Page 45 of Elusive

Bellamy’s timid, wobbly whisper mirrors my thoughts. “Did… um… something bad happen to her?”

I squeeze my eyes shut, as if that will block out the answer I’m afraid to hear.

“No, we don’t think so. Just can’t see how it would’ve been possible. She’s neverby herself. And you’ve seen how protective Uncle Sawyer is over her. Now imagine what he was like when she was younger, which is when the signs started. No one thought much of them at the time, but in retrospect, P was… weird about certain stuff. Stuff she shouldn’t have been, and at an age where others are at their peak of wild, independence.”

“What kind of signs?” Bellamy again speaks for the both of us.

“Knew it, that’s the next logical question… that I really don’t want to answer,” Brynn sighs. “I’m only gonna tell y’all this to help you understand, because there’s not a doubt in my mind you both trulywant to understand, out of sincere concern. But this is P’s business, which she likes kept that way, so I’d greatly appreciate it if you didn’t tell her I shared with you.”

“Of course not,” Bellamy readily assures her, but I…

“I won’t volunteer the information, but if she asks me directly, won’t outright lie to her either, Brynny. Sorry,” I don’t apologize, “but I won’t lie to her face. Ever.”

“And I respect that, very much so, but ‘outright’ has wiggle-room for cleverly-worded dodging. Just sayin’.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all I can ask for. Okay, since that’s settled… I’d say the first time anyone might’ve suspected something was off, was this dance, when she was in, must’ve been junior high. A boy asked her to the athletic banquet, you know, where all the popular jocks have an awards dinner and dance. The boys’ parents attend, school faculty, lots of people, adults, around, but Presley refused to go unless Uncle Sawyer did too. Well, he wasn’t invited, since he didn’t have a son athlete, so, Uncle Saw made a generous donation, and sure enough, got himself an honorary sponsor invitation… and went with her. And her date,” she snickers. “Couldn’t think of the guy’s name if I tried, but still feel sorry for him, to this day. I’m sure he spent the whole night wishing he’d of asked any other girl alive to be his date Anyway, it was odd, that she was so insistent about it. She’d never been alone for anything bad to have happened before then. Not even at school, Sky and Judd always went to the same one, and yet there it was… something.”

“Maybe it really is panic attacks. Lots of people have them, sporadically, no idea when they’re coming, the exact cause, or why they even have them at all. It’s just something they were born with and don’t even know it until the first one hits.” Bellamy gushes in what sounds like relief. Or hope.

“Yeah, that’s what we think too. Gotta be it.” Brynn nods, her tone optimistic as well. “Regardless, she’s adamant that her parents never find out.”

I hear what they’re saying, and should feel a little better, but I don’t. All I keep thinking about is how I left her alone. In the dark. At a crowded party. Basically… I single-handedly pulled every single one of her possible, likely, triggers. For some dumbass bullshit that meant nothing to me. Left the one who means everything.

“Sutton, stop it right now. You didn’t know about any of this, and JT called for your help,” Brynn, apparently a mind-reader, scolds me.

“Shoulda made her come with me. Thought she’d be safer awayfrom the commotion,” I mutter under my breath, shaking my head.

“Totally understandable, the same deduction anyone would’ve made. So quit beating yourself up, I mean it.”

“I sh-”

“You did nothing wrong. You didn’t leave her in a back-alley in the hood, you left her out of harm’s way, under a light, armed with pepper spray. Seriously, knock it off.”

“I just-”

“I know you don’t hear it often, if ever, but this is my end-of-discussion voice,” sweet Brynny bows up on me. “Look in front of you, we’re here. No tellin’ how she’ll be when we walk in, but all focus will be on taking care of P, not on your guilt or anger. Got it?”

“Absolutely.” I couldn’t agree more, wanting nothing but to care for Presley. In fact, if I had things my way, I’d be doing so alone. Just me, fixing what I broke, and then some. Any and every thing it takes to bring my Hot Shot back to me. Whole. My job.

Despite the overwhelming urge to dart inside, I keep pace with the girls, who… couldtheybe walkingany damn slower? “Ladies, can we at least try to beat that damn worm to the door?” I snarl, pointing out the indeed real turbo-worm on the ground, currently gaining on us.

“Sutton…” Oh, just fucking fabulous, Brynn has stopped walking altogether now. “They left at the same time we did, so they haven’t been inside long. We’re not racing, or forfeiting too the freakin’ worm. We’re giving JT a chance to try and get her nice and settled before we go barging in, possibly upsetting her all over again.” She steps closer, laying a hand on my arm. “I understand that you’re a big, bad dude with more testosterone pumping through your body than good sense, but I’m gonna need you to dial it down a notch. Or fifty. P will feed off the vibe around her. Which do you think would be the most helpful, suffocating male adrenaline, or smooth and steady support?”

Who knew… we’re all a bunch of damn fools, been underestimating little Brynny, and the many sides to her. She is indeed a genuine Kendrick… in sheep’s clothing.

“Smooth and steady,” I obediently respond.

“Bell-”

“Don’t even think about talking down to me, Miss Feeling Herself,” Bellamy takes a different, easy-on-the-obedience approach. “I’ve said a whoppin’ total of maybe ten words since we got in the truck. My timing and input are already on point, thank you.”

“So long as we’re on the same page,” Brynn huffs, clinging to superiority and leads the way… perhaps even fucking slower than before.

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