Page 89 of Love Me Again

“Cole,I’m telling you, it was the right move for the whole team. He’s one of the best players they’ve had in years.” Sam states, taking a sip of his scotch while he talks passionately about a football player transfer.

I shake my head and chuckle. “If you say so, bro, they need more than the likes of him if they’re going to win the championship this season,” I tell him earnestly, and Sam shakes his head. I look around the room, my eyes searching for Shayla, but I can’t see her anywhere. She’s been gone for over half-hour. “I’m going to go look for Shayla; she’s been gone a while,” I say, and Sam nods, giving me the thumbs up. I wander around the marquee looking for her, but she wasn’t in there. “Mum, have you seen Shayla and Alaia?” I ask her mother, and she looks up at me.

“She went to change the baby, but that was a while ago. Isn’t she back yet?” She asks, and I shake my head, scanning the room again.

“I haven’t seen her if she is,” I reply, and she frowns worriedly.

“She’s got to be around here somewhere. Maybe she’s with the girls?”

“Maybe, let me go check. If you see her, tell her I'm looking for her.” Sara nods, her eyes sweeping the room. I sigh and see Jo and Aimee dancing but no Shayla.

“Cole, come dance. Where the hell is Shayla?” Aimee asks, looking around, and I frown.

“I came to ask you, have either of you seen her?” I question, and they both shake their heads. “She went to the bathroom to change the baby, but that was like over half an hour ago,” I tell them worriedly, and Aimee looks around the room.

“She’s around here somewhere. Maybe she’s feeding Alaia? Do you want us to check the bathroom?” She asks, and I shake my head.

“No, it’s fine. You’re probably right; she’s likely found someplace quiet to feed the baby. I’ll go check.” I say and leave them to dance while I step out of the marquee. It was dark out, and there weren’t many people around. I follow the signs to the bathroom and push the door open and see it was empty. Where the hell has she disappeared to? I’m starting to feel anxious, and I don’t like it. I check every single room in the main building, and there was no sign of her.

I run outside and stop when I see a shoe by a plant pot. I pick it up and look at it. That was Shayla’s shoe. I was there when she picked it out. Why is she running around with only one shoe? What the fuck is going on? Something’s wrong—I can feel it. I hurry back to the marquee and sweep the room, looking for her. I see Josh talking to one of his cousins and walk over to him. I pull him to me.

“Have you seen Shayla?” I ask him, and he frowns, shaking his head.

“Not recently. Why? Is something wrong?” Josh questions when he notices the worried look on my face. I hold up her shoe.

“I can’t find her or Alaia anywhere, and I found this outside,” I tell him. “Why would she be running around with one shoe, Josh?” I ask fretfully, and Aimee walks over to us.

“Oh, did you find her? Why are you holding her shoe? Did the dopey tart break her heel?” Aimee chuckles, and her smile falters when she notices the look on both mine and her husband's faces. “What’s going on, Cole? Josh?”

“Aimee, I can’t find her or Alaia anywhere. I found her shoe outside.” I tell her, holding up Shayla’s shoe, and Aimee frowns, looking at the shoe and back at me.

“Cole, she’s got to be around here somewhere. Where is she going to go?” She replies, trying to reassure me, but I shake my head.

“No, something is wrong. I can feel it.” I sigh, closing my eyes. I look around the room again, gnawing my lip. My hands were starting to shake, and my heart was racing fretfully.

“Don’t panic. We’ll find her, bro. She’s around here. She must be.” Josh utters, scanning the room. “Come on, let’s get Sam and go look for her.”

I shake my head, rubbing my neck. “No, no, Josh, it’s your wedding day, man. You stay. I'll keep looking.”

“Cole, don’t be daft. We’ll cover more ground if we split up. Come on.” He says, pulling my arm.

“Jo and I will look in the bathroom again,” Aimee tells me, and I nod, following Josh. He was talking to Sam already, who was scowling.

“What do you mean you can’t find her?” Sam utters, looking around the room, then at me. “Where the fuck is she going to go? She’s got to be here.” Sam murmurs, rubbing his head.

“Let’s go look around,” Josh urges, gesturing with his head, and we all run out of the marquee, searching all over for them.

“Shayla?!” I call out into the dark as I run around in search of her. As the minutes tick on, I’m more convinced something is wrong, and the dread in my gut grows tenfold. She’s been gone for over an hour. I run toward the car park, looking around frantically. I race down the path and stop when I see Alaia’s pink blanket that Shayla had her wrapped in lying on the floor. I sprint toward it and pick it up and look around. “SHAYLA?!” I shout, panting, and look down at the blanket in my trembling hands.

“Cole,” I turn when I hear Josh and see him jogging toward me. “She’s not here.” He pants and looks at the blanket I was holding.

“Alaia’s blanket,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Shayla had her wrapped in this blanket. Josh, something’s wrong.” I tell him uneasily, and Josh sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, his blue eyes looking around.

“Let’s not think the worst. We’re going to find them, bro.” Josh assures me, squeezing my shoulder. “I’m going to go speak to the manager and see if I can get access to the security cameras. You keep looking.” He says, and I nod numbly.

My eyes roam around in the dark. “Shayla, where are you, baby. Where are you.” I sigh helplessly, and I run around the car park, looking around frantically. She’s not here! We would have found her if she were—I’m going to lose my mind. Where would she go? She came with the wedding cars. It’s not like she jump-started a fucking car and took off.

I find Sam running toward me from the other side of the Marquee. “I can’t find her. She’s not here, man. Isn’t that Laia’s?” He questions, pointing at the blanket.

---