Page 16 of Heavenleigh

What the fuck had I done last night?I wasn’t even sure where I was.The yacht?My room at the hotel?Jake’s?And where the hell was my phone?

After I relieved myself, I washed my hands and ventured back into the bedroom in search of my phone.Eyes half closed, I searched the room, which thankfully I remembered well.It was Jake’s room, but there was no Jake.

Spotting my phone charging, I grabbed it and checked the time.2:47 p.m.

Location and time were a good place to start, even if it was the bare minimum of information I needed.

But then I saw the text banner at the bottom of the screen.Eight-six messages, with a portion of the newest message showing.

Arella: WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?

Oh shit.

Vaguely, I remembered Mom saying my sister was coming home for a few days.We were having family dinner on Monday, but it was Saturday.I had to double-check the date on my phone.Yup, Saturday.But that didn’t explain why my sister was sending me shouty all-cap texts.

Unease filled me, causing my already queasy stomach to protest.

I had too many messages to sort through.Each of my siblings had sent multiple ones.So had both my brothers-in-law.Mom and Dad as well.Heart racing as every possible bad scenario played through my mind, I caught sight of Mieke’s name and her last text on the list.

Mieke: Had to tell them.Don’t hate me.

Sick with anxiety, I hit the first name I came to, with no thought for who it was.Within seconds, my sister’s voice was in my ear, driving the intensity of my headache to an entirely new level of pain.“What the hell, Heavenleigh?”

“Bliss,” I choked through the fear.“What’s going on?”

“Mom fell and broke her foot.It’s a bad break.They have to do emergency surgery.Dad is all over the place.We’ve all been trying to call you all day.Braxton sent someone to your place, and there was no sign of you.We thought you were kidnapped until Mieke told us where you were.”

“Oh gods,” I sobbed.“I’m sorry.It wasn’t supposed to be like this.Yara eloped, and I didn’t want to stress Daddy out.I-is Mom okay?”

“She refuses to let them do the surgery until she hears your voice.Hold on.I’m walking back to her room now,” Bliss grumbled.“Jordan sent his jet to pick you up, by the way.As soon as Mieke clued us in to your location, he called his pilot.That was this morning.He could be there by now, for all I know.”

“Fuck,” I hissed.Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pressed my fist to my forehead.“What happened?”

“I’ll let Mom tell you.”There was a pause on her end.“Are you okay?You sound off, and I don’t mean because you’re obviously crying and worried.Your voice is weird.”

“There are things about last night I don’t remember,” I confessed.“I’m a little hungover.”

“Heavenleigh Evangeline Stevenson!”she scolded, sounding so much like our mom that more tears spilled down my face.“What the hell were you thinking?”

“I know, I know.It won’t happen again, trust me.Don’t…” I sucked in a breath.“Don’t tell Mom and Daddy.”

“Believe me, I won’t.”She didn’t speak again until I heard a door open.“Hey, Mom.I have a little surprise for you.”

“Is it her?”I heard Mom’s voice, and I choked on another sob just as her voice filled the receiver clearly.“Heavenleigh baby, are you there?”

“Mom, I’m so sorry.Are you okay?What happened?”

“Sweetheart, I’m fine,” she soothed gently, as if I were the one in pain, not her.“I tripped and landed at the bottom of the stairs pretty hard.I broke my ankle in a few different places.The doctor wants to do surgery.”

“A few places!”I repeated, the loudness of my own voice causing me to flinch.“What does that even mean?”

“Okay, so maybe I shattered the entire ankle.It’s fine.They’re going to fix it, and I’ll be good as new in no time.No biggie.”

“Mom,” I groaned.“That sounds excruciating.You must be in so much pain.”

“What the hell are you doing in Hawaii?”Daddy’s rough voice hit my ear.I closed my eyes, picturing him.Face pale, eyes wild, worry weighing him down.He must have been so scared about Mom, and I only added to that.Not just because I wasn’t where he thought I would be, but because he couldn’t reach me.For hours.The one thing I wanted to avoid most, and I’d done it and more.

“Yara got married,” I answered weakly.“I didn’t want to worry you.It was supposed to be a quick trip.”