Saving Her

Chapter 9

Shawn's POV

"Shawn....it's Camila."

My heart stops. My throat goes dry and I hear a thud which I'm pretty sure is my phone falling out of my hand.

I slide down the lockers and fall to the ground, my ass hitting the cement floor. I feel myself wanting to get sick, but quickly shake my head, trying to stay in reality. Grabbing my phone I see if Sinu is still there and she is.

"What do you mean it's Camila?! Is she ok?"

"We don't know Shawn, she hasn't come home yet. Even when she's gone out with Andy, she's always home by now. She has to work tonight, so she should have been home hours ago to get ready."

Internally I start to panic.

Missing my calls, not coming home, not contacting her mom or sister. That's just not like her. Camila always communicates with us. Always. I should have trusted my gut sooner; I shouldn't have ignored those calls.

"Mama, stay there. I'll find her. If she comes home, let me know right away please" I plead with her, trying to paint my best reassuring look on my face.

She nods, still crying.

Sofi appears on the FaceTime as well. She has a look of terror in her eyes and I can tell she's holding back tears.

"I called the hospital and they said Camila never showed up for work. Andy is there so I asked him and he said he hasn't seen her since last night when she took him home."

In that moment a thousand horrible things cross my mind. Camila is missing, she could be dead on the side of the road and the last memory she has of me is us arguing at the restaurant last night.

Damn it.

"Sinu, Princess; I promise I'll find her. Stay by the phone and I'll keep you updated as I can." Taking a deep breath I try to give them a convincing smile. "She's gonna be ok! I'll find her and bring her home."

Two weak and very sad smiles show on my screen before I tell them I have to go and end the call.

Now that I am no longer face to face with them, I throw my phone across the room and punch my locker in frustration as I stand up, trying to stabilize on both feet.

"Damn it Mila where are you!" I yell, falling to the floor again.

Startling a few of my fellow officers, they look at me in confusion and head to huddle. I'm frozen in my place leaning against the lockers. I can't move, I can't think straight, I'm trying not to assume the worst, but my beautiful girl is out there somewhere and I have no idea where she is.

Brian walks in and sees me in a mess on the cold tiled floor. "Hey man, what's wrong?"

On the verge of tears I look up at him. He helps me to my feet and grabs my shoulders. I remain silent.

"Shawn, what is it?!" He tries again.

"It's Camila, no one has seen her since last night, she won't answer my calls or texts, she didn't come home today, she's not at work and Andy says he hasn't seen her since she dropped him at home last night" I finally say, getting the words out as quickly as I can.

As I'm talking to Brian, my other friend Connor comes rushing into the locker room.

"Guys, we got a call! Let's go!! East Main and Elmwood, neighbors say they heard someone screaming inside, but can't get in."

East Main and Elmwood... That's the street Andy's house is on. I've never been there but I know Camila has mentioned the address to me before.

I look at Brian and Connor with wide, now red and puffy eyes.

"Andy's house is on that street." My heart plummets just thinking about what we'll find and my face goes pale.

Connor looks at me, then at Brian. "Oh shit!"

"We have to go now Shawn, come on!"

Grabbing our bags, finding my phone on the floor, and other supplies we rush to the cruiser. I usually drive, but not today. Connor takes the keys from me and I take the passenger seat. Brian climbs in the back and before we are all even buckled, Connor floors it and were off.

My heart is racing, my legs won't stop bouncing and all I keep hoping for is that Camila is ok. That Camila is alive, and that secretly it's not Andy Bennett's driveway we pull into.