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“Dean.” His voice is strained. Panicked. “Ben answered Blair’s phone.”

For half a second, the words don’t make sense.

The room is still loud around me. Dad is arguing with the referee through the television, Aspen is asking Mom if she can help with dinner, and Logan is giving Rory shit about something.

Everything is completely normal.

But Jerry’s words aren’t.

“What the fuck did you just say?” I ask, already moving away from everyone.

“I called Blair for our check-in,” Jerry explains, his breathing heavy through the phone. “A man answered.”

My stomach drops so violently I feel sick. “How do you know it was Ben?”

“Because I know his fucking voice, Dean. He sat at my bar several nights a week for years.” Jerry pauses, and when he speaks again, his voice breaks. “He told me Blair couldn’t come to the phone. Then he laughed and hung up.”

Every muscle in my body locks.

Blair went home.

She’s alone in that fucking house with him.

“What time did you call her?” I demand.

“Two minutes ago. Where is she?”

“Her house.” I’m already heading toward the front door, fumbling with my keys because my hands have started shaking. “She went home to grab some things before dinner.”

“Call the police,” Jerry orders. “Now.”

“I will.”

I hang up before he can say anything else.

“Dean?” Rory calls from behind me. “What happened?”

“I need to go get Blair.”

The room falls silent.

I barely register the way everyone looks at me. Mom’s face drains of color, Dad puts down his whiskey, and Logan pushes himself off the couch.

“What’s happened to her?” Mom asks.

“I don’t know.” The words come out harder than I intend, but I don’t have time to soften them. “I just need you to keep Pen here.”

“Do you need us to come?” Dad asks, already reaching for his keys.

“No. Stay with Aspen.” I yank open the front door. “I’ll call when I know what’s going on.”

“Daddy?”

Aspen’s frightened voice stops me before I can leave.

Fuck.

I turn and find her standing beside Mom, her little face filled with fear. She doesn’t know about Ben. None of them do. All she knows is that I’m panicking, and I can’t hide that from her no matter how hard I try.