Page 37 of CurVy Baby

I look back at her. “What?”

A moment of exasperation crosses her gaze.Christ.I had no idea kids could look so frustrated, so patronising and cute simultaneously. “Elsa. She is the blonde one. Look”—she lifts her hands, using them to speak, all sass and confidence. “I get it. We can watchFrozentonight. I don’t mind seeing it again. It’s reallyentowering.”

“Empowering?”

“Yep,” she says, nodding her little chin adamant, dead serious. “It. Changed.My life.”

I burst out a laugh but cough to mask it from her serious gaze. She doesn’t think this is funny.

“Right. Well.” I am fucking dumbfounded. This girl has literally rendered me a blundering idiot. “I look forward to being empowered by Elsa fromFrozen.”

She lifts an eyebrow at me. “You’re weird.”

Me?And the comparison is what? I touch my chest, shock dropping my mouth to the floor. “I’m the weird one? In this house?”

She measures me up. “Definitely.”

“Well then?—”

“Have you seen Tyler?” Vallie’s voice soars across to us. My ears prick at the repeated question; this time, the four words crawl into my chest.

“No.” I glance from Molly to Vallie, seeing her brows weaved above sharp, concerned eyes.

“I don’t remember the last time I saw him,” she adds, flustered. “Do you remember the last time you saw him?”

No. I don’t. Before I can react, Vallie rushes around the side of the house, calling his name. “Tyler? Tyler Baby?”

Dread sinks in.

My jaw clenches. Scenarios explode in my mind like a fucked-up piñata—Tyler’s hurt. He heard, or saw the papers or the email? Sliced his wrists, ran away— Fuck. Get the images out.

Fuck.

Then I look at Molly, who seems to be watching my eyes darting to my internal torture. She is far too perceptive for her own good. Too clever.

“I can get my own band-aid,” she offers softly.

My mouth goes dry, guilt and discomfort strangling me. “Let’s set you up in front of the TV, and I’ll join your mum and dad playing Hide and Seek with Tyler, yeah?”

She nods stiffly, not at all buying it.

I scoop her to my hip, her little socks catching my attention—frilly at the top with sparkly pink musical notes.

The piano room.

I’ll search there first…

CHAPTER NINETEEN

VALLIE

No, no, no.

My heart hammers in my chest, and with each second that passes, dread stacks rocks in my shoes, making it harder and harder to keep searching.

Donnie was combing the woods, Dexter around the grounds. I’ve searched his room, the piano room, and now I’m on the second floor, opening all the spare room doors one by one. Each room is emptier than the last; each space is a little larger, vaster, as if the walls are in the distance.

“Tyler!” My voice has become a hoarse cry. “Tyler!”God. Fuck. Jesus Christ, please let him be fine.

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