My stomach turns into a kaleidoscope of emotions. According to Reed, I’m meeting the rest of the town tonight at the Huddle. People will ask where Galen is. They know we arrived together. And I’d love to think of something to say that doesn’t make me look like The Girl Who Got Dumped.

But then again, why should I make Galen out to be a hero? He did leave, after all. Maybe he’s on his way back, or maybe he decided to take his road trip alone. All I know is that he hasn’t called to tell me anything. Not that he’s sorry, not that he loves me, not that he’s coming back.

After all that jealousy over Reed, he suddenly leaves me alone with him? Nice.

Or … Or … Something could be wrong. I hadn’t really thought of it like that. I’ve always considered Galen supercapable and independent. But … he didn’t make it to Triton territory after all, according to Mom and Grom. Did he intentionally go off course, or did something happen? The realization that Galen could have been in an accident and lying injured or worse on some scarcely used road makes the churning kaleidoscope in my stomach feel more like a pot of melted crayons.

“Do you think he’s okay?” I blurt.

Reed glances at me in surprise. “Who? Galen?”

I nod. “Because he’s never left me like this. Ever. I know he was mad when he left but … This isn’t like him not to check in with anyone.” So now Toby knows he left me. And now I’m not so sure that he did.

Reed sits straighter in his seat and mindlessly adjusts his seat belt. “Anyone? Who would he check in with?”

“Well, I talked to my mom this morning, and she said he hasn’t checked in with his brother.”

“Your mom is Antonis’s daughter? And his brother is … the Triton king, right?” I can tell what’s going through his mind, the domino effect of what would occur if I told my mom about the good citizens of Neptune.

“Yes,” I say impatiently. “But I didn’t tell her about Neptune. Not the important part, anyway.” Reed and I already talked about Mom and Grom before. I decided in the beginning not to keep secrets. I didn’t think Grandfather would view my being cagey as productive in my short stay here. Still, while I sympathize with Reed’s valid concerns, Galen could be missing.

“What does your mom think about him leaving you here to fend for yourself?”

Toby looks up at me, eyes wide. “Galen actually did leave you here? You weren’t joking? Did you guys have a fight?”

Ah, hello, renewed humiliation. I nod. “We had a fight and he left, Toby.” I wish I could say it happens all the time, because that would at least be a sign of normalcy or consistency. But it doesn’t happen all the time. Galen has never done this before.

And I’m an utter simpleton for not thinking he could be hurt. For not worrying about it.

“We should look for him,” I tell Reed decidedly. “He could be broken down on the side of the road. Or … Or…” I can’t say it. Not out loud, not when just thinking it makes me want to curl into a ball.

This time Reed raises his brow at me. “First of all, cars like his just don’t break down, Emma. Even if it did, cars like his come with roadside assistance or some fancy thing like that. Plus, a Syrena is never stranded. Not if there’s water close by.”

This is all true. Still, apprehension undulates through my veins in waves. This hasn’t felt right from the start, has it? Haven’t I had that underlying feeling of … weirdnesss? And haven’t I just pushed through it like the stubborn monster that I am? “We should look for him,” I say again.

“You mean right now?” Reed says, incredulous.

“I heard ‘now’ is always the best time to look for a missing person.”

“Missing person? Emma—”

I sigh. “I know it could be that he’s missing on purpose and that he doesn’t want to be found. I get that, Reed. But just in case. We have to find him. Or at least get him on the phone somehow.”

Reed lets out a slow breath. “Okay. This is what we can do. Neptune’s sheriff is going to be at the Huddle tonight. As soon as we get there, I’ll introduce you to him, and we’ll tell him about Galen. Neptune takes it seriously when one of their own goes missing, trust me. He’ll probably form a search party right then and there.”

“I want to go with them,” I say. If Galen is really missing, then he’s been gone longer than forty-eight hours now. Even as I think it, I imagine a window shutting, the opportunity for us to find him now diminishing.

“I know you do,” Reed says. “But despite how Podunk we all look, the sheriff and his boys have had real law-enforcement training. They’re real cops, believe it or not. They know where to start looking. And they’d never let a civilian come with them. You need to trust them to find Galen—if he really wants to be found. It’s dark out. If the boys don’t find him tonight, we’ll form a town-wide search party in the morning. We’ll cover where the sheriff didn’t, I promise. But coming tonight to the Huddle will help your cause. If they know you, they’ll be more motivated to help.”

My brain rebels against all this common sense. I know it’s the right thing to do or whatever, but I know Galen would look for me if he thought something was wrong. He wouldn’t be attending any Huddle, and he wouldn’t be waiting for morning to start looking. No matter how many people were expecting him to be there.