“Where?”
“I’m not sure. He was going to meet someone after work.” She dials on her phone and has it to her ear by the time she’s finished speaking. We’re all quiet while it rings, and he answers after what feels like an eternity. “Sawyer! Where are you?” A frown settles on her face, and I want to reach out and smooth it away. “You keep cutting out. Sawyer? Sawyer?” She pulls the phone away and groans. “Dammit. The signal is rubbish.”
“Send him a message. It might be easier to get through than holding a full call, or he might have wi-fi.”
Harlow:Where are you?
We wait. Harlow chews on her lip nervously as we wait for some update on what’s happening. She gasps when a reply comes through.
Sawyer:Just leaving Kevin’s. Everything okay?
“Shit, shit, shit. Kevin lives in Springhill. What are we going to do?” Her eyes are flicking between Ezra and I, and her chest is picking up speed as she takes shallow breaths, on the way to a full freak-out. That’s a side of Harlow I’ve not seen before, and I’ll do anything to help her calm down. Ezra grabs her phone and messages him back as we both watch.
Harlow:Stay there
Sawyer:I’ve already left. What’s going on?
Harlow:The Guards are out there
Sawyer:I’m on my way back
“I don’t like him being there at all,” Harlow argues.
“I’ll go and get him,” I offer, wanting to help in some way. I really, really shouldn’t, and my father would rip me a new one if I was seen. There’s very good reasons why I’m supposed to be staying under the radar. But I want to help, and I am used to that area.
“No way.”
“I need to go back there anyway,” I reason with Harlow. “I live there.”
“Maybe they’ve gone?” she asks hopefully.
“They haven’t.” How does Ezra know that? What is that “game”?
“I’ll come with you,” he says. “We’ll avoid them.”
“How will we do that?”
“Just trust me,” he declares confidently, and I find myself trusting him.
“Let me get my shoes on,” Harlow starts, but Ezra holds her still by her shoulders.
“You’re not coming.”
“What?!” Harlow goes to knock his hands off her, but he grabs her shoulders again and leans in close.
“I’m not taking you into danger.”
“But you’re both going!”
“Yeah, to get Sawyer, so we know he’s safe and you can relax. You either stay here, or we don’t go.” His voice is soft, even if it remains determined. Harlow chews her lip with a furrow in her brow while she considers her options. Eventually, she caves.
“Fine. I’ll stay here. Can you keep me updated?”
“Of course. You ready?” Ezra asks me, and I shake my keys to show I am. My car is just out front, and he gives a low whistle when he sees it.
“Coffee shop pay well, does it?” I don’t answer, and I pull away as soon as we’re both seated. Ezra remains glued to his phone, and my curiosity wins out.
“What have you got there?”