Page 68 of Playing By Their Rules

It doesn’t land. I’m not going to be fooled. Her moods are all over the place, and the best thing for us now is getting back to civilization and getting her the help she needs so she—and everyone else—can be safe.

“Let’s go home, Mina,” I say gently.

She shakes her head. “No. I told you, we’re here together, it’s a girls trip for just the two of us. We need this, Maisie. You’ve been drifting away from me since the start of the semester. We need this.”

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to talk my way out of here. The only other choice is to make a run for it.

Mina’s keys are visible in the open front pocket of her backpack. She sees me looking at them.

We both lunge at the same time.

She gets there first, snatching the keys, while I catch myself in an awkward plank position, my nose inches from the floor.

“No,” she says, the keys clutched in her hand. “No. I can’t let you leave me.”

Easing back to a seated position, I try to project calmness as I say, “At this point, I think you need to let me, Mina. We can go back together—I’m not trying to leave you behind or anything. Just give me the keys, okay? I’ll drive us. Everything’s going to be all right.”

Tears fill her eyes. “You can’t make that promise.”

She jumps up and runs from the cabin. I follow her, but I forget about the rotten wood on the porch and put my full weight in the wrong spot. My foot punches through. I stumble, catching myself on the porch railing, which blessedly doesn’t break beneath the force of my fall.

Agony spreads up my leg. The splintered wood gouged my skin, and I know that I must be bleeding.

“Mina, wait!” I call.

She marches to the end of the dock and faces the pond. Is she going to hurt herself? Should I tackle her? Would I even be able to? If I did, I don’t have anything to restrain her with. I’d have to talk her into calming down. I yank my foot free of the porch and hurry after her, limping. Every step on my injured leg is another burst of pain. Blood drips down the inside of my torn jeans. The fabric stains a dark purple where it touches.

“Mina!” I call. “Mina, let’s talk. What are you doing?”

She turns around on the rickety dock. If she’s not careful, she’ll fall in. I don’t dare go out there with her. It doesn’t look like it’ll hold her weight, and it definitely won’t hold both of us.

With a smile, she says, “We’re not leaving. We’re safe here. I’ll keep you safe.”

Then she raises her arm and chucks her keys into the water.

20

THE SEARCH

Chance

Not knowing what else to do, we go to Mina and Maisie’s place. Bradley hasn’t checked there yet, so there’s a possibility that the two of them are just holed up and not answering calls or texts.

There’s no answer when we knock. I press my ear to the door, straining to hear any indication that someone is home, but there’s nothing.

Ethan knocks again, but it’s more of a pounding than a knock.

Still no answer.

I’m ready to find the apartment manager and try to convince them that we need to get into the apartment, but Bradley holds up a keychain. “Maisie gave me a key ages ago in case she got locked out.”

“Let’s go, then,” Ethan says, gesturing at the handle.

Bradley unlocks the door, opens it, and we step inside.

A hush fills the apartment. It tells me immediately that no one else is here. Just the three of us confused assholes wondering where our favorite girl is.

Bradley takes off down the hall, so Ethan and I follow him. He peers into Maisie’s room, which in my gut, I already know is empty. Ethan looks in, too, as Bradley pushes across the hall to a door left ajar, which I’m guessing leads to Mina’s room. He shoves the door and it swings open.

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