38. DAISY

Someone’s phone was vibrating.

An irritating sound that pulled me out of my sleep.

The mattress dipped as Val sat up with a low groan and reached for the phone on the bedside table.

“Hello?” he answered hoarsely. “This is him.”

He fell silent but I felt his body tense. Running a hand through his hair, he took a few steps away from the bed but froze.

“When?” Val paused again. “Is he okay? How long ago? Okay. I’ll meet you at the front desk.”

Hanging up, he dropped his phone back on the bedside table and then leaned down to shake Elias’s shoulder and then mine.

“What?” Elias groaned, turning onto his front.

I sat up and reached for him.

Val swallowed loudly, eyes darting between Elias and me. “Dad called,” he said softly. “There’s been an accident.”

Elias was instantly on alert. “Are they okay?”

“It’s not them.” He paused. “It’s Alex.”

My heart dropped to my stomach, the air locked in my throat and tears instantly filled my eyes. Panic clawed up my throat, making it impossible f