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She grabs me in a fierce hug. “And I’m sorry too. I don’t think I ever realized how much you were hurting, and I hate that. I hate that I wasn’t paying attention.” Pulling back, I can see the tears in her eyes. “How dare I pass any kind of judgment on you when I was so damn clueless.”

“We’re good, Van. I swear. Even though I hate how this day unfolded, I think some of those things needed to be said.”

After letting out a shaky breath, she nods. “I just hope that we can move past this. Like…I want to catch up to Roxie and bring her back so we can all hug it out.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to say she’s not going to catch her if Zayne doesn’t get here soon, but as if I conjured him up myself, there he is, walking through the door. Mike and Ash are right behind him, each of them looking fiercely concerned.

“What the hell happened here?” Mike demands.

“I got this,” I assure Vanessa. “You two go! And call me as soon as you know anything!”

“Will do!”

As soon as the door shuts, I give the abbreviated version of what went down this afternoon—careful not to put all the blame on Loren.

“Damn,” Mike says, he sounds tired. Raking a hand through his hair as he glances around, before going and grabbing a drink. “Freaking crazy, right?”

All I can do is nod.

“Where’s Loren?”

“She went up to your room when we discovered Roxie was gone. She hasn’t been back down since.”

“Okay, thanks.” He turns and casually walks up the stairs, almost like he’s dreading going up there, leaving me and Ash alone.

“Sounds like things got wild here,” he says, and I know he’s trying to lighten the mood.

Nodding, I ask, “Can I have a hug? It’s just…it’s been a lot.”

He doesn’t even hesitate. I’m instantly in his arms and for the first time in what feels like hours, I can breathe.

“You’re shaking,” he whispers, pulling me closer. I can feel the soft kiss on my temple, and I hate how yet again, he’s seeing me in crisis mode.

“I swear my life is usually pretty boring.”

That makes him chuckle. “Boring is overrated.”

I try to smile, I really do, but the thunderous sound of footprints startles us both.

“She’s gone!” Mike yells. “Loren’s gone!”

You have got to be kidding me…

“Okay, let’s relax. Where could she possibly go?” I ask. “She didn’t have a car. Maybe she’s out walking on the beach? Vanessa and I were standing in the kitchen talking, so we might not have seen her go.”

“Half her stuff is gone,” he states. “All her toiletries and a bunch of her clothes.”

“If she left on foot, we would have seen her when we drove up,” Ash says. “Did you call her?”

“She’s not answering.”

“Can you track her phone?” I ask. “Do you guys have that app where you can see where the other one is?”

“Thanks, Liv. I didn’t even think of that!” Pulling out his phone, we watch as Mike taps something out and it seems to take way too long for him to figure it out. “She’s on the move. It looks like she’s downtown.” He glances up at us. “What the hell is she doing there?”

The only explanation that comes to mind is that she’s being a brat and running away to get attention, but I don’t say that.

“Did they take Zayne’s truck or Vanessa’s SUV?”

I run to the door and look out at the driveway.

“They took his truck! But I know where Van’s keys are!

” Right in the entryway, there’s a console table with a huge ceramic bowl on it.

She’s been tossing her keys in there for days and thankfully, they’re still there.

I grab them and toss them to Mike as he walks toward me.

“Thanks, Liv. I need to find her. Wish me luck!”

“Good luck!” Ash and I both call out, and when the door slams shut, it’s almost eerily silent. We stare at each other and I’m completely at a loss for words. Everyone’s gone, everyone’s freaking out, and now we’re essentially stranded here with no transportation.

“Come on,” he says after a moment. “We know they’re all going to be gone for a while, so we don’t need to stand here waiting by the door.”

“I guess.”

Taking my hand, he leads me over to the den where we sat and talked that first night, and it takes me a little longer to relax.

“What a shit show,” I tell him.

“I had a feeling you were holding back because it was Mike.”

“I was. Loren was a complete brat today.” I shake my head. “Correction, she was a total bitch.” Then I get an idea. “Do you know anything about their relationship?”

He frowns. “Like what?”

Do I drag him into this?

“Did you know that Mike cheated on Loren?”

Okay, so clearly I’m dragging him in.

“Liv, seriously? Do we really want to gossip about our friends?”

“So then, yes, you know.”

“Junior year of college. I don’t know all the specifics, just that there was…an incident.”

“Wow! I can’t believe I didn’t know this!”

“Loren seems like she enjoys the image of the two of them being this perfect couple. Honestly, I don’t know how Mike does it. I know he genuinely loves her, but…she’s a lot.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. Trust me. I know. She pretty much lost her damn mind today. She went off on Roxie and then me, and then Vanessa went at her…”

Falling back against the cushions with my arm draped over my eyes, I sigh.

“Why do you think Loren took off?”

“Because she’s a drama queen. I bet Mike finds her at that hotel she had lined up just in case you guys didn’t get invited on this trip.”

“Wait. What?”

So I tell him about that part of the story.

“You realize this could be your book, right?” he says with amusement. “I get that it’s not romantic suspense, but there is definitely a lot of drama here.”

I sit straight up. “That would be crazy!”

But I can tell he’s fully standing behind his statement.

“Is it? Maybe in your book, one of the two women who disappears doesn’t do it of her own volition.

Maybe there’s something else at work here.

Maybe the heroine teams up with the quiet, nerdy guy who knows nothing about mystery or suspense, and they have to figure out what’s happened.

” He’s grinning from ear to ear, and I’m seriously impressed with his creativity right now.

“Wait, so in your story, the heroine is the one who is going to rescue everyone? She’s the badass savior?”

He nods. “Seems pretty fitting. You’re definitely that kind of woman.”

The laugh is out before I can stop it. “Ash, stop! Be serious! I am not!”

Scooting closer, he nods again. “Yes, you are. You didn’t run away.

You stood up for yourself and your friend today when it would have been easier to get up and leave, refusing to engage in what sounds like an awful argument.

” Reaching out, he takes my hand in his, gently caressing my knuckles.

“You went after a career that took you away from your friends and family. You aren’t afraid to put yourself out there, even when you don’t want to.

You face challenge after challenge after challenge, and you keep going.

You may not realize it, but you’re the badass heroine in your own story. ”

This man.

This sweet, tender, wonderful man. What in the world have I done to deserve him? I honestly have no idea, but I am beyond thankful that he’s here with me. I have no idea what’s going to happen when his vacation is over, but this is one relationship I plan on fighting for.

I look over and he’s studying me. “Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

Um…I’m just not sure I’m ready to admit that just yet.