“Yeah, about an hour ago. Angie is already in bed.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s exhausted,” he said and it irritated him. Why were they making stupid idle chitchat?

“Yeah. We both are.”

Swallowing hard, he said, “I can fly out tomorrow.”

“Don’t.”

Letting out a long breath, he ran his hand down his face. “Why not, Lucy?”

“’Cause I need to think.”

“About what, baby? Please, I’m dying here. Let me help you fucking think,” he yelled, hating that word. “I don’t know what I did, how to make it better. Please, give me something here.”

“You did nothing, Benji, I promise. I just need to think through some things. I’m going to be working. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“It made sense a month ago when you wanted me to go. When Angie and I planned to make a mermaid castle. I mean, shit, Lucy, what changed?”

His heart was pounding so hard, he was sure it was going to come out of his chest and melt right in front of him. He had never sweated like he was at that moment because, as much as she said she wasn’t breaking up with him, he truly believed she was, and he didn’t understand. This wasn’t her. She wasn’t one to hold back on anything. What in the living hell happened?

“I just need—”

“I swear to God, if you say ‘time’ one more fucking time, I’m going to lose it. What you need is for me to come down there, wrap my arms around you, and then you tell me what is wrong so we can fucking fix it together. That’s what you need.”

“You don’t know that.”

“No, I fucking do,” he stressed, feeling like he was already losing it. “Do you hear my voice, Lucy? I’m dying here. I miss you. I miss Angie. I want to be with my family.” That was when a sob left her lips and her soft cries filled the line. Closing his eyes, his heart just shattering in his chest, he whispered, “Lucy, baby, please, tell me what to do here.”

“Stay home,” she cried. “Just stay there. I’ll see you in a few days.”

And then the line went dead.

“Fuck!” he screamed, his ears rattling as he covered his face with his hands. Should he just fly down there? But he didn’t even know where Jace lived. “Fuck.”

Letting his head fall back, he swallowed hard and picked his phone up once more. “Bro, tell me you know what’s wrong with your sister?”

Jayden paused. “Um. No? I thought you guys were leaving for Florida?”

“She left without me.”

“What? What happened?”

“I don’t fucking know. She says she needs time.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know, Jayden! Have you not heard anything? Your family is one big grapevine.”

Jayden’s voice was full of worry as he said to Baylor, “Mom tell you anything about Lucy?”

“No, what’s wrong?”

“I have no clue,” he said into the phone. “Let me call my mom.”

“No, I will,” Benji said and he hung up, dialing Autumn’s number. It was late, but thankfully, she answered. “Have you talked to Lucy?”

“No? Why? Is she okay? Are you guys engaged?”

He fucking wished. “No, Autumn, she left for Florida—without me. Claiming she needs time. I don’t know what is going on.”

“What in the world? No. I don’t know anything. Let me call her.”

“No,” he said quickly. That wasn’t what he wanted. “She’ll get pissed that I called you. I just was hoping maybe you knew something.”

“No, sweetheart, I don’t, but I’m still calling her,” she said and then the line went dead.

“Fuck!”

Dropping his phone to the island, he let out a long breath as he rubbed his eyes, asking God what the hell he should do. This made no sense. It didn’t seem right, and he couldn’t even think of what he had done. He had been gone, so he knew that he didn’t leave the toilet seat up or use her toothpaste. He had only talked to her, and he had been checking that whore Nikky Jiggler’s site, and nothing. What in the world could be going on?

When he opened his eyes, he looked down, thinking maybe he could get Jace’s number from Jayden and call him, but something caught his eye. The paperwork from court with Mark Sinclair’s business card stapled to the top.

Could this have to do with Rick?

Turning the folder so he could see the number, he dialed Mark’s number, but he didn’t answer. Setting his phone down, he figured he’d try again tomorrow since it was almost midnight. He needed to go to bed. This had been his roughest Assassins road trip to date. He was aching everywhere from the hard-fought games against the Bruins, Islanders, Devils, and Rangers. They had won two of the four, but he was exhausted. Plus, he was worried, feeling like everything was just falling apart. He knew sleep wouldn’t come easy.

When his phone sounded, he looked down to see a text from Lucy.

Lucy: I’m going to kill you for calling my mom.

Benji: I’m desperate. Talk to me.

Lucy: I can’t. Not yet.

Benji: What the hell does that even mean?

He waited, but nothing came. Not even a little text bubble that signaled she was writing him back.

Nothing.

Complete silence.

The only sound he could hear was his heart breaking.