Chapter 390 - Barely

Chapter 390: Chapter 390 - Barely

Roxie sent Zac her location and shoved her phone into her pocket, then went back to staring at the road because standing still had somehow become worse than driving around looking for Karen. Mason had stopped pacing beside his car, Angela sat in the passenger seat wiping her face every few minutes, and Ethan remained near his motorcycle checking his phone for another message. Nobody had gotten anything new.

Every car that appeared made Roxie’s heart jump, and her mind kept filling the silence with things she didn’t want to imagine.

"Rox, we’ll find her," Ethan said quietly.

Roxie dragged both hands over her face. "I know."

She didn’t.

A black Tesla came around the curve several minutes later, moving fast enough that Roxie recognized Zac before she clearly saw him. He pulled in beside Mason’s car and stopped hard, Dylan still sitting in the passenger seat while Zac was already opening the driver’s door before the car completely settled.

He looked around once and immediately found Roxie, but then his eyes moved past her and landed on Ethan.

Roxie watched Zac’s entire body change even though his expression barely did. His jaw tightened, his shoulders went rigid, and his gaze stayed on Ethan for a second longer than it needed to. Ethan looked back at him, clearly noticing it too, but neither of them said anything.

Roxie knew Zac well enough to understand exactly what was happening. He had just learned she had spent half the day searching for Karen without calling him, then arrived to find Ethan already there helping her. On any normal day, that alone would have been enough to start something.

Today, Zac swallowed it.

He walked straight toward Roxie. "What happened?"

The control in his voice made her more nervous than yelling would have.

"She took something."

Whatever jealousy had been sitting in his face disappeared immediately. "What?"

"We don’t know what. Somebody saw her swallow a pill this morning. She’s been drinking too, and we’ve been going from place to place because every time we find somebody who saw her, she already left."

Zac stared at her for a moment before asking, "How long have you been looking?"

Roxie hesitated, and his eyes narrowed.

"Since lunch."

His jaw tightened again. "You’ve been looking for her since lunch and you didn’t call me?"

"I thought we’d find her."

"You thought you’d find her."

"You were busy, Zac."

He looked away and took a slow breath through his nose. Roxie knew that movement. He was trying very hard to keep himself under control, and when his eyes flicked toward Ethan once more before coming back to her, guilt started twisting in her stomach.

"Okay," he said.

Nothing about him looked okay.

Dylan got out of the Tesla and came toward them before either of them could continue. "What’s the last place someone definitely saw her?"

Mason came over and rubbed the back of his neck. "House near the highway. She left around four."

"Who saw her?"

"A girl there."

"Alone?"

"Yeah."

Dylan took out his phone. "Give me every place you checked, in order."

Mason looked irritated. "We already did all of this."

"I know. You’ve also been driving around for hours while freaking out. Just give me the addresses."

Mason looked like he wanted to argue, but finally started listing them. Ethan came closer and added the addresses he had gotten from people he knew while Dylan marked each place and asked what time Karen had been seen there.

Zac stayed beside Roxie with his arms crossed.

He still hadn’t touched her.

Roxie noticed because Zac almost always touched her when he stood this close. A hand around her waist, his fingers through hers, something. Now he was standing right beside her like touching her might make whatever he was holding back come out.

She leaned slightly closer. "Are you mad at me?"

He looked down at her. "Later."

That answered everything.

Dylan zoomed out on the map. "She kept moving west."

Mason leaned over his shoulder. "Looks like it."

Ethan studied the screen. "There’s an old lookout after the river bridge."

Everyone turned toward him.

Roxie frowned. "What lookout?"

"Old parking area off River Road. People go there when they want somewhere quiet." Ethan hesitated before adding, "Or when they’re looking for harder stuff."

The words made Roxie’s stomach tighten.

Mason shook his head. "Never heard of it."

"It’s mostly people outside school."

Zac looked at Ethan again, his expression unreadable this time. "Send it to me."

Dylan sent the location, and Roxie immediately started toward the Tesla. "Let’s go."

Zac followed her, but when Roxie reached the passenger side, she stopped.

