Page 1 of Forever Golden

Chapter 1

WEST

“Something’s wrong.”

I feel it in my gut and haven’t stopped pacing since I made it home an hour ago. I can’t explain it, but I know I’m right.

“Maybe she’s just busy with something,” Joss chimes in, peering up from where she’s posted between Dane and Sterling on the couch.

“Too busy to pick up one of the five times I called? Too busy to return one of the seven texts I sent?” Shaking my head, I double back toward the window. “She wouldn’t just… not respond.”

Joss falls silent again and my nerves are shot. The paranoia started with the conversation between me and Casey earlier—hearing that Vin’s gotten to her and Parker—and now Southside’s in the wind.

“To hell with this. I’m going over there.” The words barely leave my mouth and I already have my keys in hand.

“Ok, breathe. You’ve only been trying her for an hour,” Joss reasons. “I know it feels like it’s been longer, but… don’t you think you should hold off? Maybe this is just Blue giving you a hard time. I mean, it’s possible she wasn’t as cool with you meeting up with Casey as she let on. Isn’t it?”

Joss smiles dimly after speaking, but she doesn’t know Southside like I do. If this was about me going to see Casey, her reaction wouldn’t be to ignore me. She’s more the type who’d arrange a meeting between her fist and my face. Or, you know, take a baseball bat to my windshield.

“Just saying, before you go all Neanderthal and bust her door down, try calling again,” Joss suggests.

I consider it, contemplate waiting until I’m able to announce myself instead of just showing up on Southside’s porch, but when it comes to her, rationale and sensibility rarely come into play. All I know is I need to either hear her voice or lay eyes on her.

Now.

Rightnow.

“If she gets pissed at me for just dropping in, then let her be pissed,” I conclude. The decision’s been made.

I feel Joss staring, knowing she thinks I should pump the brakes a little, but I’m going with my gut on this one.

“We should come with you then,” Dane says, already standing from his seat.

“Agreed,” Sterling adds. “If something’s wrong, at least you won’t walk in without backup.”

“I’m coming, too,” Joss chimes in. I glance toward her as I shrug into my coat. A breath leaves me, knowing there’s nothing I can say to talk these three out of tagging along.

“Fine, but trail me,” I insist. “That way, if everything’s cool—which it sure as hell better be—you can just take off.”

Sterling nods, not taking issue with that.

Three sets of footsteps follow me to the elevator, and the ride down to the parking structure feels like it takes hours. Not hearing back after having reached out so many times has me on edge, feeling like there are continents between me and Southside, instead of a few miles.

I’m in my car with the engine revving to life as my own words echo inside my head. Three words I said only last night. Three I’ve never said to any other girl in my entire life.

I told Southside that I love her, and I swear I feel it even deeper now that I’ve said it out loud. It’s what’s driving me tonight, what has me ignoring Joss’s advice and tearing out of the lot with my tires screeching.

If somethingiswrong, if Iamwalking into danger… she’s worth it.

“Fuck.”

I glare up at the red light that’s costing me precious seconds when it changes, but it gives me a moment to check my phone.

Maybe she called back and I missed it.

Maybe she texted to say she’s fine.

The only notification is one from Pandora, which has my jaw ticking with frustration. Typically, I ignore her B.S., but for some reason I don’t dismiss it so easily this time. Instead, I click the familiar pink and black, tiger-print icon and… I’ll be damned if my heart doesn’t sink.

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