CHAPTER 81: LET’S GO FIND YOUR DUMB BEST FRIEND[JUNE’S POV]

June’s POV

The phone vibrated again in my bag.

I didn’t want to check it. I was still reeling from what just happened in the bathroom. Still trying to convince myself I hadn’t seen what I saw or felt the way I felt.

But it buzzed again. Relentless.

I brought it out, thumbed across the screen with shaking fingers.

I finally looked down.

Ash (6 missed calls)

Shit.

I scrambled to pick it up, my fingers were clumsy, and the second I unlocked it, my heart dropped.

Time: 3:43PM

Oh no.

I blinked at the time. I left him waiting. I’d been gone for way too long. Fifteen minutes? More?

My stomach dropped. I shoved the phone in my bag and ran out.

"I left him waiting," I muttered, clutching my

bag tight.

I hurried over to where we sat. That his soft red hoodie and blonde hair that was easy to spot....except it wasn’t there.

Empty.

Just an abandoned plastic cup and two skate guards.

"Ash?" I mumbled, even though I knew he wasn’t there.

The seat was empty. My chest tightened. I turned, scanning the rink from left to right.

The benches, the rental counter. Nothing. He wasn’t anywhere.

Just a few families still skating in the main rink and someone’s toddler screaming for more juice.

I walked over to the front desk, the same one who’d been there earlier always chewing gum, now slouched in his seat.

He had his AirPods in, watching something on his phone and laughing.

"Hey," I said, waving. "Did you see the guy who was sitting right there?" I pointed to where Ash had been, near the edge of the rink entrance.

He looked up, pulled one AirPod out. "Who?"

"He’s blonde, green eyes, kind of short?"

He blinked, then just shrugged. "Nah. Didn’t see anyone."

Of course he didn’t.

I stared at the bench again. Ash could’ve waited.

He wasn’t the type to just... walk off. Especially not in this kind of rain.

The thunder struck again, louder this time. The windows rattled.

I pulled out my phone and hit his contact. Call failed. I tried again.

I walked toward the exit, pressed my hand against the cold glass. The sky outside was a mess....rain thundering down, the street was already flooding. It didn’t make sense.

But then I saw it....one unread text.

I tapped it open.

Hey June, I’ve been calling. Just got a call from the hospital that Alia is missing and I’m leaving now. I think she got kidnapped. I’m so scared. If anything happens to her, I won’t survive it.

My heart dropped.

"What?!" I whispered.

I read it again. And again.

Missing?

Kidnapped?

The world slowed. My fingers trembled around the phone. Her face flashed in my head. Alia was smart...to smart. Cautious. A little sassy but always careful.

"Holy shit," I said out loud.

I turned to the guy again. "Did he say anything before he left? Was he running or walking? Did he look....did he look scared?"

The guy shrugged, clearly irritated. "Lady, I said I don’t remember, alright?"

My throat burned.

I walked away from the counter, gripping my phone tightly.

I tried calling him back immediately, my thumb kept slipping on the touchscreen from the sweat.

Call Failed.

"Come on, Ash. Please pick up," I whispered.

Another try. Straight to voicemail.

The thunder cracked so loud I flinched, the ground underneath my sneakers seeming to vibrate.

He was here. He was literally right here. Laughing with me, skating with Marcus, making fun of the way marcus fell.

And now his baby sister was missing?

Gone?

I paced in small circles near the exit.

Why didn’t I check my phone earlier? Why did I leave him alone? I should’ve...I don’t know.... I should’ve kept time better.

I tapped back into my inbox and stared at the message again. It was only sent eight minutes ago. That’s not a long time, right? Maybe I could still catch him. Maybe he hadn’t gone too far.

I didn’t even realize I was crying until a tear splashed on my phone screen. My lips parted but no sound came out.

How do I get to Ash?

How do we find Alia in this storm?

How could he be so sure?

Why would he use that word ’kidnap’ unless...

I sucked in a shaky breath, trying to steady the panic in my throat.

The rain outside was merciless, like the whole sky was breaking down with us.

My hands were trembling.

I have to get to him. I have to get to the hospital. I can’t let him go through this alone.

