Even The Playing Field | BOOK #1 IN THE PSU SERIES

seventy-nine

And then my phone started to ring.

Matti.

The girl's eyes shot to my phone, almost in an instant. I gave them a tiny smile before answering. "Hello, baby daddy." I giggled through his words.

"Babe," His voice sounds rushed—the hair on my arms immediately standing up.

"Don't freak out," I bit my lip— his rushed voice scaring me. "Well, when you tell me to not freak out I'm going to freak out," I spoke through the phone speaker.

The girls looked at me, I looked at them. I was wide awake— on high alert.

I heard his breathing hitch.

"Matti! Spit it out!" I yelled into the phone.

"Mimi isn't here." I nearly dropped the phone. "What the hell do you mean she isn't there?" I asked, nodding towards the exit of Starbucks. The girls looked at me in alarm as I rushed to grab my stuff.

"If this is a sick joke, I'll never talk to you again." I threatened. I watched as Sloane bit the side of her cheek, looking back down at her drink.

"She's gone! I forgot my bag when I left and I came back and your window was open, Naomi! We forgot to close it!" He freaks out as the tears start to fog my vision.

Holy shit, this was happening.

I covered the speaker, looking at the girls. "We need to go back home, now." I cried as they all looked at me in worry. My heart was through my stomach.

All happy thoughts were gone- I was consumed by the fact that the only memory of mom I had left was gone.

"Okay, okay. I'm on my way." I sobbed out to Matti, hanging up. I collected my stuff quickly before removing myself from the table. Speed walking, I threw open the Starbucks door, I needed to get home fast. "What happened?" Sloane ran after me. I wiped my nose with my long sleeve. "Mimi ran away." Sloane frowned.

"She ran away!" Finn exclaimed as I burst into another round of tears.

"Okay, let's calm down. Let's go home. Mimi wouldn't go that far." Natalie unlocked the SUV.

I immediately jumped into the passenger seat. Natalie however, took her good old time getting us back home.

"Natalie, my dead grandparents drove faster than you. This thing has horsepower— let's go!" I urged her to step on the gas. She nodded, giving me a thumbs up.

But instead of her speeding up, she stayed the same speed down College Avenue.

I groaned, "Please, floor this damn SUV! This cat is my lord and savior!" I felt another round of tears coming on, you could hear it in my voice. Sloane's arms wrapped around me in the front seat from behind.

"Let's all take a deep breath. Naomi, she couldn't have gotten that far." Sloane tried to reason as I felt the tears pooling more. "I can't lose this cat!" I exclaimed as I locked eyes with Finn.

Finn didn't look worried though.

Finn was covering her mouth trying not to laugh.

"Why are you laughing at a time like this!" I yell as Natalie swerves the car. "Finnegan!" Sloane scolded her as she still had her arms wrapped around my weeping body.

"Let's take a deep breath– this stress isn't good for the baby." Natalie chimed in as I groaned.

"The wilderness isn't good for Mimi!" I argued. Natalie pulled into the parking lot of the apartment and I was out of the door the second she pulled in, not even parked. "Wait, wait! I have the keys!" Natalie yelled to me through the barely opened car door.