Please, God, let her be at home.

Rather than head back to my place, I go to Kat’s. If she’s going to go home, this is where she’ll be. Just as I walk through the door, my phone rings. My heart jumps, hoping it’s Tibble to say they found her, but it’s not him. It’s my dad.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Hey buddy. Is this a bad time?”

“Actually, yes. I’m sorry, I don’t have time to chat. Can I call you back tomorrow?”

“Sure, sure. I was just checking to make sure you and your mother are okay.”

I frown at the phone. “We’re all okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

I end the call and shake my head. I have enough to worry about, I don’t need to worry about my dad too.

Who do I call first?

Mia will have my head if I don’t update her right away, so I call her back.

“Tell me you found her,” she says.

“I didn’t.” I fill her in on what happened at the Moda Center. “I’m at her place now. I don’t know where to go to find her.”

“Stay there,” Mia replies. “We’re all on our way. We’ll figure this out.”

“Thanks, Mia.”

I hang up with her and immediately call my brother.

“Yello,” he says. “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be romancing it up at the concert?”

“Chase, I need your help.”

“She’s been gone for almost three hours,” I say in aggravation as I pace Kat’s condo and push my hands through my hair. “Where the fuck is she?”

“I have calls out to some people who can help,” Jake says as he rubs circles on Addie’s back. “They did some security for me in my touring days, and one of the guys lives here. He’s making some calls.”

“Thanks,” I reply.

“I hate that she doesn’t have her phone,” Cami says. She’s sitting next to Landon, her knees pulled up to her chest, and she wipes a tear from her cheek. “She can’t call us if she’s in trouble.”

“Why was it on the floor?” Riley asks.

“I assume it fell out of her pocket when she was in line,” I reply. “Besides, Kat’s made it no secret that she’s not attached to her phone like the rest of the world.”

“Not when she’s at work or with one of us, but when she’s alone, she would never be careless with it. She knows how to be safe, Mac.” Riley stands to also pace the room. Kat’s parents are in the kitchen talking with Mia, my mom, and Chase. Everyone in our circle is in this room, worried out of our minds.

And to be honest, I’m a bit pissed too. Maybe it’s just because it’s easier to be angry than scared, but damn it, where the fuck is she?

“How are you holding up?” Jake asks as he joins me at the window.

“I’m all over the place,” I reply honestly. “Where could she be, man?”

“I don’t know.” He shakes his head and sighs. “This isn’t like her at all. She’s not the type of woman to just run off for the hell of it, and she’s pretty crazy about you.”

“I’m in love with her.” I don’t even care that tears are threatening. “She’s my life, Jake. It’s like I was just walking through life in a fog until her, and now I see everything crystal clear. She’s put everything into focus for me. My life doesn’t work without her.”

“Have you told her this?” he asks.

“No.” Disgusted with myself, I shake my head and pace away, then back again. “I’ve wanted to tell her I love her over and over again.”

“Why haven’t you, then?” Addie asks as she joins us.

“Because I’m fucked up. Because being in something for the long haul scares me, but thinking of anything but forever with her makes me . . . panic.”

“That’s sweet,” Addie says, and rests her head on Jake’s shoulder, her hands over her belly. “She’s always been the same way, sort of. Or, she never met anyone worth being in love with before you. I have to tell you, I’ve seen a change in Kat since she’s been with you.”

“I’ve seen it too,” Mia says. I look up to realize that everyone is watching us, listening. “She’s softened a bit. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still a badass. She’s still Kat. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“She’s in love,” Cami says. “She’s not so cynical anymore. She’s happy and content. You make her happy.”

“We were just saying that this afternoon on our way home from lunch,” Sue says with a sad smile. “She’s finally found someone she can truly talk to, who isn’t afraid of her intelligence or intimidated by her success.”

“She’s fucking amazing,” I reply, my throat hoarse. I swallow hard and rub my fingers roughly over my lips. “She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I swear a part of me knew it the minute she sat next to me on that plane. She was so damn scared, but she held it together. I didn’t even know her, but I was so proud of her.”

“She’s an amazing woman,” Riley says with a nod. “And we’re going to find her, Mac. She’s going to be fine, and you can tell her all of those things yourself.”

“I pray you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.” She rests her fists on her hips. “I’m used to getting my way, and I’m not about to lose my best friend now. She must be lost, or hurt, or . . . something.”