Page 49 of One Last Chance

“He-he’s…he’s f-fine,” she whispers before breaking into a fit of whimpering.

The relief that rises through my chest nearly makes me want to jump with joy, but it quickly passes and is replaced by that nagging worry again.If not him, then what is it?“How did you get my number?” I ask.

“Dad’s phone,” she manages to say without her voice breaking, but I hear her sob right after. “I didn’t know who else— I…I don’t feel well,” she says in a high-pitched, trembling voice. Loud sniffle crackles in my ear again.

The realization of what’s happening begins to dawn on me, but I let her talk.

“I don’t know wh-what to do. I don’t wanna feel like this, it… I don’t want to! I w-want this to stop, I want my body to stop!” Hearing her break down breaks my heart. “I-I feel so hot and… I feel like I’m going t-to be sick.”

“Oh, darling,” I say softly, letting out a sigh. She’s too young for this. Not unusually young, not exactly unheard of, especially for a girl, but going through her first heat at her age is definitely not ideal or pleasant. Rarely is, at the beginning. “Where are you, Mina? Is no one with you?”

It’s Saturday. If she’s not with Rowland, she should be with his mother, shouldn’t she?

“N-no,” she sobs. Hearing that puts me on edge in a whole new way. A young girl in her situation should be nowhere by herself. “I was…supposed to stay at mom’s with M-Mac but… I felt like… I felt it coming and s-so I told her I’m sl-sleeping over at a friend’s house. I c-can’t. She’ll…she’ll hate me.” Mina starts fully crying and whimpering again and it’s like there’s a barbed wire twisting around my heart, slowly tightening.

This is so fucked up.

“So you’re…where? You’re just somewhere by yourself?” I ask, horrified by the thought.

She makes an agreeing sound before clearing her nose.

“Why wouldn’t you tell your dad? Mina, you have to call—”

“He’ll hate me too!” she blurts, voice cracking. She has to know that isn’t true. It’s the most nonsensical statement I could imagine. Rowland would drop everything for her. “He’s hated me ever since… ever since I— I ruined everything, and I’m horrible and he will n-never forgive me.”

“Did he say that?”

“N-No,” she admits begrudgingly. “But I-I know.”

I let out a long, painful sigh.You have to fix this, Dayton.“Listen to me. Stay right where you are and send me your location, alright? I will come pick you up.”

I don’t even know what to do to protect this little girl, or if I’m doing the right thing by not calling Rowland right away.

Calling Rowland.Fuck me.

I’ve spent the past four months, ever since I walked out of his house, desperately trying to pretend like he doesn’t exist anymore. I spent them convincing myself that I would never see him again. And now…

Her voice quietens. “Wh-what are you gonna…?”

“I will take you somewhere safe. I’ll help you, okay? That’s why you called me, right? So that’s what I’ll do. I won’t contact your dad until you’re ready, I promise.”

She’s quiet. I give her time, shifting on my feet while trying to break off the peeling bark of the tree to soothe myself. I know I’m still a stranger to her, mostly. And she definitely doesn’t like me. She probably thinks I don’t like her, either. The fact that she had nowhere else to turn but to resort to calling me, of all people, makes me so damn sad for her.

“Al-alright. I’m…in the bathroom of Bailey’s Cafe. We…go here w-with my friends.” Mina seems to be calming down a little, even if her voice still trembles.

“Good. Don’t open the door to anyone until I get there. I’m on my way, alright? Just hang on. Breathe. Focus on your breathing.”

Giving me a quiet ‘mhmm’ as a response, she ends the call. I straighten my back and rub my eyes, looking around. Something in me shifts into another gear—I have a responsibility I can’t mess up. Not just as an adult toward Mina, but also as omega toward another omega. She’s vulnerable and scared and I have to help.

Taking fast, wide steps, I get back to the group.

“Hey. I’ve got um, emergency, and I gotta go. Nothing life-threatening,” I add quickly once Joane’s eyes widen in shock. “You guys have fun. I’ll message you later.” I don’t even wait for some awkward goodbyes and rush right toward my car.

?

After driving as fast as I could before risking killing myself or people around me, I finally arrive at the cafe by the Lyndhurst Park and that new little mall with a bunch of hip, modern stores.

Not just Mina and her friends hang around here, apparently. I see plenty of teens and younger kids running around, sitting on benches with their cups of coffee, skateboarding, or listening to music while being loud and having fun.

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