Page 116 of Sticks and Stones (Shadow Valley U)

Taylor is next.

I quickly dart down the line and back before grabbing my phone.

My brows pinch. Stone always sends me one last text before the game. Sometimes it’s a dirty text, and sometimes it’s aI’ll score one for you, babytext.

I have none.

“Where is Stone?” I whisper.

Ally doesn’t hear me. She’s too busy clapping and yelling for the team.

The buzzer is about to sound, and I panic.

Relax. He’s fine.

Evan’s head is tilting in my direction, and I swear, time stops. He whips his helmet off and mouths, “Where is Stone?”

My stomach empties.

How would I know where Stone is?

Better question, why isn’t he on the ice with his teammates?

I don’t say anything to Ally when I turn and edge my way down the aisle. My feet hit the cement stairs, and I jog up them like I know where I’m going.

It’s deserted out in the lobby area, a few lines of fans getting last-minute beer and popcorn, but I can see the hall that leads to the locker rooms.

I ignore the sign that saysKeepOutand put one foot in front of the other. My fingers fly over my phone, and I pray he answers.

Knowing Stone, he probably did this on purpose. A way to lure me to the locker room for a quickie before taking the ice.

Ugh, answer the phone.

My chest gets tighter, and my heartbeat is deafening.

I pause when the ringing stops halfway through. “Stone Foster,” I reprimand. “Where the hell—”

“Hi, Pumpkin. It’s so nice of you to finally call me back.”

The hallway narrows.

Words are nonexistent, but I move into action right away, flinging myself out a door that saysEmergencyExitOnly.

The last thing I need is Ally following me.

“Where is Stone?” My voice is calm, but I feel the complete opposite on the inside. There’s chaos. So much chaos.

“Waiting for you.”

I turn at the sound of my deranged father’s voice and lower the phone. He mimics me and does the same. The only difference between us is that he is wearing a sinister smile, and I’m hardly keeping my shit together.

I’m afraid.

I feel sick.

But most of all, I’m desperate.

“Where is he?”