Page 2 of Only When It Breaks

I freeze for a second. It could go terribly bad if he were to find out. But then I shake it off. “He won’t. I’ll be careful.”

I go straight to his photos. They’re exactly what I imagined. Mirror selfies. Gym pictures. Blurry concert shots.Bella. Eugh. I roll my eyes. “He’s even more annoying than I thought.”

Ava peeks over my shoulder. “Wow. That much ego really can fit in one phone.”

“I might message him on his socials. Mess with him a little.”

Ava shakes her head in disapproval. “How, he’ll see it’s you.”

“Not if I make an entire fake profile.”

“This is going to get out of hand. You can’t catfish Kai Banks.”

“I can hold his phone to ransom.”

“Why?”

I shrug as Iean over my bed to pull out my bedside drawer. I dip my hand inside and pull out my laptop. “For fun. Because I know he’ll hate it. But mainly because he deserves it.”

Kai

There’s a hollow thud in my stomach the second I realise it’s gone. I recheck my bag, pulling out my sweaty football kit. It’s not here. “Bro,” Austin calls from the driver’s seat. “Are you coming or what?”

“Hang on, I think I left my phone,” I tell him.

“Again?” He laughs, “Man, get one of those grandma chains and hang it round your neck.”

I ignore him and swing the car door shut, retracing my steps to the changing rooms, scanning back and forth like it’ll magicallyappear. It doesn’t. And the worst part, I didn’t put a lock on it because I’m an idiot.

Back in Austin’s car, I stare out of the window the whole ride home, with my jaw tight. Bella’s probably already Snapchatted me a hundred times, demanding to know why I haven’t replied. And my dad? He’ll love this.

Sure enough, when I get in, Joel Banks, single father, top police officer and king of the ‘disappointed dad face’ is already in the kitchen.

I pull open a couple of drawers, even though I’m certain I had my phone at college.

“You lose something?” he asks, not looking up from his laptop.

“Yeah. My phone.”

He sighs, like I’ve just told him I’ve dropped out of college to become a circus clown. “You need to be more responsible.”

“Thanks, Joel. Super helpful.”

He raises a brow. “Don’t call me that.” I grab a glass of water and escape to my room before he can launch into a lecture.

I’m lying on my bed, debating whether I can live without a phone until Monday, when I remember I have my old one in the bottom drawer. It’s ancient. It has a cracked screen, and no front camera, but I grab it anyway and boot it up.

The second it connects to Wi-Fi; a message pops up on my WhatsApp.

Unknown Number: Missing something, pretty boy?

I frown.

Me: Who is this?

Unknown Number: Let’s just say I’m holding onto something of yours.

I sit up straighter.

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