, but technically, no. I’m not publicly out.”

Shannon nodded knowingly, as if understanding more about Jamie than Jamie had intended to share. “Well, don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. And for what it’s worth, it’s nice to see you happy. Now go.”

Jamie exhaled, the brief connection settling something in her chest, even as her rising panic clawed at her. “Thanks, Shannon.”

“Any time,” Shannon said, leaning back. “Call if you need anything.”

Jamie nodded, already disconnecting the call while simultaneously dialing Beth. She answered on the first ring.

“Hey, what’s going on?” she said, trying to keep her alarm from creeping into her voice. She needed to be strong for Beth.

There was silence on the other end, and Jamie’s smile faded. When Beth spoke, her voice was shaky, edged with a panic Jamie had never heard before, and she immediately felt her demeanor shift.

“Jamie, I—I—Lily’s gone.”

Beth’s voice trembled, breaking on the wordgone, and Jamie’s heart slammed against her ribs. “Gone?” The word came out sharp, almost a gasp. Her mind raced through possibilities, each one worse than the last.

Jamie’s chest tightened. She could picture Beth pacing, her free hand raking through her blonde hair, and the thought of her in that kind of pain with Jamie being so far away from being able to comfort her physically didn’t sit well with her. Plus, someone had to find Lily.

“What do you mean, gone?”

Jamie quickly tried to think of ways to help from here. Unsure of what to do, she instinctively reached for her car keys. The house was too quiet, the silence pressing in on her as she forced herself to breathe and stay calm for Beth’s sake.

“I got an alert—Lily used the emergency credit card,” Beth rushed out, tripping over her words. “She bought a train ticket to Portland. I’ve been trying to call her, but she’s not answering. I can’t reach Sarah, and I’m stuck in California. I think she’s trying to get to you.”

Jamie closed her eyes at the sound of the tightness in Beth’s voice as she bit back tears. She felt so helpless at that moment. “Okay, okay,” she muttered, as she went into problem-solver mode. “We’ll figure this out,” she said calmly, not knowing who she was trying to reassure more, herself or Beth. “We’ll make sure Lily is safe.”

Jamie should’ve known. Their call last night had felt off, and today, there’d been no text—not even Lily’s usual gym selfie. Guilt twisted her stomach. Had she been too distracted to catch the signs?

“It’s all gotten so big so fast,” Beth said, her voice finally breaking. “First the video, and now that stupid article—it’s been too much for her.”

Jamie had been there before. Fifteen years old, the weight of the world’s expectations pressing down like a suffocating fog. She knew how easy it was to feel like running was the only option, thinking that disappearing might stop the pressure.

She remembered how the pressure had turned everything she once loved about gymnastics into a crushing presence. She wouldn’t let Lily face that alone.

“It’s a lot for anyone, let alone a teenager, but she’s not going through this alone. I know exactly what it’s like to be her right now, and she’ll be okay. I’ll go to Portland and meet her at the train station. I’ll make sure she’s safe and find out what’s going on.”

Beth let out a shaky breath, relief and worry mingled in her voice. “Thank you, Jamie. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“I’m not planning on finding out anytime soon,” Jamie replied. “I’ll call you the moment I find her, okay? Keep calling her, and let me know if you get ahold of her.”

“Okay,” Beth whispered, her tone filled with gratitude. “Thank you. Really.”