Tangled Hearts

Chapter 52

"Actually what?" I cut her off, my heart pounding in my chest. "What did he do, Rachel?"

She shakes her head, her sobs growing louder. "I don't know! He didn't say exactly. He just kept hinting that he was going to 'handle it.' I thought he was bluffing, but now—now I'm scared, Finn. I think he might have gone after Lily."

My blood turns to ice.

"Rachel, who is this guy?" I ask, gripping her shoulders, trying to keep my voice steady even though panic is clawing at my insides. "What's his name?"

"I don't know!" she cries, her voice frantic. "I don't know what he looks like, or even his real name. He was just some guy on a forum, using some stupid username like 'ShadowHunter' or something. I swear, Finn, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to vent. I didn't know he'd—"

"Jesus, Rachel," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. "You didn't think to stop and ask who the hell you were talking to?"

Then realization hits me, "he doesn't know what she looks like right?" I ask, hoping she was not foolish enough to give a photo of Lily.

She sobs harder, her body shaking with fear and regret. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

"Fuck, Rachel" I yell, my throat sore and I can feel my heartbeats in my ears.

"I was so mad and hurt, and I wasn't thinking. But now—now I think he's done something terrible. You have to find her, Finn. You have to make sure she's okay."

Without another word, I turn and start running, my heart pounding in my chest. I have to find Lily. I have to make sure she's safe. My mind races, imagining all the worst-case scenarios.

I pull out my phone as I run, fumbling to dial Lily's number. My fingers feel numb against the screen, my heart hammering in my chest. The phone rings once, twice, three times, each ring sending a fresh wave of panic through me.

"Come on, Lily, pick up," I mutter under my breath, pushing myself to run faster, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The ringing stops, and her voicemail clicks on.

"Hey, it's Lily. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you," her cheerful voice says on the recording, completely at odds with the dread building in my chest.

"Damn it," I curse, hanging up without leaving a message. I try calling her again, my mind racing. Maybe her phone's on silent. Maybe she's in class or something. But a voice in the back of my head tells me it's something else. Something worse. The call goes straight to voicemail again.

"Fuck!" I yell, shoving my phone back into my pocket as I keep running. I can't stop. I can't let myself think about what could be happening. I need to find her. I need to know she's okay.

I try messaging her instead, typing out a frantic text with trembling fingers

Me: Baby, where are you? Are you okay? Please answer me. I'm worried.

I hit send, praying for those little typing dots to appear, for some sign that she's seen it. But nothing happens. My screen stays stubbornly blank, and my anxiety ratchets up another notch.

I can't just sit around waiting. I need backup. I scroll through my contacts and hit Kam's number, pressing the phone to my ear as I continue sprinting across campus. But nothing, I go straight to voicemail as well.

"FUCK" I yell out earning a few looks from people, but I couldn't care less.

I scroll through my contacts for Jen's number, my fingers almost slipping over the screen as I frantically scroll. The phone rings once, twice, three times—each second feeling like a lifetime.

"Come on, Jen, pick up," I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper. I can hear the blood rushing in my ears, my heart hammering as panic claws its way up my throat. The ringing cuts off, but instead of Jen's voice, all I hear is her voicemail greeting.

"It's Jen! You know what to do." Her cheery voice feels like a slap in the face.

"Damn it!" I shout, hanging up without leaving a message. I try her number again, desperately hoping she'll answer this time, but it goes straight to voicemail.

My mind is racing, a thousand worst-case scenarios flashing through my head. I try Kam's number again, but her phone also rings and rings, then clicks over to voicemail. It's like the world is conspiring against me, cutting off every line of communication just when I need it most.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I curse under my breath, my chest tightening with each failed call. I feel like I'm going to crawl out of my own skin. I've never felt so helpless in my life. I try texting them both:

Me: Where are you? Have you seen Lily? This is urgent. Call me back ASAP.

I hit send and wait, staring at my screen, praying for some kind of response.

I shove my phone back into my pocket and change direction, sprinting toward the parking lot where my car is parked. I need to get to her apartment, fast. If she's not answering her phone, and her friends aren't picking up either, then something's definitely wrong. I can feel it deep in my bones, a gut instinct that tells me I don't have a second to waste.

The cold air bites at my face, and my lungs burn as I push myself harder, practically flying across the campus grounds. My shoes pound against the pavement, echoing in the empty space around me. With every step, my mind races through possibilities, each one worse than the last. I need to find her. I need to make sure she's safe.

I reach the parking lot, fumbling for my keys in my pocket as I near my car. My hands are shaking so badly that I drop them, and they clatter to the ground. "Damn it!" I hiss, bending down to snatch them up, my breath coming in quick, ragged gasps. I don't have time for this. Every second feels like an eternity.

Finally, I get my keys and unlock the car, yanking the door open and sliding into the driver's seat. I jam the key into the ignition and turn it, the engine roaring to life. My heart is racing as fast as the car as I peel out of the parking lot, tires screeching against the asphalt.

"Come on, come on," I mutter under my breath, glancing down at my phone on the passenger seat. Still no response from anyone. The silence is deafening, feeding the growing dread gnawing at my insides. I grip the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turn white, my eyes locked on the road ahead.

As I speed toward Lily's apartment, my mind keeps flashing back to Rachel's words.

'Make things right.'

What the hell does that even mean? What could this random guy she met online possibly want with Lily? And why the fuck did Rachel have to go and run her mouth in some damn forum to a stranger?

I weave through traffic, my focus sharpening with each passing second. I don't know what I'm about to walk into, but I need to be ready for anything. My phone buzzes, and I nearly swerve off the road in my haste to grab it, my heart leaping into my throat. But it's just a low battery warning, not a call or message from Lily, Kam, or Jen.

"Shit," I curse, tossing the phone back onto the seat. I can't afford for it to die on me now. Not when I might need to call for help. I press down harder on the gas, pushing my car faster, praying that I'm not too late. I need to get to her. I need to protect her.

The distance to Lily's apartment feels endless, every minute stretching longer than the last. I can't shake the fear, the bone-deep certainty that something terrible is happening, and I'm racing against the clock. I try to steady my breathing, to focus on the road, but my mind is consumed with worry, my body running on pure adrenaline.

As I finally pull up to her building, I slam the car into park and leap out, not bothering to lock the doors behind me. I sprint across the parking lot, my footsteps pounding against the pavement, and take the stairs two at a time, my heart in my throat.

Please, please let her be okay. I'm almost there, Lily. Just hold on.