Denial

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Serenity

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the seatbelt digging into my collarbone. The cars and trees blurred by as we sped down 210. I've never been so happy about decent traffic in my life. Usually, this area would be so backed up, it'd take three hours to make that hour drive. All I could think about was Rae. The thought of her being lost and disoriented was slowly killing me.

"Papa, can't you go any faster?" I asked for what had to be the thousandth time. What can I say? I'm worried.

He turned in his seat, glaring at me for a second before looking back at the road. "Serenity Noël Toussaint!" he practically snarled. "Will you please just sit back and relax? I'm going as fast as the speed limit will allow me to."

I sighed, my worry turning to anger. "I get that, but we need to get back home. Rae needs me."

"Sweetheart," he sighed. "I'm pretty sure there isn't anything you can do that her family hasn't already tried."

Before I could respond to that with the scathing remark at the tip of my tongue, my phone vibrated in my pocket. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ren. It's me."

My entire spine stiffened, and my words caught in my throat. I cleared it and then swallowed the lump of dread that had tried to come up. "Hey, Junior. Is everything okay? Is she okay? Have you heard from her?"

"Jesus, Ren. Calm down." he sighed. I could almost see him gripping the back of his neck as he massaged it. "She finally texted Natasha about ten minutes ago. She'd said she was halfway home. Hopefully, she'll be here soon."

"Ask him why she ran away, Rennie." my mom demanded from the passenger seat.

"What happened, Junior? Why'd she bolt like that?"

He groaned on the other side of the phone, a muffled curse escaping him. "They went into Henri's Hangout." I tensed so hard, I had to grit my teeth at sharp pain shooting up my spine. I might've just pulled a muscle. "Mom said Rae wouldn't leave the entrance. Tammy went to talk to her and she damn near leapt into orbit. Tammy immediately figured out Rae was having a panic attack and she dragged her outside. They all stood with her, but out of nowhere, Rae just took off running. They tried to follow her, but they couldn't keep pace with her."

I could hear muffled conversation in the background as I thought over what he'd said. "These panic attacks are happening too frequently for my liking. Do you know when her next appointment is?"

"One sec." I could hear him yelling for his mom and then the dull murmur of their voices as they spoke. He must've put the phone to his chest so I wouldn't be able to listen in. "She said Rae's next appointment is this upcoming Wednesday."

That's four days away. What if something else happens before then? "Junior, I don't like this. Maybe your parents should move the appointment closer."

"They already tried that. Dr Lee doesn't have any openings at the moment. She promised to give us a call as soon as she finds one."

I shook my head, knowing there was nothing I could do for her from here. "Okay, Junior. Keep me posted."

"Yeah. Will do."