“You don’t need to remind me.” I turned, shoving my hands through my hair. “You don’t understand.”

He didn’t immediately respond. “You’re right. I don’t understand how this girl is leading you around by your dick. Have you ever considered that’s she playing you, for some fucked-up reason?”

I whirled on him, hands clenching into fists. If he hadn’t been my closest friend, the one to pull my head out of my ass when I was on home confinement, I would’ve broken his jaw. I took several deep breaths before replying. “She’s not like that, Jase. I know that’s hard for you to believe. I get it. You’ve been screwed over in a way I can’t even begin to fathom, but she is not like that.”

Shaking his head, Jase turned and leaned against the closed door. “That’s what every guy says before they are royally fucked over.”

“Avery is different,” I told him, pulling out my cell again. No response. A ball of unease formed in my stomach. “You don’t know her like I do. You don’t know her at all.”

He stared at me as he scrubbed a palm over his jaw. “I don’t know you right now.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that.

“What is it about her?” he asked, sounding like he truly wanted to understand the attraction I could barely figure out. “She’s not like any other girl you’ve gone out with. She’s fucking awkward as hell and quiet. She’s pretty, but—”

“She’s fucking beautiful,” I cut in, daring him to disagree.

He didn’t. “Is she worth this?”

“Yes,” I said, glancing at my phone again. Still nothing. “Yes, she is, and I need to make sure she’s okay.”

“Cam—”

“I’m leaving this room right this fucking second and you’re not going to stop me.” When Jase didn’t move, I cursed under my breath and reminded myself that he was only doing this because he was my friend. “I’m not going to go beat the shit out of someone. I’m going to go find Avery. That’s all I care about right now.”

Jase looked away, a muscle flexing in his jaw and then he shook his head. “I’m sure she’s okay, Cam.”

“You don’t . . .” I paused, rubbing a spot on my chest as the white walls in the room seemed to blur. My chest constricted. “You don’t understand, Jase. I think . . . I think something happened to her before.”

Comprehension settled across his face and then he stepped aside. “Aw, shit.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, feeling that horrible sensation along the nape of my neck. “Shit.”

My heart was pounding as I stared down at Brittany. “You haven’t seen her?”