‘Daddy?’

‘No, thank you. I’ll go with Mom and Aunt Natalia, make sure they both get a warm bite inside when you and Holly return. But take your time.’ His gaze was on his daughter, but his words were directed at her best friend.

At the elevator, Sophie reached out and jabbed the down arrow several times, hard enough that Holly was a little afraid she’d actually break it. When the doors opened, the two girls stepped aside to allow a family of five to disembark before climbing in themselves, grateful that no one else had been waiting for the car.

Once the doors closed, Holly pressed the button for the cafeteria. Leaning her head back against the stainless steel of the elevator wall, she breathed deeply, a million thoughts racing through her mind, when Sophie spoke.

‘I know it’s her daughter, and she has every right to be in there with Jersey, but we’re worried, too. We should’ve been allowed to see her.’ She swallowed loudly before admitting what was really bothering her. ‘What if she doesn’t want to see us? What if she told her mom that, and Aunt Natalia just hasn’t found a way to tell us yet?’

Holly stepped closer to her best friend and draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her in closer to her, and reaching up to draw Sophie’s head onto her shoulder. ‘That’s not what’s going on, Sophie. We’re going to see her, I promise. It’s hard, I know, but we need to be patient just a little longer.’ And though she knew she shouldn’t, she brought up Jersey’s dad. ‘I still can’t believe what he told my mom.’ When her mom had pulled Natalia aside last night to inform her of her soon-to-be ex-husband’s response to returning, Natalia had nearly disintegrated, and likely would’ve, if it hadn’t been for Sophie’s mom.

Sophie’s jaw tightened. ‘“Tell her I’ll see her when I get home in two weeks.” What a prick.’ Tears spilled over until she wiped them angrily away. ‘Whatever. He’s a bigger ass than we already knew he was.’

There was nothing left to say after that, so they remained quiet until the elevator doors opened on the main floor where the cafeteria was located. As they stepped out, they practically bumped into Beau Cambridge, and Sophie stumbled back. ‘What the actual hell are you doing here?’ she spat, heedless of the curious stares she received as people stopped and gawked.

Beau crossed his arms over his chest and sneered. ‘I heard they found Jersey, so I’m here to see my girlfriend.’ He tried to step into the elevator, but Sophie was faster, blocking his path.

‘Like hell.’

‘And you think you can stop me?’ He moved in closer to Sophie, towering over her much smaller frame in an effort to intimidate her, but she didn’t budge.

Eyes narrowed into slits, she spoke through her teeth. ‘Maybe I can’t physically bar you from trying, but if I start screaming, I bet I can get those security guards over there – the ones who are right now, as we speak, keeping a careful watch on this situation – to come over here, and I bet I can put on a very convincing act about how you’ve been abusive to me, and I’m so scared, and ask them to please just make you go.’