Page 26 of Versions Of Us

He answers on the third ring. “Hey Kristen, what’s up?”

“Hi Steve. You wouldn’t happen to know where Henley is, would you?” I try to keep the apprehension out of my voice.

“I haven’t heard from him today, no. Is everything alright?” he asks.

I feel my forehead wrinkle in concern. “Yeah,” I say.At least I hope it is. “I’m sure he’s fine. I just haven’t been able to reach him.”

“You know Alex. He’s probably gone for a surf and left his phone on the beach or something.”

“Yeah,” I say, shaking off my doubts. “Yeah. You’re probably right. Thanks Steve.”

Except he would have told me if he was just going surfing. I’m sure of it.

“If I see him, I’ll tell him to give you a call,” he offers. “Oh, and if you see him first, tell him I need some help taking these fairy lights back down.”

I manage a small laugh. “Okay. Will do.”

I end the call. God, I sound like some kind of needy stage-five clinger. Henley said he’d be back this afternoon and here I am ready to send out a search party at 11am. It’s entirely possible that he has no phone service wherever he is.

I slam the phone down on the table beside my books and burying my head in them, knowing there’s no chance I’m going to retain any of this information when my mind keeps going back to him.

I contemplate calling Chase. Maybe he could draw my attention back to the task at hand, but then what Liv said this morning enters my mind, raising a giant red flag.

I seriously doubt that her assumptions about Chase are correct. Obviously, if he ever showed interest in me, it would be purely one-sided. But now I can’t help thinking that calling him to come to my apartment and help me with exam preparations could be considered presumptuous.

Another hour passes before my phone dings with the notification of a text message. I reach for it hastily, taking in the words on the screen.

Okay. So, he’s alive.

And I was right in thinking he had no service. I breathe a sigh of relief. I can stop freaking out now.

But where is ‘here’?

And what is he doing?

I try to call him again and yet again, there’s no answer. This time I do leave a message.

“Hey, babe.” I say to his voicemail. “Where exactly are you? I’ve been trying to call all day. Hope everything’s alright. I’ll probably be getting ready to start my shift at the helpline when you get home and I’ll be there till eleven, so I guess I’ll see you after that. Love you.”

I hang up. An overwhelming sense of relief floods through me knowing that he’s okay, but I can’t shake this feeling that everything isn’t as it seems.

Chapter 10

KRISTEN

The air is fresh, a cool wind encircling me as I make my way down the esplanade. I’m thankful that I opted to throw on my suede biker jacket before hurrying out the door. The sky is darkening up ahead and I wonder briefly whether I should turn around and collect my umbrella, but I brush the thought aside, happy to chance it.

The helpline is located two blocks down from the Haven, around the corner in one of the ocean front buildings that line the beach.

When I enter through the door on the street and climb the stairs to the second floor, I’m greeted by a familiar woman who looks to be in her mid-thirties. She wears a knitted sweater and track pants, her hair piled on top of her head in an unruly bun. Her tone is chipper, despite the bags under her eyes that imply a lack of sleep.

“Hi, you must be Kristen,” she says cheerfully. “Chase has told us so much about you.”

“I sure am. Thank you so much for having me here,” I say with more confidence than I thought possible. “I’m really excited to get to work.”

“That’s what we like to hear. I’m Jules.” She extends her hand out to me in welcome. “I work most nights here at the helpline, but by day I’m usually at the medical centre part-time as a receptionist.”

“Oh, cool.” I realise that must be where I’ve seen her face before, although her casual outfit tonight differs vastly from the polished attire I’ve seen her wearing in the doctor’s surgery. “I think I may have served you at the café before. The Haven? Just around the corner?”

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