But how? The buses would take forever in this weather. The road outside was probably flooding. I couldn’t walk it. I needed someone with a car. A way out. Anything.

Ren.

I turned and bolted back inside the rink, still clutching my phone. My eyes darted across the bleachers, scanning where I’d last seen Ian and Dominic. They were still there.

But no sign of Ren. Where the hell was he?

Crap.

I sprinted toward them. Ian saw me first. He rolled his eyes and turned his head like he didn’t want to see me.

"Hi Dominic," I gasped out, ignoring Ian completely. I wiped my fave. The tears wouldn’t stop

My voice already cracking.

"Hey, sorry to disturb you," I whispered, trying to sound calm, but my chest was shaking and it came out broken. "Please, have you seen Ren?"

Dominic looked up, the moment he saw my face, he gasped.

"Whoa.....whoa, hey. June? What’s going on? Why are you crying?"

I shook my head, swallowing down a sob.

"Please. It’s important. My best friend’s life is on the line. I need to ask Ren something...I can’t find him anywhere."

Dominic’s face changed instantly. He stood up and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean your bestfriend’s life is on the line?"

He grabbed my hands without thinking, holding them tight.

I squeezed back, like maybe if I held on tight enough, I wouldn’t fall apart.

"I got a text from Ash," I was barely able to say it. "His little sister....she’s missing. He said kidnapped. He left in the rain to go look for her. I’ve been trying to reach him....nothing."

Dominic’s eyes widened.

Then?

He let go of my hands and bolted.

No questions. No goodbyes. He just left.

I stood there, my chest kept heaving.

"Great," I muttered, wiping my face with the back of my sleeve.

Then I turned to Ian.

He was still sitting with his legs crossed, phone in one hand, the same smug look on his face like this was beneath him.

I didn’t even want to ask him.

But I had no choice.

"Ian," I said, swallowing the last bit of pride in my throat.

He slowly turned his head back toward me, one brow arched like he wasn’t impressed. He ignored me and kept pressing his phone.

Of course.

"Ian," I called out again. More desperate.

He didn’t even glance up. Just kept scrolling through his phone.

"What do you want from me? Ren left," he said flatly. "So you can leave too."

His voice was so calm, so casual, like I hadn’t just told him a child might’ve been kidnapped. Like I didn’t have tears on my face and a full-blown panic storm in my chest.

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"Please," I said quietly. "I need your help."

He scoffed.

"Oh, now you need my help?" He looked up with a fake smile. "After the crap you said in there? That’s cute."

I stared at him, my lips kept trembling.

"I don’t care about your best friend, June," he said. "And honestly, I don’t even know why Dom ran out like a maniac. We have hockey practice in an hour."

For a second, I just stared at him.

Then, something in snapped. I let out a low, shaky laugh...not because it was funny. But because it was ridiculous.

"Are you just... naturally this wicked?"

He blinked.

"Seriously. What the hell is wrong with you?" I whispered, stepping closer to him. "You said cruel things to Ash this afternoon like it was funny. And now you’re acting like a kidnapped little girl isn’t your problem?"

His jaw clenched, but he didn’t speak. So I kept going. I needed him to feel this.

"She’s eight, Ian. Eight," I said, my voice kept cracking. "She’s tiny. And the world is so cruel to little girls like her. Ash only has her. That’s all he has left."

I wiped my cheek with my sleeve, breathing hard.

My voice cracked, but I didn’t care anymore. Let him see me cry. Let him feel it.

"And you have two sisters. You grew up in a house full of girls. What would it take for you to act like a decent human being for once? Just... pretend you care. Pretend someone like his sister matters to you too."

There was a long pause.

He didn’t look at me right away...he just stared at the floor. His fingers slowly lowered the phone.

I wiped my cheek and sniffled. "He’s scared out of his mind. And I can’t even reach him."

Then he sighed, clearly annoyed. "You always talk too much," he muttered.

Then, he stood up.

"Let’s go find your dumb best friend."

I blinked. "Wait... what?"

He rolled his eyes. "You want a ride or not?"

My heart leapt. I nodded fast, too choked up to even say thank you. Then, I ran after him.