Page 27 of No Holds Barred

“Ange—”

“I fucking love you and even that wasn’t enough!”

The silence was so loud. The ringing in her ears had an echo to it. Hope said absolutely nothing. The lack of response was too much.

“I’m never enough and always too much,” Angelica whispered.

Looking up, she was met with bright lights. She tensed as the vehicle barreled toward her. Then it collided. She jerked hard, smashing into the dashboard. The ringing in her ears took over everything as her vision blacked out, and then there was nothing.

Chapter

Ten

“Ange!”

But there was nothing.

Hope moved the phone from her ear to see if the call was still connected, but it wasn’t. With trembling fingers, she called Angelica again, but it went straight to voicemail. She called again, and nothing. She glanced at Eva sleeping in the bed next to hers. She sent a text to Rex and told him to come to her room immediately.

Then she called Angelica again.

Still nothing.

Rex’s name flashed across her screen. She answered immediately.

“I don’t know what’s wrong. Something’s wrong. I don’t know what happened.”

“Slow down,” he said. “I need context.”

“I-I was on the phone with Ange, and then there was a really loud crash, and she’s not answering. I-I think she got hit by a car. But I don’t know where she is, and Eva’s asleep.”

“I’m coming.” Rex hung up.

Hope stood up and paced the room back and forth, calling Angelica one more time before she gave up and called Lyric.Angelica had mentioned that she wasn’t driving, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t in the car. Her heart hammered when Lyric finally answered with a groggy pull in her voice.

“Hello?”

“Where did Ange go?”

“Cadence took her out for dinner.” Lyric sighed heavily. “They didn’t go far. Wait…”

Hope held her breath and raced toward the door when there was a knock at it. She opened it, finding Rex in no shirt and loose gray sweatpants. She shook her head, tears in her eyes, as she held the phone to her ear.

“The car registered an accident.”

“Location, Lyric!” Hope’s patience was wearing thin, and she didn’t have a lot to begin with. “Where is she?”

“I… She’s only half a mile away.”

“Get another car. I’m coming with you.” Hope hung up the phone and stared at Rex.

He opened his arms to her, and she immediately collapsed into them. He rubbed a hand up and down her back in a soothing motion, and Hope breathed deeply. She needed this more than she’d known.

“Lyric doesn’t know anything, but the car was in an accident, and I think Ange was in it.”

“Then go, Hope. I’ve got Eva, don’t worry. Just…keep me updated, and I’ll let production know when we know something.”

Hope nodded, her face still buried in his chest. She forced herself to step back and wipe the tears from her eyes.