I had spots in front of my eyes as I read it three times. What was I going to do? Should I call Ed? Or my mom?
Tawnee, please come back, and we can talk this through. He’s crazy about you. You’re the most amazing woman, and he’s lucky to have snagged you. This is normal. Just wedding worries. Let’s talk okay?
Her lack of response answered every question I had. We were up a shit creek with no paddle in sight.
My legs were stuck as I assessed the horrid situation unraveling before me. Okay, she’d only been gone a few minutes. I knew I could outrun her if I could find her and sit on her chest until she came to her senses.
I’d been gone most of her relationship with Ed, but we FaceTimed every week, and she was over the moon for him. And anyone with eyes could see he felt the same. I just needed to find her.
I yanked on my Ugg boots, grabbed my purse, keys, coat, and headed down the hall while my mind traveled to all the places where she might have run. I decided I wasn’t going to call Ed, my mom, or anyone. It was just after eleven, and the wedding wasn’t until tomorrow afternoon. Surely, I could scour the city and find her by then, right?
My lungs tightened, remembering she flew by the seat of her pants most of the time. She wouldn’t head to the airport and jump on the next flight to anywhere, would she? My temples started to throb, and I suddenly wished I did have magic mushrooms or morphine. Son of a bitch.
I tore around the corner in the lobby, running toward the door. I had to save my cousin from the biggest mistake of her life.
Chapter 15
AWOL
I sat in the hotel bar nursing a beer, trying to forget the kisses dickhead Brandon kept planting on Fern.
A questionable hot pink streak flew past me, and the long dark hair gave me the answer to who it was. I tossed cash on the bar and hauled ass after her. Why was she running out of the hotel at this hour? What was happening?
I reached her just before she hit the door and grabbed her arm. “Fern.”
She spun around, and I could see the anguish on her face. “Leave me alone.”
I started shaking. “What the fuck did he do to you?”
“Nothing. He did nothing.” She pulled her arm free. “I have to get out of here.”
“If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going to find that bastard and tear him apart. Nobody touches?—”
“Stop.” She pushed her hair back. “This isn’t about me. I, uh, I lost something very important, and I have to find it. Like right now.”
“You can’t go roaming around town at this hour. You can get it tomorrow.”
“You’re my wasting time here in more ways than one.” She inhaled as she pushed her arm in her coat. “What I lost, I need for the wedding. I have to do this now.” She took a deep breath. “Right now.”
“It’s not safe to be out this late. You can find it?—”
She leaned in close. “I’ve lost the bride.”
“Tawnee? She’s missing?”
“Earlier tonight she wasn’t feeling like herself then we had a talk, and she seemed fine. We were getting in our pajamas and ordering sundaes, and then she disappeared.”
She was swimming in stress, and I just wanted to save her. “Maybe she went to see Ed.”
Her eyes shot around the lobby before she whispered. “No, she sent me a text saying she and Ed may have rushed things and that she thinks she might not be enough for him.”
“But he’s crazy about her.”
“I know. I tried calling her, but she won’t pick up. I thought I’d check the most likely places she’d go to think.”
“We should tell Ed.”
Her head shook. “No, I just need to talk to her. She’s having those pre-wedding jitters that I thought were a myth until five minutes ago.”
