Page 6 of Broken Princess
My jaw tightened. “I decided to go and apologize about half an hour after the fight. I couldn’t see her anywhere, so I tried texting and calling, but she didn’t respond to any of the messages, and my calls went straight to voicemail. It’s like she blocked my number or something.” I paused and blew out a heavy breath. “After that, I went and looked for her, but she’d disappeared from the party.”
She blinked. “How strange.”
“I know. I looked for her Secret Service detail, and they were gone too. So I know she’s safe. I just don’t know where the hell she is.” I put my head in my hands and let out another fake sigh. “Maybe I’m overreacting. She could’ve just gone up to her old bedroom in the White House and locked herself in, right?”
“Maybe. Did you try calling her detail?”
“Yes, when I got home. They said she was with them, but she couldn’t talk.”
“Then she’s obviously fine,” Mom said soothingly. “They wouldn’t lie.”
“I know, but I still can’t shake this horrible feeling,” I said, shaking my head. “Willow’s always been good at slipping her security detail. I’m worried she’ll run off alone because she’s so upset. Something bad could happen to her.”
“She wouldn’t do that.”
“She might,” I said. I put my head in my hands and let out a groan. “I just wish she’d reply to my messages or call me. I hate not knowing where she is or when she’s coming back.”
“I have an idea,” Mom said slowly.
I raised a brow. “What is it?”
“She might be mad at you right now, but she has no reason to be angry at me,” she said. “I could try calling her to see where she is and what she’s doing. Would that put your mind at ease?”
I flashed her a grateful smile. “That would be great. Thanks.”
She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “What’s her number? I don’t think I have her new one yet.”
I put the number in the phone’s keypad and handed it back. She abruptly stood, facing to the right so I couldn’t see whether or not she actually hit the dial button.
“It’s ringing,” she whispered to me a few seconds later.
To my surprise, I heard a faint ringing coming from the phone. She was obviously calling someone, but it definitely wasn’t Willow. Her phone was either off or broken, and every call went straight to the same automated voicemail message.
Whoever Mom was calling right now, it had to be a trusted contact. Someone who would play along with whatever the hell she said. Someone who might even have Willow with them right now.
Mom cleared her throat and spoke up a moment later. “Hello? Willow, it’s me. Liz,” she said, stepping over to the fireplace. “I’m sorry to call so late, but I just spoke to Logan, and he’s quite worried about you, so I thought I’d check in.”
She paused for a few seconds to let the person on the other end of the line respond. I couldn’t hear their voice at all; couldn’t tell if it was male or female, let alone if it was someone familiar to me. Mom had ensured that by stepping all the way over to the fire.
Dammit.
She spoke up again. “I know, he told me. It was insensitive, and he’s aware of that. He didn’t mean anything by it. He’s just worried now because he can’t get hold of you.” There was another long pause. “Oh, I completely understand,” she finally went on. “You’ve had such a rough time lately. First your mom’s scandal with Rutherford, and now your father… it’s awful.”
“What’s she saying?” I asked in a hushed voice, widening my eyes as if I actually believed Willow was on the other end of the line.
Mom waved her free hand at me to shush me and then turned away. “No, I think that’s actually a really good idea. I can explain it all to Logan, if you want. Uh-huh. Yes. Okay, sure.” Another pause. “You’re right. You could really use this, darling. Let me know if there’s anything you want me to send you from the house, okay? And make sure you tell me your exact plans once you’ve figured them out. All right. Yes, I will. Talk soon. Goodnight, sweetie.”
She ended the call and turned back to me. “You were right,” she said, slipping her phone back in her pocket. “She’s in her old bedroom at the White House. She said she went straight there after your argument.”
“Did she say why she isn’t talking to me?”
“Yes. She said she needs a bit of space for a while. She’s got a lot going on, and being around you all the time isn’t helping.”
I feigned a gloomy sigh. “Right.”
Mom held one palm up. “She wanted you to know she isn’t angry at you. She’s just upset and overwhelmed from everything that’s been going on, and tonight’s argument with you tipped her over the edge. She needs a break from it all.”
I nodded slowly. “Did she say when she’s coming home?”
