“A friend? I don’t have any friends.”
“I’ve met several of your friends. What about that Stephanie girl? She seems nice.”
I have a death grip on the corner of his sheet. “I want to come with you.”
“I’m sorry. This is a private Bureau jet, and you don’t have clearance.”
“Can’t they give me clearance? This is my best friend we’re talking about here. Please, Dad.”
“Addison, I’m sorry. There are policies for a reason. I can’t be worrying about your safety if we want to find Laila. Do you understand?”
“Of course I do.”
He zips up his bag. “Promise me you’ll call a friend,” he says, then studies my face as I prepare to answer.
I avert my gaze. “I don’t lie to you, Dad. No need to analyze me.”
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t. And I’m grateful for the trust that gives me in you. I hope you can trust me again one day too.” He starts to put his hands on my shoulders but stops. I can’t reassure him in this moment. There are too many feelings swirling around in my chest to sort them all out. He disappears into the bathroom, and when he comes out he’s dressed in a suit. He gives me a worried look.
“I’ll call a friend.”
“Thank you. I’ll let you know as soon as I land.” He kisses my forehead.
I hug him tight, and then he is gone and I stand in his room all alone, rubbing my arms. The clock on his nightstand reads 3:30 a.m. The screen of my cell phone is still black. When I run my finger across it, the light makes me squint. I go to my phone book, hesitant to call Trevor this late. I stop on my mom’s number, and my thumb shakes as it hovers over the Call button. I finally let it fall and listen to it ring four times.
“Addie? What’s wrong?” her sleep-deepened voice answers.
“It’s Laila. She’s missing. Dad’s on his way home. It’s bad, Mom.”
I hear her bedside light click on. “What?” she says at first, and then processes the information without me having to repeat it. “Oh, Addie, I’m sorry. What can I do?”
“I don’t know. I’m scared.”
We share a few quiet breaths. I know she’s angry with me for shutting her out. I wonder if she’s going to hold it against me now.
“I’m going to make some calls, see if I can help. When they find Laila, I should be there for her, since her parents probably won’t.”
Hot tears fall down my cheeks. “That would be great, Mom. Thanks.”
“Why don’t you call Trevor? I’m sure he would come over.”
“How do you know about …” I wipe my face with the back of my hand.
“Laila has kept me updated. I miss you. Trevor sounds great, Addie.”
I smile a little. “I miss you too.”
“Everything is going to be fine, okay?”
“Okay.” I start to think that maybe it is.
I hang up. I want to call Trevor, but it’s so early. I text him instead. Call me when you wake up. It’s important.
Less than five minutes later, my phone rings. “Are you okay? What’s going on?” he asks. I explain to him what’s happening.
“I’m on my way.”
Trevor shows up, his disheveled hair proving he rushed, and wraps his arms around me. “I’m so sorry.”
“She’s going to be okay,” I say into his chest.
“Of course she is. She probably has no idea we’re all worried about her and is just hanging out with some friends.”
I want to nod my head and agree, even though my stomach is trying to tell me the opposite as it churns and bubbles with unease. He leads me to the couch, sits me down, and pries my phone out of my hands, setting it on the coffee table.
“What do you need?” he asks. “Water?”
I shake my head no.
“A milk shake?”
“Ugh.”
He sits down next to me. “I wish I had that power to soothe your emotions like we gave Russell in the book.”
I lean into him. “No, I’m glad you don’t. I don’t like to have false emotions.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t go.” I know I sound like a child.
“But I brought books. Some really boring classics from my dad’s library.”
I smile and sit up so he can stand. He comes back holding a few books. “Do you want me to read to you?”
“Yes.”
He settles into the corner of the couch and lifts his arm. I lie alongside him. He’s an amazing reader, pausing at the right times, putting emphasis in just the right places. And the tone of his voice is so soothing, it makes me wish he were more talkative. “You do have the power to soothe my emotions,” I say when he pauses to turn a page. “Thank you.”
He squeezes my arm, and I kiss him. For the first time today I feel relaxed enough that I know I can perform a Search and hopefully help Laila. I try to formulate a choice that will most likely give me the information I need.
My phone rings, and we both turn toward it. “Will you get it?” I ask, my anxiety instantly returning.
He picks it up. I scoot back, as if putting distance between myself and the phone means any bad news won’t be able to reach me.
“Hello? … Hi, Mr. Coleman, this is Trevor.… It wasn’t a problem at all.” After this there is a long pause. Trevor nods and grabs my hand. “Did you want to talk to her? … Okay, here she is.”