Untethered

32 | Too Late

The next time Emma woke, and looked at the clock, it was half past nine.

"Dammit!"

So much for catching him early. Throwing on a t-shirt and pair of shorts, and wrestling her mane into a loose bun, she practically flew out of the house. His truck wasn't in the driveway, but that didn't mean he wasn't home. He had parked it in the garage the day before to make room for everyone else's cars for the Memorial service.

Did he go to work? It was Sunday, but she wasn't sure days of the week had much meaning for him lately.

After checking the front and back doors, and finding them locked, she started to worry. He never locked up. Not even for work because she ran back and forth between their houses to take care of Layla during the day. Layla. Layla wasn't barking or even whining at the door like she usually did.

Dammit!

She plopped down on the front stoop, her brow furrowed.

Cursing stupid, emotionally constipated men under her breath, she decided to stop and think logically. He wasn't really himself lately, so he could've locked the doors without thinking. And besides, where would he go?

Don't jump to conclusions... she took a deep breath, call the shop first.

Pulling her phone out of her back pocket, she called the number, waiting for it to connect. Tapping her foot impatiently, she waited as it rang and rang before going to the office voicemail.

That still doesn't mean anything, she reasoned. He probably didn't hear the phone, and even if he did, he still might not answer. It still didn't explain why Layla wasn't there, but she ignored the worry niggling at the back of her mind.

Her lips set in a determined line. I'll just drive over to the shop and check, he has to be there, and maybe he took Layla with him.

She got into her tiny car, and headed for the workshop, doing her best not to obsess about all the things that could be wrong.

If he wasn't there, then she'd worry.

Emma pulled up to the building, and her stomach plummeted. His truck wasn't parked in its usual spot.

Okay... maybe now I should be concerned? She chewed on the inside of her cheek worriedly.

He was going through a lot, and after their argument, she didn't know what state of mind he was in. Tears pricked at her eyes. What if he was really hurt by the things she said? On the other hand, he liked to go off by himself to deal with things. But then, where the hell would he go? He probably had dozens of places he used to get away.

She groaned. This wasn't getting her anywhere. After a moment, she decided to go home and talk to Evan, he would know what to do, and maybe have an idea of where Ryan was.

Just as she was about to pull away, she felt her phone vibrating in her bag, and her heart leapt hopefully. She realized quickly it wasn't Ryan. "Cherry Bomb" blasted out, filling the small space inside her car, and she grinned in spite of her worry.

"Hey Rosie," she answered, a fond smile tilting the corner of her mouth.

"Lina?" the voice was barely a whisper on the other end.

"Rosie?" Emma's smile immediately turned to concern, "Are you alright, hon?"

"No," her voice cracked, and then Emma heard rustling on the other end, and something that sounded like muffled sniffling. "I feel like death," she croaked out. "Can you come over?"