Page 158 of The Unfinished Line

One text.

I felt sick.

I tapped the text. It was from Sam.

Call me ASAP!

My fingers were shaking as I thumbed to my inbox. The first voicemail was from Seren.

Hi Kam, I’m sorry it’s so late. It’s Seren. Have you talked to Dillon? Her start is in twelve minutes and no one can find her. Please call me.

The next message was from Sam.

Howay, Kam—it’s Hunt. Sinc’s missed her start. Ring me back, like. Ta!”

Then Jacqueline.

Hello Kameryn, it’s Jacqueline Sinclair. I was hoping you might have talked to Dillon. Will you please call me or Seren when you get this? Thank you.

The last message was Seren again.

I’m sorry to keep calling, Kam, but we can’t find my sister. Her mobile has been shut off. She didn’t scratch and she didn’t start. Please call me.

My legs felt weak as I hung my elbows over the railing to support myself.

She didn’t scratch and she didn’t start…

It made no sense. She’d nevernotstart. There was some miscommunication. She wouldn’t walk away. That simply wasn’t her. She didn’t back down from anything.

They had to have found her by now.

I checked the time of Seren’s last call. Just a few minutes ago…

A wave of nausea made it difficult to breathe. Difficult to speak when Seren answered my call.

“Kam—?”

“Have you found her?”

Seren’s sigh was long, deflated. “You haven’t spoken to her, then?”

“No. Not since before the race. She texted me…” I pulled the phone away from my ear to open my messages, unable to recall exactly what she’d said. I read it again.

I’m sorry. I love you.

Had she meant something different? Had I misinterpreted the context?

“Kam?” Seren queried in my silence.

I stared at the words, reading them over and over.

I thought she meant about the day before… About our fight on the phone…

“Kam—”

“I have to call you back.” I abruptly hung up, my voice tasting like bile.

This was all just a misunderstanding. There was an explanation, I was certain of it.

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