Page 84 of First Down Promise

But now I’m curious.

Hopping back in the car and tossing the duffel on the passenger seat, I pull up our family location-sharing app, and the map shows she’s a mile away at the yoga studio. Her phone hasn’t connected for a while, but she could have turned it off for a yoga class. I’m about to set my phone down when a hunch tells me to check the cameras from this morning. The footage reveals that her car left two hours ago, and I thought yoga classes only ran for an hour.

I drum my index finger on the steering wheel, trying to recall what’s near that yoga studio. She could have walked over to the brunch place or popped into one of those smaller stores in the same plaza, but the movement stops.

I set my phone in the center console and throw the G-Wagon in reverse, contemplating driving by the yoga studio. It wouldn’t be out of the way, per se.

I shake my head because I have places to be instead of detouring. For all I know, Sadie met her there, and they’re yapping. Lord knows how chatty she was when she brought me that heating pad in Dallas, but she kept my mind off how bad my fucking body hurt after the beating we took that night.

Anyway, I take the shortcut down Josh’s street to avoid a couple of lights on the way to the main road. As I approach his place, I nod at how much better the exterior looks since he had it repainted earlier this year. His massive truck is parked in the driveway, so Josh must be using the day to recover.

But something white is parked next to it.

I slam on the brakes, screeching to a stop in the middle of the street as my brand-new tires burn rubber in front of Josh’s house. Thank God no one was behind me, but I stay put as I squint to read the license plate on the back of the car, confirming that’s her Audi in his driveway.

Everything inside me sinks into my gut.

Why is she at Josh’s?

A car appears from behind me and honks because I’m still blocking the street. I ease my foot off the brake and turn into his driveway before I can think. I park in front of their cars and grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white. She could have parked at Josh’s, and he took her to yoga.

For some unknown fucking reason.

Or she’s here to drop something off, and her phone hasn’t updated. She was good at dropping the damn thing. I sit in the car for a moment, waiting for Abby to walk out. Waiting for Josh to walk her out like a gentleman. But neither of them appears.

His house is quiet, as if no one is even home. But the longer I sit there, the harder my heart pounds.

Maybe they’re planning another surprise party.

My birthday isn’t for a few months, but Josh has thrown me a surprise party before. It wouldn’t be abnormal for Abby to help.

But deep down, I know that’s not it.

Not after he was at my house before the bash. Not after their stories didn’t match up. And sure as fuck, not after Thanksgiving. They snuck off to the garage together for a little too long, but I thought they were just chatting or looking at one of the cars. But now I wish I’d had a camera in there to see what really happened. My stomach churns as I remember the whole ‘open wide’ bit Josh pulled on her. She didn’t protest and did exactly what he asked. She even enjoyed it. I grind my teeth. Josh is a good Southern Christian boy. He’d never do this to me.

Not Abby.

I turn off my car, slam the door, and walk around to Abby’s car. I drag the back of my hand across the glossy hood of her car, and the metal is as cold as this December day. If she had just stopped in, it should be slightly warm.

I don’t bother looking up at Josh’s exterior cameras as I approach the hood of his obscene truck and press my fingertips to the hood. Even colder. I sigh, watching my exhale appear like smoke in the crisp air.

It doesn’t mean anything.

But I turn for the stone path that leads to the front door.

It’s nothing, Pete. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.

If I think that enough, it might be true.

I knock on the oversized wooden door and wait a moment. No footsteps approach from inside, nor does Josh get on his doorbell camera to greet me, so he must be away from his phone.

Fuck me, I didn’t want to do this.

I press my thumb to the fingerprint scanner on the doorknob. I’m Josh’s emergency contact, so yeah, I have access to his place. This is the first time I’ve actually scanned my thumbprint to unlock the door. The lock glows green and clicks, and I push the door open.

Inside, his place is as dreadfully quiet as I expected it to be, and my chest burns. I shouldn’t be intruding, but I’m out of excuses for why Abby should be here.

I pause and push down the bile threatening to rise. I’ve been making excuses for them all season. I mentioned the fire alarm acting up, and Josh quickly latched onto that idea. Abby’s story about him checking on her while I was gone tracked, but she was a deer in headlights when I pressed her about it, too.