Did I think she considered taking the money? Not for a fucking second. So, why’d I lose my shit over this? Because I hated my father and everything he stood for. He’d found my weakness and he’d gone after it. I’d drive for a few hours and then pull over and catch some sleep at a hotel. I’d call Jade and work this shit out. For now, I was just going to drive.
Bright lights blinded me, and I used my hand as a shield to block out the brightness. That’s when I realized the car in front of me was on the wrong side of the road. I swerved and felt the impact immediately. My body slammed forward, and the sound of skidding tires surrounded me. Metal hitting metal. My phone flew through the air in slow motion, as the car flipped over multiple times. Round and round. And I thought of my girl. And that she’d told me she loved me. And I hadn’t said it back.
Love you more.
And everything went dark.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jade
Twelve hours. Twelve hours since I’d heard from Cruz. And no one knew where he was. Lennon and I had been on the phone no less than one hundred times this morning. I hadn’t slept at all, as I’d been trying to reach Cruz all night. I knew something was wrong. I felt it in my gut. There’d been no word from him, and Lennon hadn’t heard anything either. I knew Cruz was mad, but this still wasn’t like him. He hadn’t taken his father’s plane, as Lennon had called to ask. I was in the process of calling every hospital in Austin, and panic was coursing through my veins.
To say I was manic was an understatement. I had Ari on the phone calling police stations. He’d vanished, and I didn’t know what else to do. Lennon was calling rental car companies while I continued to check the hospitals. I waited on hold while the lady searched his name and checked all the John Does that were brought in without identification.
Nothing.
“Okay, thank you.” My words broke on a sob.
“Good luck,” she said.
My phone rang as soon as I ended the call and Lennon’s name flashed across the screen.
“Anything?”
“Yes. He rented a car last night. He was planning to drive from Austin to Chicago. He couldn’t have gotten all that far, so we need to check all the hospitals on that path. But Jade, it is possible that his phone just died and he’s fine. He was pissed off, so maybe he just needs time to cool off.” Lennon sounded so hopeful.
I covered my eyes with my hand. “I don’t think so. He told me he’d call me in a few hours. Something’s wrong. He wouldn’t go this long without touching base with us. Something’s wrong, Lennon.”
“Alright, let’s split up the hospitals.”
“Okay. I’m looking at the map now. We can check for accidents. Send me the make and model of the rental car. I’ll send it to my father and see if he can make some calls. I’ll text you a list of hospitals to try next,” I said, swiping at my cheeks and frantically typing on my laptop.
“It’ll be okay. We’re going to find him.”
“I feel really bad. I lied to him. I just didn’t want to hurt him. But he was so angry when we talked. I told him I loved him, and he didn’t say it back. What if he never says it back?” I couldn’t contain my sobs, as all the worry bubbled to the surface and I fell apart.
“Don’t do that to yourself. My brother loves you more than anything. He’s crazy about you. Of course you didn’t want to tell him our father is a bigger piece of shit than we already thought. He understands. I promise. He was just angry at Dad. It has nothing to do with you.”
“I think he’s pretty angry at me too. And I deserve it. We just need to find him.”
“Okay. We will. Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”
“I’ll send you the list,” I said before ending the call.
Ari came back in my room to tell me she had no luck with any of the police stations in Austin. We divided up a new list as we tracked the path that Cruz would have taken. I called my father and gave him the make and model of the rental car and brought him up to speed. He said he’d place some calls right away.
I started calling hospitals in Temple, Texas. I was once again put on hold while a woman on the other end searched the system for Cruz Winslow.
“You still there, hon?” she said.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Alright, we don’t have anyone by that name. But a young man was brought in around two o’clock this morning. They didn’t find any identification at the scene, and he’s currently in surgery. He wasn’t conscious when he was brought in, so I don’t have much to tell you at this time.”
I covered my mouth with my hand and glanced down as a text came in from my father.
Dad ~ There was a head-on collision in Temple, Texas around 1:30 A.M., and one of the cars involved matches the make and model of the rental car Cruz was driving. It doesn’t mean it’s him, Jade. I’m having them run the plates to find out if it was a rental car or privately owned.
“You still there?” the lady asked on the other end of the line.
“Yes,” I said, and the hysteria in my voice caught me off guard. “I think that’s him. I’m coming there now.”
“You don’t want to wait until I can get some more information? I’d hate for you to come all this way if it’s not him,” she said.
I was tossing clothes in a duffle bag and pulling a hoodie over my head. “It’s him.”
I ended the call and dialed Lennon’s number. “I think I found him. There was a head-on collision in Temple at one-thirty A.M. and a young man was brought into the hospital there shortly after. They don’t have identification for him, but I know it’s Cruz,” I said, pulling my hair into a bun on top of my head.
“Jesus fucking Christ. Go straight to the hanger. I’ll have the plane ready to take you there. I’m getting in a car now, and we should get there around the same time,” Lennon said, and I didn’t miss the panic in his voice.
“Okay. I’m leaving now.”
I yelled out to Ari and told her what I’d found out. She grabbed her car keys and we both hurried to the car. I called my father from the road. He offered to go with me, but I wanted to leave immediately, and I told him I’d keep him posted.
The plane ride was a blur. I sat in a daze, trying to piece together how so much could have changed in the last twenty-four hours. Nothing made sense. Cruz had gotten in that rental car because of what his father told him. Because I’d lied to him. The overwhelming sense of shame and guilt flooded me. Ponch called out a few times and asked if I was all right and I nodded. I couldn’t find the words to speak.