Page 57 of Balancing Act (Soulmate #1)

TWENTY

JAMIE

Jamie’s phone buzzed again, the persistent vibration cutting through the quiet of the empty house.

She frowned, flipping it over to check the notification.

Another article alert. Another headline with Lily’s name in bold print.

She exhaled sharply, setting the phone face down on the counter. She’d call Lily after this meeting.

These alerts had been coming nonstop for two weeks since a clip of Lily competing in Austin had gone viral across social media, sparking a surge of attention focused on Lily.

Lily had never had to navigate this level of scrutiny before.

It didn’t help that, a week later, a high-profile article discussing athletes to watch for the upcoming summer Olympic Games named Lily the newcomer to watch this year, after outscoring several gymnasts on the current national team roster.

On a hunch, Jamie had preemptively created a search alert for Lily’s name to monitor if anything significant popped up following her performance, and now, she was glad she had.

She had FaceTimed with Lily last night, but Jamie couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something Lily was holding in, and she wanted Lily to know she wasn’t alone in all of this.

But first, she needed to call Shannon York.

She opened her laptop and took in the empty room around her while waiting for the screen to load.

This house.

She was going to miss this house.

It had been her sanctuary from all things complicated and stressful, where she had started over.

But now it had a strange, hollow quality.

Her life was packed into boxes and plastic tubs, making this home she had loved feel distant, almost unfamiliar.

It felt surreal to think she would soon be leaving this place that had been her home for nearly a decade, but there was no sadness—only bittersweet nostalgia and a simmering excitement for what lay ahead.

Her future was waiting for her in Seattle.

With a few clicks, Shannon appeared on the screen, her dark hair slicked back in a sharp ponytail.

“Hey, Jamie,” Shannon greeted, smiling. “How’s the packing going?” Her voice echoed through Jamie’s laptop speakers into the nearly empty living room.

“Slowly but surely,” Jamie replied, gesturing to the boxes behind her. “Feels surreal. Seven years here, and it’s packed in a few cardboard boxes. How was your move?”

Shannon nodded, her expression warm but businesslike. “It was good. Glad it’s done now. I think Seattle’s going to be good for us. And for Empwr.”

Jamie grinned. “I think so, too. Speaking of which, how is the launch timeline coming along?”

Shannon’s eyes lit up, energized by the shift in conversation. “Good. I just met with our lawyers, and it looks like we’ll be able to launch in May, as we’ve been planning. I’m close to securing our first round of investors.”

“That’s amazing, Shannon. I’ll keep the momentum going on the Athlete Ventures Program. I’ve already started drafting an outreach strategy to connect with athletes who could benefit from our resources.”

“Perfect. I’ve been thinking about our launch strategy. We need to make a splash, Jamie. We need something big to get people talking about us. Something that says Empwr is here .”

Jamie hesitated, a thought forming but not entirely settled. The idea she held on to felt bold, almost reckless, but it had the potential to create exactly the kind of buzz Shannon was searching for. “What if,” she started slowly, “I announce my role at Empwr on my social media?”

Intrigue laced Shannon’s words. “You mean on Instagram?”

Jamie nodded. “I know I haven’t posted there since my retirement announcement seven years ago. But I still have, what, four million followers? A single post could make a splash.”

Shannon’s eyes widened, and she leaned back, seeming impressed.

“You’re right. That would be huge. People would pay attention.

Returning to social media with an announcement like this would instantly put Empwr on the map.

Not to mention the likelihood that media outlets would pick it up and talk about your return.

” She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“It could work. Are you sure you’d be comfortable with it? ”

Jamie’s phone buzzed yet again. She subtly flipped the phone over, only to see a missed call and a text from Beth.

“If it helps Empwr get off the ground, it’s worth it to me.” Her tone was slightly distracted as she read Beth’s text.

“Now that I’m thinking about it, a more focused social-media strategy might be the right move.”

But Jamie, glancing quickly at her phone again to make sure she hadn’t misread, didn’t hear anything else Shannon said.

Beth 1:38 PM

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 word gone , 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.”

They ended the call, and Jamie stood in the quiet house. Her mind raced, and she could almost hear her heartbeat thudding against her ribcage as she stood there, momentarily frozen on the spot.

Lily.

She fumbled with her keys as she grabbed her jacket from the back of the couch. The boxes that still needed to be packed were forgotten as she moved on instinct, focusing entirely on Lily.