Chapter 177
Ellie's POV
"Jackson. Checking in." I set my phone down, screen-up to prove I had nothing to hide. Well. Nothing else to hide.
Lily stopped pacing, turning to face me fully. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"What? No! Lily—"
"Because I'm not." Her voice shook, but there was steel underneath. "I know you're trying to protect me or spare my feelings or whatever. But Ellie, I need the truth. Even if it's bad. Especially if it's bad. Because right now, my imagination is coming up with things that are probably way worse than reality."
I really, really doubt that, I thought, but I just said, "I understand."
"Do you?" She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Because from where I'm standing, it seems like everyone in Ryan's life knows more about him than I do. His girlfriend. The person who's supposed to be his partner." She sank back onto the bed, shoulders curling inward. "We've known each other for eight months, Ellie. Eight months. And we've been together—officially together—for three. Three months of actual dates and study sessions and him talking about our future. And I don't even know where he's actually from. I've never met his family. He changes the subject every time I ask about his childhood. And now he's just... gone. And nobody will tell me why."
The pain in her voice cut through me like silver. Thalia whimpered, wanting to comfort our friend, hating that we couldn't.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I really am. I just—"
"Don't." Lily held up a hand. "Don't apologize when you're still hiding things. I can see it in your face." She turned to look at me, and the hurt there was worse than anger. "If he's in trouble, I need to know. If he's just decided he's done with me—with us—I need to know that too. But this? This not-knowing while everyone tiptoes around me? I can't do this."
For a long moment, we sat in silence. Outside, someone laughed—a bright, carefree sound that felt like it belonged to a different universe.
Then Lily stood and walked to her desk, pulling her laptop toward her.
"What are you doing?" I asked, though dread was already pooling in my stomach.
"Looking up Carter Industries' contact information." Her fingers flew over the keys. "If Ryan won't tell me what's going on, and you won't tell me what's going on, I'll find out myself."
I was on my feet before I'd consciously decided to move. "Lily, wait—"
"Why?" She didn't look up from the screen. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call his family and ask if they know where their son is."
Because they're probably the reason he's missing. Because you'll put yourself on their radar. Because Miles thinks they might be dangerous.
"Because..." I scrambled for something, anything. "Because big corporations don't just give out information about family members to random callers. They'll think you're a reporter or a scammer or—"
"I'll tell them I'm his girlfriend." Lily's jaw set in a way I'd never seen before. "I'll tell them I'm worried about him. That's not a lie."
"But they won't—"
"Won't what?" She finally looked at me. "Won't tell me anything? Then I'll be in the same place I am now. At least I'll have tried." She turned back to the screen. "Here. Main office in Aspen. Public relations department. Director of communications." She grabbed her phone. "I'm calling first thing tomorrow morning."
"Lily, please." I moved closer, my mind racing. "Just—think about this. What if calling them makes things worse?"
"Worse how?" Her voice rose. "Ellie, my boyfriend is missing. His phone's off, his roommates don't know where he is, and campus security won't do anything because it hasn't been forty-eight hours. How exactly could it get worse?"
Thalia surged, wanting to tell her exactly how it could get worse, wanting to protect her from the Carter family's potential reach, from whatever power plays might be happening behind the scenes. But I couldn't. Not without breaking Ryan's trust, not without exposing things that weren't mine to expose.
"You're right," I said finally, the words tasting like ash. "I'm sorry. I just—I worry about you getting hurt."
"I'm already hurt." Lily's hands trembled as she typed notes into her phone. "Ryan hurt me by lying. By hiding. By leaving without a word. So honestly? I don't really care if calling his family makes him uncomfortable. He should have thought about that before he made me feel like I wasn't important enough to know the truth."
She had every right to be angry. And I had no right to stop her.
But I could try to minimize the damage.
"Okay," I said, pulling out my phone. "If you're doing this, I'm coming with you. We'll call together, first thing tomorrow. Deal?"
Lily looked at me for a long moment, some of the fight bleeding out of her. "You don't have to—"
"Yes, I do." I sat back down beside her. "You're my friend. And even if I think this is..." Potentially catastrophic. "...not the best approach, I'm not letting you do it alone."
She nodded slowly. "Okay. Together."
I watched her add more notes to her phone—talking points, questions to ask, the names of executives she'd found on the corporate website. Every word was another step toward danger, another thread that could unravel into catastrophe.
As soon as she fell asleep—finally, mercifully, around two a.m.—I grabbed my phone and crept into the hallway.
My hands shook as I typed the message to Jackson and Miles: Lily's calling Carter Industries tomorrow morning. She's determined. I couldn't stop her without raising more suspicion. We need a plan.
Jackson's response came within seconds: Shit. Okay. Miles is calling his contacts now. We'll try to get ahead of this.
Miles sent a separate message: What time?
Nine a.m. As soon as their offices open.
Understood. I'm reaching out to an inside contact. But Ellie—once she makes this call, she's on their radar. There's no taking it back.
I slid down the wall, pulling my knees to my chest. Thalia was a knot of anxiety in my chest, pacing and growling and hating all of this.
I know, I typed back. But I couldn't tell her the truth without betraying Ryan's privacy. And I couldn't physically stop her without her knowing something's seriously wrong. This was the only option.
Jackson: You did the right thing. We'll figure this out. Try to get some sleep.
But I didn't sleep. I sat in that hallway until the sky started to lighten, planning what I'd say when Lily made that call, praying that Miles could do something—anything—to keep her safe from whatever storm we were about to unleash.
I closed my eyes and tried not to think about all the ways this could go wrong.