Page 90 of Wild and Bright

“I’m going to find them,” I say, and I mean it with every fiber of my being.

* * *

Ten hours later, I’m knocking on a white wooden door, gripped by fear that no one will answer and I’ll be left to freeze out here. Logan wouldn’t give me a straight answer when I called him, which made me suspect he knows where Lauren and Cadence are and won’t tell me.

Or maybe he’s hiding them.

Maybe he’s not, but once the suspicion took hold, I couldn’t rest until I found out for sure. We have a concert in less than twelve hours in Anaheim, and I’m barely going to make it on time. If my flight home from Indiana is delayed by even an hour, I’ll be late. But I don’t care. I have to find them.

As I wait for the door to open, I reach into my pocket and feel around until my fingers hit the metal clasp. I run the pad of my thumb up and down over the small beads of her earring until my shoulders relax.

When the door opens, a petite, unsmiling girl with large brown eyes and heart-shaped lips stares steadily back at me.

“Lyla,” I say, pretty sure—but not certain—that’s the name of Logan’s girlfriend. “Is Lauren here?”

She stares back at me with unblinking eyes, and I get the distinct impression she knows I’m going out of my mind and wants to extend my misery.

“Leilani,” she says.

I exhale heavily. “Sorry. I never remember names because I hate people. In general, I mean. I’m not saying I hate you.” I lift a nervous hand and run it through my hair, realizing that exhaustion is dulling my already weak interpersonal skills. The motion catches Leilani’s attention. Something flashes in her eyes.

It looks like pity.

God, I must look like a train wreck. I haven’t shaved in two days, and my five o’clock shadow is making my face itch so badly I’ve been scratching it constantly, which has likely turned my skin red and splotchy. I haven’t even looked at my hair since I got the call from Helen, but I know it’s a mess. I can feel it sticking up in places it shouldn’t.

“I kind of hate people, too,” Leilani says, a faint smile twinging her lips. “Most people. I have a few I like.”

I smile back at her, and the feeling is unfamiliar on my lips after so many days of misery. “I only like five.” My smile fades when longing grips me suddenly. “Six now, actually.”

“Lauren isn’t here.” Logan’s face appears in the doorway. “I already told you that.”

Trying to get my temper under control, I take a deep breath. “I don’t believe you.”

Logan shrugs, an arrogant smirk tugging at his lips. “Believe it or not, it won’t change the fact that she isn’t here. Or that you flew across the country for nothing.”

I stare at that smug, smiling face, wishing I could hit it. There’s no way in hell I flew here for nothing. I’ll see Lauren and Cadence today if it’s the last thing I do.

On impulse, I find myself barging through the door. I must have caught them both by surprise, because they immediately move out of my way and let me inside.

“Dude!” Logan shouts.

I ignore him, giving the living room a once over before rushing toward what looks like the entrance to the kitchen. My heart jumps into my throat when I catch sight of a brunette sitting at the table and holding a phone, but my stomach sinks almost immediately.

It’s not Lauren.

“Well, hey there. Who are you, a stray mountain man looking for shelter from the cold? I’ll keep you warm.” As if a thought occurs to her, her eyes widen and her jaw pops open. “Oh shit! You’re Camden Hayes, huh?”

“Dude!” It’s Logan’s voice behind me. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? This is my house. You don’t know what kind of stuff Leilani and I are into.” He points to the brunette. “Brenna could have been naked.”

“And what a missed opportunity.” Brenna winks at me. “Maybe next time.”

Trying to capitalize on Brenna’s good graces, I look at her probingly. “Is Lauren here?”

She looks to Logan and then back to me, wincing. “I don’t think I’m allowed to say.”

Her admission fills me with hope. I rush out of the kitchen and make my way down the hall. I throw open the next door I find, clearly the master bedroom—tidy and pristine with a tightly made bed. Definitely not my messy Lauren’s room, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t hiding. I make my way to the master bathroom, and when I don’t see her right away, I walk to the shower and open the glass door. My lunacy doesn’t occur to me until I hear a deep chuckle behind me.

“Lani, come here,” Logan says. “You’ve got to see this. Hurry!”

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