Chapter Seventy-Four

Lauren's POV

“Mom?!” I asked, getting off the bed as I heard her burst into sobs and someone else in the background yelling to hold her down.

“Hello? Is anyone there? What’s going on?! Hello?!” I called out, but there was nobody there, and Darla was now taking my shoulders and telling me to calm down.

As soon as the line went dead, I collapsed back onto the couch with my face in my palms and shameful tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Oh, God. This is all my fault. I think she’s trying to escape. I shouldn’t have told her just yet. I just wanted her to know. I didn’t want her to have her hopes up. Oh, no,” I muttered.

“Talk to me, Lauren. What happened? We can sort this out. Do we need to go see your mother?” Darla questioned.

“Can we do that? I think I need to see her to find out how she’s doing,” I said with a nod. “Yes, I really need to see her. Can we go today?”

“Where is Damien, even? Damien!” she called out to her brother, who was now ex