Page 36 of Fame & Chaos

Nothing.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and called her straight away. The ringing echoed faintly through the speaker, but not through the house. Which meant she’d taken her phone too.

“Fuck.”

I hung up and called again instantly while pacing through the kitchen—straight to voicemail this time.

That only made the panic worse.

Where the hell had she gone?

We still had final exams. Graduation was only days away. She couldn’t seriously think she could disappear forever over one argument.

Could she?

The front door opened behind me, and Dad walked in, stopping when he saw me pacing frantically.

“Caleb?”

I turned toward him so fast I nearly knocked a chair over.

Dad’s expression changed instantly. “Whoa. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“She’s gone,” I whispered.

Dad frowned. “Who’s gone?”

“Indi.” My voice cracked badly. “She packed everything and left. She won’t answer me.”

Dad’s face hardened as he glanced toward the hallway. “You checked her room?”

“It’s empty.” I dragged both hands through my hair. “Everything’s gone.”

“Okay.” Dad stepped closer calmly despite the tension in his face. “Let me try calling her.” He pulled out his phone and dialed while I paced like I was losing my damn mind.

No answer.

Dad exhaled quietly and lowered the phone. “What happened between you two?”

I stopped pacing instantly. And then every bit of anger I’d been holding onto disappeared, leaving only guilt behind. “It’s my fault,” I muttered.

Dad folded his arms. “Caleb.”

I swallowed hard. “We slept together last night.”

Dad blinked once, then rubbed a hand slowly over his beard. “Right.”

“And afterward I told her I loved her and wanted us to be together.” My chest tightened painfully again just saying it aloud. “Then she freaked out.” Dad’s expression softened slightly.

“She thinks relationships destroy people,” I continued bitterly. “She thinks if I become famous one day, I’ll overdose or die somehow, and she’ll end up like her mum.”

Dad went quiet after that.

Too quiet.

“You understand why she’d think that, though, don’t you?” he said carefully.

“Yeah, but she’s acting like we’re doomed before we’ve even started.”