Chapter 62

Tyler. I was back to the familiar haze of despair, trying to use alcohol to drown out the pain that I felt. I had just left the boxing room, attempting to purge the anger that clung to me like a second skin after what Lauren had done. My fists had met the punching bag with an intensity fueled by betrayal, but the rage refused to dissipate. Most of all, I was angry at myself for letting Arya slip away so easily, and for falling victim to Lauren's deceit. I downed another shot, the fiery liquid barely registering as it burned its way down my throat. My mind replayed the scenes of the day I had gone to check out the last place Arya was supposed to be. We only found Lauren's car and the picnic basket. Unpacked. It had turned out to be a dead end, a harsh reminder of how easily I lost Arya. The frustration had boiled over, threatening to consume me. I had almost killed the guard there, the one person who was supposed to be on duty when Arya was taken. Nate, ever the voice of reason, had