What could have made Angel run like this? Beverly said she'd been scared. Terrified.
My phone started vibrating in my pocket and I took it out to see who it was. Even though Angel didn't have a phone, I got my hopes up that it might be her.
Colton.
Ignoring the call, I set my phone down in the cup holder. I'd just have to call him back later. When it lit up again with his name flashing across the screen, I decided to answer. I put it on speaker and set it back down.
"I can't talk right now," I told him quickly. "Angel took off, and I have to go find her."
"I know. Fuck."
"What do you mean you know?" I asked, confused.
"That's what I'm calling to tell you. This is Kendra's handiwork. Tara just told me what happened," he sighed and continued. "Apparently, Kendra saw some missing person's report for Angel on the internet or something. She went to your apartment and told Angel she called the cops and that they were coming after her. And you. The both of you."
"Did she seriously call the fucking cops?" I asked, unable to contain the rage in my voice.
"No, that's the thing. She didn't really call them. She just wanted to spook Angel enough to get her to leave town."
"Well, it worked. Why the fuck would she do this?" I angrily slammed my hand down on the steering wheel.
"I don't know. Bitches be crazy, man."
"If you see Kendra, you tell her she'd better hope Angel makes it back safely," I warned. "Did Tara have anything to do with this?"
"She says she didn't," he said, but I could hear a hint of doubt in his voice. "Says she called me as soon as she found out what Kendra did."
"I gotta go," I told him, reeling from the information he'd given me.
"Okay. Let me know as soon as you find her," he said. "And Travis? You will find her."
*
Walking through the doors of the train station, not knowing if I would find Angel or not, was one of the scariest moments of my life. Because, if she wasn't here, I had no idea where else to look.
The inside was fancy with marble flooring and decorative pillars throughout the large lobby. Bright sunlight came through pristine floor-to-ceiling windows lining the front of the building.
I couldn't have looked more out of place, standing there in my auto shop coveralls, covered in grease and motor oil up to my elbows.
My head whipped back and forth as I sorted through all the people milling about.
Men in business suits impatiently checked their watches while towing their luggage behind them. Frazzled parents attempted to entertain their young kids with iPads and crossword puzzles. A small group of people around my age talked excitedly, probably going over plans for a fun trip.
I spun in a circle, my eyes desperately seeking the one person I wanted to find.
Time seemed to stop as I spotted wild blonde hair. It was the back of her head, but I'd recognize it anywhere. It looked exactly the same as it did the day I first saw her walking along the side of the road.
Angel was sitting alone on a bench that was far away from the main waiting area. Her head was tilted down and her shoulders were hunched.
The call for St. Louis boarding sounded over the speaker system. She slowly lifted her backpack from the bench beside her and slung it over her shoulder. When she turned around, her eyes went straight to me-eyes that were red-rimmed and puffy from crying.
Her mouth fell open in surprise as she realized I was thirty feet in front of her, and we stared at each other for a good ten seconds.
With steady strides, I closed the space between us because she seemed to be glued in place.
I felt an array of emotions. Relief, anger, hurt. Relief because I found Angel before she left, anger at Kendra's deception, and hurt because my girlfriend was going to leave without even saying goodbye.
"Travis," she breathed out, nervously glancing around. "I have to go. It's a long story-"
"We're going home. Now," I stated and Angel flinched at my tone. I didn't mean to sound so harsh, but damn it, she wasn't getting on that train.
She shook her head and her voice lowered to a whisper. "You don't understand. The police are looking for me."
"No, they're not. Kendra lied. She never called them."
"She … lied?" she asked in disbelief, and I recalled our very first conversation-the one where she told me she was a bad judge of character. She definitely wasn't kidding about that.
"Come on." I grabbed her hand and started walking towards the exit. "We can talk about this later, but you're safe," I assured her. "No one is coming after you."
I felt resistance as she planted her feet on the floor, and I was forced to stop. "What if someone reports me? That could still happen," she said, her eyes darting around the train station.
"Just lay low tomorrow. Then on Wednesday, call your case worker and let them know you're safe. They won't be able to make you do anything at that point."
"I don't even care about me. I just don't want to get you in trouble," she said vehemently.
"Baby," I whispered as my grease-stained hands came up to cradle her face and she leaned into my touch. I loved that she never cared about how dirty I was when I got done with work. "Nothing will happen to me. The only thing I want is to have you back at my place. Safe. We'll sort this out, okay? Together."
Angel chewed on her lip as she thought it over, and relief hit me when I could see her come to the decision I was hoping for-her face gave away everything. Her features relaxed and her eyes filled with hope. She finally nodded and I gave her a swift kiss on the forehead.
The ride home was silent. Angel spent most of the time anxiously twisting her hands together in her lap while looking out the window. I felt her eyes on me several times, but she never said anything.
I gripped the wheel and clenched my jaw every time I thought about what Kendra did. Now that I knew Angel was safe, the anger I was feeling had my full attention.
When we pulled into the parking lot by my apartment, Angel glanced around with a paranoid expression on her face. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she let out a relieved sigh and unclasped her seatbelt when she realized there was no one else in sight.
We exited the car and made our way back into the apartment. Angel's backpack hit the floor with a thud while I shot Colton a text.
Me: Found her. Back home now.
Colton: Thank fuck. I'm staying at Tara's tonight. I'll try to find out more details.
Me: Thanks.
I was glad we had the apartment to ourselves. Angel and I still needed to talk, and I'd rather do it without an audience.
After sliding my phone back into my pocket I looked up to find Angel staring at me, and my cock responded to the look on her face. Her eyes flared with heat as they roamed over my body, then up to my face. Pink tinged her cheeks as her lips parted and her breathing picked up.
For a short time, we'd both thought we might never see each other again. And now we were back at my apartment. Safe. Together. Alone.
The charged emotions of the day-fear, anger, confusion-turned into white-hot lust.
She licked her lips and my body suddenly felt electrified, like a soda can after it got shaken up, ready to combust.
I moved toward her as she launched herself at me. Angel's jean-clad legs wrapped around my waist while my hands when down to her ass.
Our teeth clashed as our mouths moved together at a feverish pace. I moved to the closest available surface, which happened to be the kitchen counter, and set her down.
Angel's hand tugged at the zipper of my coveralls and I let her pull it down. Her hands slipped under my T-shirt. Smooth fingertips grazed over my chest and stomach as her mouth sucked at my neck.
My hands went into her hair and I pulled her head back so I could take her mouth with mine.
We were seconds away from losing control.
This had been on my mind since the day I met her. It was what I wanted, eventually.
But not now. Not when I was still upset about everything that happened.
Forcing myself to let go of the grip I had on her hair, I stepped back and the lustful expression on Angel's face cleared a little. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"We can't do this right now."
"Why not?" She sounded disappointed. Frustrated. I could definitely relate to those feelings.
"Damn it, Angel." I ran a hand through my hair. "Because I'm still pissed at you." While my words were harsh, my tone was soft.
I still couldn't believe she'd left the way she did.
"I'm sorry," she squeaked and looked down.
Oh, fuck.
I knew that squeak.
"Baby, no. Please don't cry." I stepped close to her and lifted her chin to make her look at me. Fat tears spilled from her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. I gently wiped them away with my thumbs. "I'm sorry, okay? Do you have any idea how scared I was? Scared I'd never see you again? What would've happened if I'd been too late?"