when he claimed the bottle. I sit back down hard, and Brendan snorts.
“Why wouldn’t you at least talk to her? I know she’s called you. I saw you ignore at least one call right after you got here. She also texted Lauren, looking for our parents’ address.”
My head snaps up. “So that’s how she knew where Mom and Dad live?”
He shakes his head. “Lauren didn’t respond, because she wasn’t sure what to do. I guess Gabby gave her their address.”
“What?” That surprises me. Gabby always seemed so sweet. “Why would she do that?”
Brendan looks at me like I’m every bit the dumbass he just called me. “Because even after everything, Gabby thinks the best of everyone. She thought Alexis wanted to send Mom and Dad a card or a present or something. You know how she is.”
Right. I do know how Gabby is. That … actually fits completely. And since she didn’t know anything that happened this afternoon, she’d have no reason not to give Alexis Mom and Dad’s address. And if she reasoned Alexis wanted it to be some kind of surprise, she wouldn’t think twice about me not giving it to her.
Groaning, I bury my face in my hands. “How did this happen?”
Brendan claps me on the shoulder. “You decided you knew best. Like always. But dude, you don’t do shit like that without a conversation. Call Alexis. She’s really upset.”
“Of course she is,” I mutter. “She had a run-in with Mom.”
With a laugh, Brendan pads to the door. “I’m sure that didn’t help anything, but that’s not the real reason she’s upset. You are. Call her. Talk to her. Get to the bottom of this. If this is really what she wants, then fine. The air is clear. You can both heal your wounds and move on. But …”
That but hangs in the air, the promise of a million alternative realities suspended along with it. But if there’s more to the story …
But if she doesn’t really want a divorce …
But if there’s some way you can work things out …
But if she doesn’t take that contract …
But …
“Just call her,” Brendan says, then pulls the door closed behind him.
It sounds so simple. But somehow, it’s not.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Alexis
I scramble for my ringing phone, disappointed that it’s not Colt’s name on the display. But it’s Mia’s, and I haven’t talked to her in a while, so I answer. “Hey, Mia.” I’m forcing brightness into my voice that I don’t feel.
And Mia knows me well enough that she doesn’t buy it. “What’s wrong?” she asks immediately.
And just like that I’m transported back to the days when we were best friends. When she had my back and I had hers, and she and Katie were the two people I counted on most. I miss those days with a desperation that verges on hysteria.
So I fill her in on everything, fighting back tears as I tell her about Colt disappearing and me trying to track him down. “I still can’t find him.” I sniff, wiping a stray tear that’s escaped my control. “His phone’s off now, and no one seems to know where he is. Or at least, if they know, they’re not telling me. I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, it seems like you should do what you always do.” Mia’s voice is smooth and untroubled. Almost cold.
I sniff again. “What’s that?”
“Move on. Use him as a stepping stone to further your career. That was the whole point of being with him, wasn’t it? You’ve already done it to Katie and me. What’s the difference now?”
“What?” I’m so stunned that I can’t even make sense of her words.
She laughs, brash and mean. “You always had this goody-goody, doe-eyed, princess thing going for you. Keep it up. You’ve managed to salvage your reputation from the tarnishment of being associated with Katie and me, and now you can use it to get what you’ve always wanted, no matter who you leave behind in the process. Leave him in the dust, Alexis, like you do to everyone.”
“What are you talking about?” I protest. “I don’t do that. That’s not—“
“How many times have you called me?” she demands, her voice sharp and angry. “Since the accident. How many times?”
“I—“
“Once. The next day. But since then? It’s been radio silence. I called you once before. And today, in a rare moment of nostalgia and an attempt to make amends, because that’s what my counselor wants me to do, I thought, ‘I’ll call Alexis. Maybe try