Jake's POV:

Dirt clings to my skin, mingling stickily with sweat.

I pull the bottom of my shirt up and dab it across my face. When I check my phone, there aren't any messages from Callum, which is unusual. I take a long drink from my bottle, gulping down the icy water in greedy swallows.

"What's on for this afternoon?"

I look up to see Gordon, a casual labourer my boss employed. He has his hand in a half-moon shape, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Going to the beach," I answer.

"Good place to be today."

I walk away from him, not interested in small talk, and try calling Callum. His phone rings out. Even if he is in class, he always manages to respond to me.

The rest of the afternoon goes by quickly and I try not to worry. Rain is forecast for the weekend so we are trying to get this job done so it doesn't get delayed. I feel exhausted when I clock off. Drinks down at the beach sound fantastic and I'm eager to get myself in the water.

I call Callum again and when he doesn't answer, a sinking feeling settles in my stomach. I pull up Ellie's contact immediately.

"Hey!"

"Hey, have you heard from Callum?"

"No, not since this morning," she replies. "I messaged him before but he hasn't replied."

"Something's wrong."

She hesitates and I know she wants to say I'm being paranoid, after everything, but she doesn't.

"Try and get in touch with someone who is in his class. I'll call Haze."

I hang up and search Lena on Facebook. When she tells me he didn't turn up to their last tutorial of the day, I almost snap a tooth from clenching my teeth so hard.

Rhett.

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