Page 24 of Vow of Vengeance
"Yesterday, I think?" There's a shuffling sound as he messes with his phone, and then his voice sounds far away when he speaks again. "Yep. She texted me about the latest episode of Fickle Love. She said, and I quote, "Jeremy is a goddamn psychopath but he can get it."
A glance out of the corner of my eye shows me Soren is chewing her lip, lost in thought. "When was the last time you heard her voice though?"
"What?" He laughs. "Ren, what's wrong with you? You're acting strange."
"I'm worried about her. She hasn't called me in almost a week." Khan makes a noise of acknowledgement and Soren continues. "It's not like her, Khan. What if something's wrong?"
"You think maybe you're projecting?" Khan suggests.
"No." Soren's answer is firm. "No. I've been in a bad headspace, but this has nothing to do with that. She never would have left me to wallow in my pity party for this long if everything was fine."
Khan makes a sound like a laugh and then covers it with a cough.
Next to me, Soren bristles. "What?"
"Nothing."
Despite his attempt to brush it off, Soren picked up on something that he's not saying... and she isn't letting it go.
"What?" She demands again.
Her friend sighs dramatically as I turn into the apartment complex. "It's just... Well, have you ever considered that maybe she's just over your bullshit?"
My knuckles tighten on the steering wheel as I clench my jaw, not liking the direction he's headed. A glance at Soren shows me she's surprised by the words that just came out of his mouth.
"What?"
"I mean, it's always about you, Ren. And I get it, you've got a lot going on. You always do. But maybe she's tired of having to be the one to clean up your messes and put you back together time and again? I know I am."
Soren makes a noise of disbelief, something between a laugh and a sigh. I've already decided I'm going to hit this guy with abrutal right hook next time I see him for the general disrespect he's talking to my girl with.
"I love you," he explains, trying to backtrack. Maybe he's realized by her silence that he was out of line. Maybe he's just an asshole who's going to talk himself into a corner. "But being your friend is exhausting. I mean, taking off with your boss to another country and fucking him without giving your friends any sort of heads up? Could you really blame her if she just needed some space?"
She's silent, refusing to speak as I ease up to the entrance.
Summer Palms apartments seem like a reasonably safe place, with a guard stationed at the front entrance who asks us for our name and our purpose in being there before we could get in. We explain that we're going to check on Marissa, tell him the apartment number, and he waves us through.
"You're with him now?" Khan accuses after a long moment of silence.
"Yes." Soren glances at me. "What's it matter?"
"Nothing." Khan snaps. "Why are you taking him to Marissa's apartment?"
"To check on her." Soren snaps back, her eyes fixing on the building as I pull into a parking space. "I'll let you know what I find."
Khan's reply is cut off when she hangs up the call.
No sooner does she do that, than she swings her door open and steps out, scanning the parking lot as if she'll find her best friend just on her way to run an errand or something. And maybe she will. I don't know enough to say that Marissaisn'tjust dodging Soren for some reason.
"I don't see her car."
I want to tell her that maybe she just got busy and ran out for groceries or something. Maybe her lack of communication is because of all that she's had to take care of. But Soren ispanicked, her mind running through worst case scenarios, and I'll do anything I have to in order to put her at ease.
That includes following her up the concrete steps to the second-floor apartment with a black doormat that says 'fuck off' in fancy script. I'd laugh if Soren didn't look like she was on the verge of a panic attack. She throws her fist against the door, knocking frantically.
"Marissa!" She calls, beating harder on the door like that will make her friend appear.
"Do you have a key?" I ask, eyeing the lock hopefully. I could probably call in a favor or two and get my assistant to send someone to unlock it, but even for me, that would take time that Soren doesn't want to lose.
