An incessant, high-pitched ringing woke Nick up with a start, and he rolled over in his bed, shoving the down-filled pillow over his head in attempts to block out the annoying sound.
"Who calls this early?" he grumbled to the empty room, glancing at the clock. He'd been home from his shift for an hour and had only accumulated about ten minutes of sleep since Easton seemed to haunt his every thought. Besides, he was too lazy to reach for the cordless extension that was on his bedside table.
"Hi, you reached Nick, you know what to do," his own muffled recorded voice sounded from the living room, followed by a loud beep.
"Nick. Uh, hey, it's Greg," his co-workers hesitant voice came over the machine. "Listen, I think we both know I don't really want to be talking to you, but I was just wondering if Easton was with you. She never showed up for…"
"Greg, hey, I'm here, sorry," Nick interrupted, finally picking up. "What's wrong with Easton?"
Greg sighed, seeming almost annoyed with Nick's concern. "She never showed up for the baby shower Raleigh and her students were hosting for her at the studio this morning, so I was just wondering if you'd heard from her or seen her. Her mom called saying she's not at the apartment, and she's not answering her cell."
Nick had seen her last night, that was for sure. He'd shamefully watched her and Greg outside the building, watched them kiss, watched the pain scrawl across her face when he'd rejected her, but as much as he racked his brain he couldn't remember if he'd actually seen her Porsche Cayenne leave the lot. It wasn't like her to just completely cut off contact. On instinct he was up out of the bed, clumsily pulling on the clothes he'd been wearing last night that were still on the floor while still trying to keep the phone to his ear.
"Listen Greg, get Brass to put a tag on her car," he started ranting, desperate to try and remember where he'd tossed his keys when he'd dragged himself home last night.
"Already ahead of you, her phone's being tracked too." Nick suddenly realized Greg's voice was taking on the same panic tremor he knew was likely evident in his own.
Finally locating the keys in one of his sneakers near the front door, Nick was outside and climbing into his vehicle.
"Listen Greg, we'll find her."
He was met with only the droning sound of the dial tone. Greg had already hung up.