to life with a flick of the mouse. "I just like Nicky better."
"Well, I like Nicole and it's my name, so..."
A soft chuckle escapes his lips as he opens up Google.
"Whatever you say, Nicole."
I roll my eyes and perch on the seat beside him. "What are you looking for?"
"Well, we know Trent's lying. He didn't drop you home and I'm guessing if you guys were... you know... in his car then he probably drove to a scenic overlook or someplace private."
Dale searches for maps of the area.
"So Matt lives... here?" He points to the screen. I lean over him and nod.
"Is that right?"
"Yes. I keep forgetting you can't see me."
He grins. "Okay, so I imagine Trent wouldn't drive for miles before stopping, so let's assume you're within a 15 mile radius of Matt's house." He leans closer to the screen and inspects the different routes leading away from Matt's house. "There are vista points scattered all the way through the National Park. We could start there this afternoon, see if any of the settings stir some memories."
I clear my throat and dredge up the memory again. "It wasn't a vista anything. It was dark and kinda creepy. I think it was off the road. Hidden."
His grin disappears and that hard look returns. Before I thought he was pissed at me, but now I'm wondering if this quiet rage is solely for Trent. For some weird reason I find it touching that he's annoyed about someone treating me like that.
I frown and clear my throat. "I must have started walking, right? I mean I wouldn't have just stood there in the dark. Logic says I would've tried to find a main road or something."
"If you were in a quiet spot, the chances of you slipping and falling are high. You could have tumbled down the bank pretty easily." His features are etched with worry. "You don't remember anything else?"
"No." I swallow down the lump in my throat and look back at the screen. San Bernardino National Park is huge. The road from Matt's house cuts through a portion of it. With little to go by this hunt could take months... and I don't have that long. "What if he drove south?"
Dale runs his fingers through his curls and flicks them out of his face.
"A human can survive for around four days without water and from what you've said, you're not pouring blood, so we have a little time."
Grabbing the mouse, he opens up a new screen and does a search on the weather. "Sunny and fine all this week. You've got a chance."
"Not a very big one," I scoff.
"It's better than nothing."
My phone chirps. Dale reaches for it and reads the screen with a frown. "According to the Where's Nicole Poll, 88% of voters think you've run away." He shakes his head and slides the phone away.
"I guess people think they have me all figured out."
He looks in my direction, his eyes searching for my sad expression. I'm intensely grateful he can't see me right now.
"I'm sorry if I crossed a line before. I shouldn't have been so rude about your boyfriend."
I look down at my nails and run my thumb over the smooth blue polish. "He's not my boyfriend anymore. If I make it out of this I will be dumping him, very publicly."
Dale chuckles.
"I saw him trying to make out with Julie Peters this morning. I guess it's a good thing. If this hadn't happened I never would have known, just kept dating him like a clueless wonder."
"Even after what he did to you last night?" Dale's brow creases with a frown.
"I don't know." I shrug.
Dale leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. Looking up with sincere eyes that are just an inch from my face, he whispers, "You deserve better."
I feel the sting of tears. If he knew the truth he wouldn't be saying stuff like this.
"You don't know what I deserve."
"I—"
The door clicks and Dale bolts upright, turning back to the screen and studying it. I glance towards the door and notice a round faced Asian girl with wide eyes and an innocent expression weaving through the tables towards us. Her smile is glowing.
"Hey Dale."
I watch him with a grin as
"Well, I like Nicole and it's my name, so..."
A soft chuckle escapes his lips as he opens up Google.
"Whatever you say, Nicole."
I roll my eyes and perch on the seat beside him. "What are you looking for?"
"Well, we know Trent's lying. He didn't drop you home and I'm guessing if you guys were... you know... in his car then he probably drove to a scenic overlook or someplace private."
Dale searches for maps of the area.
"So Matt lives... here?" He points to the screen. I lean over him and nod.
"Is that right?"
"Yes. I keep forgetting you can't see me."
He grins. "Okay, so I imagine Trent wouldn't drive for miles before stopping, so let's assume you're within a 15 mile radius of Matt's house." He leans closer to the screen and inspects the different routes leading away from Matt's house. "There are vista points scattered all the way through the National Park. We could start there this afternoon, see if any of the settings stir some memories."
I clear my throat and dredge up the memory again. "It wasn't a vista anything. It was dark and kinda creepy. I think it was off the road. Hidden."
His grin disappears and that hard look returns. Before I thought he was pissed at me, but now I'm wondering if this quiet rage is solely for Trent. For some weird reason I find it touching that he's annoyed about someone treating me like that.
I frown and clear my throat. "I must have started walking, right? I mean I wouldn't have just stood there in the dark. Logic says I would've tried to find a main road or something."
"If you were in a quiet spot, the chances of you slipping and falling are high. You could have tumbled down the bank pretty easily." His features are etched with worry. "You don't remember anything else?"
"No." I swallow down the lump in my throat and look back at the screen. San Bernardino National Park is huge. The road from Matt's house cuts through a portion of it. With little to go by this hunt could take months... and I don't have that long. "What if he drove south?"
Dale runs his fingers through his curls and flicks them out of his face.
"A human can survive for around four days without water and from what you've said, you're not pouring blood, so we have a little time."
Grabbing the mouse, he opens up a new screen and does a search on the weather. "Sunny and fine all this week. You've got a chance."
"Not a very big one," I scoff.
"It's better than nothing."
My phone chirps. Dale reaches for it and reads the screen with a frown. "According to the Where's Nicole Poll, 88% of voters think you've run away." He shakes his head and slides the phone away.
"I guess people think they have me all figured out."
He looks in my direction, his eyes searching for my sad expression. I'm intensely grateful he can't see me right now.
"I'm sorry if I crossed a line before. I shouldn't have been so rude about your boyfriend."
I look down at my nails and run my thumb over the smooth blue polish. "He's not my boyfriend anymore. If I make it out of this I will be dumping him, very publicly."
Dale chuckles.
"I saw him trying to make out with Julie Peters this morning. I guess it's a good thing. If this hadn't happened I never would have known, just kept dating him like a clueless wonder."
"Even after what he did to you last night?" Dale's brow creases with a frown.
"I don't know." I shrug.
Dale leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. Looking up with sincere eyes that are just an inch from my face, he whispers, "You deserve better."
I feel the sting of tears. If he knew the truth he wouldn't be saying stuff like this.
"You don't know what I deserve."
"I—"
The door clicks and Dale bolts upright, turning back to the screen and studying it. I glance towards the door and notice a round faced Asian girl with wide eyes and an innocent expression weaving through the tables towards us. Her smile is glowing.
"Hey Dale."
I watch him with a grin as
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