Probably because to me Millie didn’t feel dark. When we met, she was the only bright spot in my life. Normally, I was so guarded with new friends. Suspicious. But something about her felt right. I’d liked her immediately and trusted her just as quickly. No reservations.

Looking back, I guess that was a mistake.

5

SATURDAY, 1:00 P.M.
TWENTY HOURS
AFTER DROP-OFF

“HELLO?” WHITNEY ANSWERED HER CELL.

“Hey,” Jay said. “I’m back.”

Where had he been? Whitney’s mind reeled back. Oh, right, the business trip. Had that only been yesterday? It seemed like a million years ago. Whitney rolled out her tense shoulders. Her entire body ached, as if she’d just returned from a grueling uphill run.

“Whitney?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. I’m here...it’s just.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and squinted. “Well, Amelia spent the night at Lauren’s last night and she’s still not back yet. And I can’t get a hold of her.”

There were footsteps on the stairs, a dog barking in the distance. Whitney’s skin prickled.

“She probably just wants more time with her friend. Milkin’ it, you know?”

Milking it. Yeah, that sounded like her daughter. She’d even used that exact phrase to describe Amelia’s actions when she used to take her to the community pool. They went almost every weekend in the summer when Amelia was younger. Whitney always dreaded having to wrangle Amelia out of the water when it was time to leave. She’d stand at the edge, hollering at Amelia, who would dive underwater repeatedly, acting as if she couldn’t hear her.

Was that what she was doing now? Ignoring Whitney’s calls, pretending she didn’t know it was time to leave Lauren’s in the hopes of staying longer?

It was possible.

A knock on the door startled her. “Oh, I’m sorry, Jay, but Nat’s here.”

“Call me when Amelia comes home, okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.” She hung up and opened the door.

“Is she back yet?” Natalie whisked into the room, wearing her usual yoga pants and T-shirt, her strawberry blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. Whitney often joked that it was Natalie’s uniform. She always looked ready for the gym, although Whitney didn’t think she even had a membership.

“No.” Whitney closed the door firmly behind her. It was afternoon. The air outside was warm. Amelia should’ve been lying lazily across her bed, feet propped up on the wall as she scrolled her phone.

“I’m sure she’s fine.” Natalie reached out to pat Whitney’s shoulder. “Teenagers do this all the time. I can’t tell you how many times Kayla came home late from a friend’s without calling or checking in. And don’t even get me started on Marc.”