Page 145 of Only With Me

“I dunno but we’re gonna find out. I’ll call you back.”

“Waylon!” she quickly blurts. “Call the sheriff and have him meet you out there.”

“I will, bye.”

Wilder and I hop in the truck, then we head out of town toward Jake’s parent’s.

“You’re not callin’ the sheriff, are you?”

I look over at him, my pulse beating erratically. “You still have your shotgun in the back?”

“Yeah?”

I look straight ahead at the road. “Then, no. I’m not callin’ him.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Harlow

“Daddy’s going to the hospital, you need to come right away.”

Delilah’s frantic voice has my heart racing.

She never calls me at work so when Ashley told me my sister was on the phone, I had a gut feeling something bad happened.

“Oh my God.” I suck in my breath. “Is he okay?”

“I dunno, the ambulance took him ten minutes ago. Mama found him unconscious.”

My worst nightmare has come to life.

“I’ll be there as soon as possible,” I tell her, then inform Ashley I have to go.

“Drive safe, lemme know how it goes!” she calls out as I rush toward the back door.

With my bag over my shoulder, I sprint toward my truck.

I hate that I haven’t talked to Waylon in three days, but my plan was to call him after my shift and ask to come over. I’d rather talk in person but my dad takes priority above all else, so that’s gonna have to wait.

Before I can open the door, someone calls out my name. “Harlow!”

Spinning around, my mouth opens. “Emery? What’re you doin’?”

He’s been lurking around the store every day this week I’ve been here. I don’t know how he knows my schedule or if he’s stalking it every day until I show up, but it’s starting to get creepy.

His face splits into a mischievous smirk. “I came to get you.”

“Wha—” Something hard hits me from behind before I fall to my knees.

“Dude, I think I hit her too hard.”

“Nah, she deserved it.”

My eyes struggle to open, but I can tell I’m no longer in the parking lot at work. I’m on something hard. And cold.

My limbs are fighting to move as if I’m paralyzed.

Throbbing pain in my head makes me feel like I need to throw up.