Dylan had already walked around the front of the car and opened the passenger door like it was completely automatic. His bag was still on the floor where he had left it earlier, and he got halfway into the seat before finally noticing Roxie standing there.

He froze.

His eyes went from Roxie to Zac, then back to Roxie.

"Oh."

Roxie stared at him.

Dylan slowly looked down at the passenger seat. "Shit. Roxie, sorry. I can move."

Even with everything happening, Roxie almost laughed because the realization on his face was ridiculous. He had just automatically climbed into the front passenger seat of her boyfriend’s car while she stood beside it waiting.

"It’s fine. Just get in."

"No, seriously, I’ll sit in the back."

"Dylan, I really don’t care. Let’s just go."

Dylan looked toward Zac, clearly hoping he would settle it.

Zac stared at him.

That was apparently enough because Dylan immediately started getting back out. "Yeah. I’m moving."

Roxie opened the back door instead. "Stop. We’re wasting time."

"Roxie."

"I said it’s fine."

She got into the back before either of them could argue. Dylan stood there for another second looking guilty before slowly climbing back into the passenger seat, while Zac got behind the wheel without saying anything.

The awkwardness inside the car was almost stupid considering why they were there.

Zac pulled onto the road quickly enough that Roxie grabbed the handle above the door. "Zac."

"I know."

Dylan glanced sideways at him. "Maybe keep all four tires on the road."

Zac eased off slightly, and for several minutes nobody spoke. Roxie watched the back of his head while Dylan kept checking the map, and every now and then Zac looked at her through the rearview mirror. Each time their eyes met, Roxie still couldn’t quite tell what was going through his head. She knew he was angry, but she couldn’t tell how much of it was about Karen, how much was about her keeping everything from him, and how much was Ethan.

Finally, Zac spoke.

"You should’ve called me."

Roxie rested her head against the seat. "I know."

"No, you don’t."

"Zac."

"You called Ethan."

There it was.

His voice stayed low and controlled, but Roxie knew exactly how much effort that control was taking.

"I needed more people. Ethan knows more about these parties than us."

"Good to know."

Roxie frowned. "He knows people around town."

"Sure."

"What exactly are you mad about?"

Zac looked at her through the mirror. "You really want to have this conversation while we’re looking for Karen?"

Roxie stared back at him. "No."

"Neither do I."

He looked toward the road again.

Dylan cleared his throat. "For what it’s worth, I also regret sitting here."

Roxie looked at the back of his head while Zac slowly turned toward him.

Dylan immediately lifted one hand. "Bad timing. I know."

Despite herself, Roxie almost smiled.

Then Dylan leaned forward and looked through the windshield. "River bridge."

The road narrowed after they crossed it. Houses became fewer, trees crowded closer to the pavement, and the asphalt turned rougher as they followed the route toward the lookout. Roxie leaned forward between the seats, searching every opening between the trees while Dylan checked the map.

They passed one dirt road with nothing there, then another small pullout that was empty. When the road curved again, Roxie caught sight of a dark car sitting crooked near the edge of an old parking area.

"Wait."

Zac slowed immediately.

Roxie leaned farther forward. "There. That one."

Dylan looked up from the map.

Roxie stared at the car for another second before recognition hit her.

"That’s hers."

Zac hit the brakes and Roxie opened the door before he had fully put the Tesla into park.

"Roxie!"

She was already running.

Behind her she heard Zac swear, followed by doors opening and footsteps coming after her. Karen’s car was parked at an angle near the far edge of the lot, and Roxie reached the driver’s side, grabbed the handle and felt her stomach drop when it refused to open.

Locked.

"Karen!"

She slapped the window with her palm and tried to see past the reflection.

Karen was inside with her head resting against the seat, her face turned slightly toward the window and her eyes closed.

"Karen!"

Roxie hit the glass harder.

Zac reached her and looked inside over her shoulder, and for one horrible moment Roxie couldn’t tell whether Karen was breathing.

She slammed both hands against the window. "Karen, wake up!"

Karen moved.

Barely.