Page 101 of Ruined Beta

Two rings later, and I hear Cassidy’s voice.

“Hello?” he asks.

“Cassidy, it’s Leanne. Secret’s phone just …”

“I know,” he tells me. “She’s right here.”

Oh, thank God! I hear him passing the phone over.

“Leanne? I’m so sorry, I had no idea my battery was about to crap out on me.”

“That’s okay. Where are you?”

“I’m at the college dorms. Beth’s roommate called me this morning to tell me she hasn’t seen her in two days and she’s worried. I couldn’t get an answer from her phone, and I don’t know what else to do.”

It’s terrible to feel so relieved when someone else might be in trouble, but honestly, I’m ready to cry happy tears knowing Secret’s not hurt or trapped somewhere she can’t get out of.

I sink down to a crouch on the sidewalk as I compose myself.

“Okay,” I start. “When did you last hear from her?”

“The day before yesterday. I think. Yeah, it was definitely Wednesday.”

“And what did you talk about?”

“She was talking about giving up on men,” Secret says. “She keeps being asked out by losers and weirdos, and I don’t know why she can never say no to them.”

That doesn’t sound too good.

“Do you know who she was dating?”

“She ghosted the guys she was seeing like a week ago.”

“But do you know who they were?”

“Oh … Um … One was in her classes. Another used to be. He dropped out like two weeks in. I think the third guy was a random she met at that dessert stand in the mall, the one that does cookie cakes.”

“He works at the dessert stand?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I need some time to get her class list and check out that dessert stand. I’m assuming you don’t have their actual names?”

“I’d recognize the guys from class if I saw them, but she just used nicknames. Dessert Stand Guy, I don’t know. He was kind of tall. Like over six foot.”

Not much to go on, but it’s something.

I let out a sigh. “Go home with Cassidy and charge up your phone. Keep trying to contact her and let me know if you hear from her. I’ll come over when I’ve checked out the dessert stand. You could check her socials for me, see if there’s anything more current than two days ago, and look for any pictures of the guys to see if you can identify who they are.”

“I knew you’d know what to do,” she tells me. “Thanks, Leanne.”

“No problem. Don’t worry too much. Two days doesn’t have to mean something bad.”

Two days missing after leading on a few losery guys might, but I don’t want to freak her out.

This girl is her best friend. I’ll do whatever I can to help, and I have my fingers crossed that Beth turns up unharmed.

“I’ll speak to you in a while,” she says, before she hangs up the call.

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