Climb on My Stepfather (Ashley and Alex) novel Chapter 85

17: Gage.

By the time I get finished with the post-game interviews, I'm fucking frantic.

I can see from the field that the family box is empty. Lights out. The stands have cleared.

There is only one place where people are congregating—the home team sideline—and I swear to Christ, if the security team allowed Stella down here,

I'm going to tear a hole in the sky. There is alcohol and groupies riding on the shoulders of my teammates. Even the coaches are acting like fools, singing and guzzling champagne straight from the bottle. When I arrive at the impromptu gathering, everyone goes wild, cheering, slapping me on the back and taking pictures of me with their phones. But I don’t give a shit about any of it. I'm glad we won the game. I’m relieved I lived up to expectations and I feel some closure with my father’s death, but the only person I want to celebrate with is Stella.

And there is no sign of my sweet girlfriend anywhere.

Don't panic.

Don't panic.

I arrived at the game too late to talk to my teammates. I need to explain to them how important Stella is to me. This is my chance. Stella is somewhere

safe with the security team, so I can take two minutes to straighten out the story. Then I can stop having nightmares about her finding out. Just two minutes and I can go find her—

I stop dead in my tracks when the members of Stella's security team appear on the fringes of the crowd. Without Stella.

The helmet slips from my fingers.

“Where is she?” I roar, my heart rocketing up into my mouth.

Silence lands around me like a shower of bricks.

Panic like I've never experienced slices into me like knives. I’m halfway toward the security guards before I realize I’ve moved. They back away from me, holding their palms out. I must appear deranged. Good. That's exactly what I am. They weren’t supposed to leave her side. They weren't even supposed to leave the family box. What the hell is going on?

“Answer me. Now,” I growl through my teeth. “Where is my girl? Where is she?”

One of them steps forward, visibly nervous. “She ran off, Mr. Weston. We

chased her, but she got a head start and it was too dark to see which

direction she went.”

Ice forms on every inch of my body. Dizziness grips me. “Why would she...”

My voice is weak. I barley have the power to form words. “Why would she run?”

Somehow I already know the answer.

I know what's coming.

And all I can do is stand on the tracks and wait for the train to mow me down.

Because I deserve this. I was careless and idiotic and now I'm going to pay with my life.

“I don’t want to get involved in your personal business,” mutters the guard.

“But one of your teammates...I overheard him saying some things to her.”

“You weren't supposed to allow anyone to talk to her!” I bellow, ripping off my jersey. My shoulder pads. I’m being suffocated. Oh God, she’s off somewhere alone. She’s run away, hurt. I've lost her. I'm going to die. I want to die.