“We’re not,” I muttered.
“What?” He turned around and frowned at me, clearly confused why we had traveled over two hours if we weren’t going to see him.
If I was in a happier mood, my attention would have been taken by watching my sexy husband whip off his towel and begin pulling his boxers on. Unfortunately, I was more concerned about my best friend who was out in the world hurting. I held my phone out to him and watched as he read the text messages.
“What happened?” he asked. It was a pointless question because clearly I had no clue. “Freddie fucked up,” he muttered. “What should we do?”
I stared at him for a moment before I answered. “I’m going to take a shower,” I started, “and then you and I are going to The Wilden Bar and getting some answers from Freddie.”
I stormed past him, feeling angry over whatever the hell Freddie had done. He had hurt my best friend, and it was time he owned up to whatever fuck-up had occurred so that I could try and fix it.
* * *
Walking into The Wilden Bar, I marched straight up to the barman.
“Hello…” I paused and looked at his name tag. “...Robert. Is Freddie here?” He moved his eyes behind me before he looked back at me. “My name is Nina and I’m a friend of Luke’s.”
He widened his eyes at me in surprise before he spoke. “Have you found him?”
I looked at James at my side, surprised he asked that. “You work with him?” James asked.
He nodded his head. “I had a message from him this morning. He said he was taking off and that if I was ever in the UK to look him up.” He looked so sad that it broke my heart. “He won’t pick up the phone. I keep calling but I —”
“That’s why we need to speak to Freddie,” I said, cutting him off. “Where is he?”
“I know where he is,” a soft feminine voice spoke from behind us. “I’m Isobel.” She stared at me with worried eyes and it made me wonder if she and Luke had struck up a friendship yet. She looked so sad. I hope they had. I found it impossible to not love Luke. He was just infectious.
“Nina.” I shook her hand before I made introductions. “This is my husband, James.”
She smiled at me. “I’m so happy to meet you! Luke spoke a lot about you.” She stared at me before she jolted herself back to the moment. “I can take you to Freddie.”
“Keep me updated, Isobel,” Robert said from behind us.
“Of course.” She nodded her head at him before she led us out of the bar. “Freddie is in bits,” she said as we entered the elevator. “None of us can get hold of Luke. All any of us know is that he took off this morning and won’t pick up his phone to anyone.”
“Us neither.” James wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed me closer to him. “We’ll find him,” he whispered. He pressed his lips to my forehead before he rubbed his thumb against my arm. “He’ll be okay.” I rested my head on his chest, wanting to believe that, but right now, Luke was out there alone with no one to talk to.
* * *
After a short cab ride and James paying for the fare, Isobel was leading us out of the elevator and down the corridor. She stopped at a doorway, taking a deep breath before she knocked on the door. Within seconds, a woman was opening the door before stepping aside for us to enter.
“Who’s this?” she asked as James closed the door after us.
I moved past her and made a beeline for the man that was sitting on the sofa. He looked about as miserable as I felt as I watched him sitting. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his head slumped forward.
Another woman was standing over in the corner with the phone to her ear.
“Still no answer, Everleigh,” she said to the lady that answered the door to us.
“What happened?” I stood a few steps away from the sofa, crossing my arms across my chest. It was my pissed off stance.
Freddie looked over at us and I could see how red-rimmed his eyes were.
“Last time we spoke to Luke, he couldn’t stop gushing over how amazing you were,” I mocked, beginning my rant. “How fantastic you were.” I flicked my eyes to the man in a suit that was standing behind Freddie. He had his hand around Everleigh’s shoulders and I assumed they were together. “How he had never once thought of settling down with anyone but since he met you, all that had changed.” I knew I was being a bitch and not helping, but I couldn’t help myself as my mouth went off again. “We arrive to surprise our friend and meet this man that has changed our friend so much, only to find that he has taken off—on his own—in a city that is a strange place to him!” By the end of that rant, I was shouting, and I knew I needed to calm down.
“Hey!” the man in the suit said in a loud tone. He took a step away, walking around the sofa to me. “I know you’re worried, but there’s no good shouting —”
He stopped as James grabbed my arm and moved me behind him. He planted himself in front of me and stood, glaring at this man.