Page 18 of Champagne & Handcuffs

This trip was going to be so much fun.

“Ready to go to the pool?”I asked Joss after I’d made us lunch. Seth was out doing his police stuff, and I was still trying to break down Joss’s wall that she had up. It had been two days, and sometimes I saw glimpses of my best friend, but the majority of the time she was just blah. What the hell happened to her?

“I’m not feelin’ it, Cat.”

I groaned and plopped down next to her on the couch, crossing my arms over my chest. “Joselyn Marquez, I didn’t come all this way to stay in this apartment the entire time and playGuitar Hero. Let’s go have some fun.”

“Tanning is fun?” she challenged.

I rolled my eyes and looked at her. “We used to tan all the time back home. What’s up? Why don’t you want to do anything?”

“I want to do stuff.”

I frowned. “Like what?”

“We went to the Capitol didn’t we?”

“We practically dragged you.”

“I still went.” She sighed.

I turned my body to face her fully. “Tell me what’s going on with you. I get it. You and your mom had a huge fight, and you ran away—”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” I grabbed her hands in mine. “You miss Bryce?”

A tear slide down her face. “I should have taken him with me.”

I let go of her hands and wrapped her in my arms. “Come on. There’s no way that would have worked out. That’s like kidnapping or something.”

“You know just as well as I do thatshewould have never reported him missing,” Joss sobbed into my hair.

“Yeah, but given Seth’s job, there’s no way a little boy could live here without someone finding out. He was barely able to make it so you could stay here.” But really, I didn’t know how that had played out.

“I’m just scared. Seth said he can’t find him. What if … What if he’s dead?” More sobs escaped her breaths with each word.

I started to tear up. “Why do you think that?”

She pulled back and shrugged. “You know my mom. She doesn’t care about him. She didn’t care about me, and if it weren’t for Mrs. McKenna, Bryce and I would have starved.”

“I don’t think he’s dead.” At least that was what I had to tell her.

“Then where are they?” she cried.

That was the million-dollar question. I mean, Joss ran away, and Cruella thought the answer was to move so Joss could never find her? That was some fucked up shit.

“I don’t know, Jossie. What I do know is our best friend is a cop who knows other cops, and he’ll keep looking.” Joss crossed her arms, not saying anything. “Let’s go have some fun and when Seth has news, we’ll worry about it then. I’m sure Cruella got scared and just left. She probably thought you would report her for being a bad mom.”

“I wish I would have.” Joss looked down at her lap, wringing her hands.

I nudged her shoulder, and when she looked at me, I gave a tight smile. “Let’s go have fun. You’re no longer under that witch’s thumb, and you know what?”

“What?”

“We’re eighteen now. We can go to strip clubs.”

Joss laughed. Like full-on laughed. I hadn’t heard that laugh in forever.