“Let me talk to him,” she demands, sounding unusually annoyed.
“I have to go,” Cal says.
“Give me the phone, Collin,” she demands, and I squint before I realize Collin must be an altar, and that’s why Cal sounded so different.
Lauren is the definition of strength and patience. I realized this a long time ago. To be able to form a relationship like what she has with someone with Cal and Megan’s condition takes strength and determination. If what she has with Cal is the result of riding through all the shit and being patient, then all of this will be worth it in the end.
“Hey,” she says into the phone. “How are you holding up?”
“Eh.” I don’t want to lay all the shit in my head on her at one time. “It’s starting to feel pretty fucking routine day by day.”
She’s quiet for a moment before she softly says, “Ian.”
I let out the breath I was holding. She knows I’m lying my ass off only because she’s probably aware of exactly what it’s like to be here.
“I’m doing as good as I can be doing with this shit going on,” I tell her rubbing my forehead. “It seems like I’m stuck in a redundant loop of this shit.”
“Like you’re losing it,” she states knowingly.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what it feels like.”
“It’s a lot. I know. And you don’t have to force yourself to be strong. This is a lot to deal with. A change in scenery might help. Why don’t you come over? Don’t fixate on this, even though I know it’s hard not to. I could use some company today if you’re up for it.”
I think about it for only a second before I agree. I can’t sit around here all day, and I did need something to keep me occupied anyway.
“Okay,” she says. “Come whenever you want. I’ll be here.”
“Thanks, Lauren.”
“Yeah, no problem. See you in a bit.”
After I hang up, I’m left standing in the silence of my bathroom, and I’m frozen in place. Even though I knew they weren’t going to be there, I was still hoping that there was a small chance they would be and that this gut feeling I have is wrong. But of course, in the spirit of how things go with Megan, it just isn’t that easy.
I try to breathe through this fire in my chest and the worry clouding my mind; I have to force myself to stop shaking.
For Kam’s sake, I hope Megan remains happy in all of this because if not, he has no idea what he’s in for. And if I find out otherwise once they get back, then there’s a hell of a lot more he’s going to have to deal with coming from me.
I throw on jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a jacket before lacing up my shoes, heading for the door, ready to get out of this place, when my phone ringer shrieks through the air. Blue’s name is on the screen, and I ignore it. I don’t really feel like talking to him at the moment, or anyone really. But before it’s even in my pocket, he’s calling right back, and I let out a heavy groan before swiping the screen up.
“What do you want?” I answer.
“Damn,” he spits back. “Calm the fuck down. I have some shit I need to tell you.”
“Get on with it then.”
“Well,” he starts, his tone clipped. “After you made me think that Kam probably kidnapped Megan, I went to their condo and looked around for shit that could tell me where they are. I found cameras, dude, all over the place. There was one in theshowertoo. The fucking shower, bro!”
My blood goes completely cold, and Blue’s voice continues in my ear, going on about how fucked up that is. I’m standing here with confirmation that asshole was more insecure than I thought. He was watching her every move, and if that isn’t some psychotic controlling shit, then I don’t know what is.
“That’s on another level of twisted man,” I say, barely keeping it together now. My fist is shaking at my side. “That shit just falls in line with what Collin just told me.”
“Who the fuck is Collin?” Blue asks angrily.
“One of Cal’s altars,” I tell him. “I just got off the phone with him. They weren’t at the resort, man. They never even got on the plane. Who the fuck knows where they could be! And now I’m finding out he was watching her every move? I thought you said he wasn’t a fucking nut job? That shit’s fucked up!”
“You don’t think I know that?” He snips at me. “How was I supposed to know Kam would be like this? Veronica told me something was off, but I thought she just meant there was something off with their relationship or some shit. I didn’t know it was like this! And I believed Megan when she said they were fine. FUCK!”
“I’m gonna kick his ass,” I growl into the phone.