I continue scanning the room as I see Noah out of the corner of my eye pushing up from the table before making his way to me and Tully. “What’s going on?” he asks, reaching us just as I begin searching the other side of the room and focus heavily on the football team. “We can’t find Aiden,” I tell him as Tully breaks away and starts heading towards Spencer. “Have you heard from him?”
“Nah, but I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a big boy.”
“I don’t know,” I tell him. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Noah’s eyes search mine before his arm wraps around my waist. “Ok, we’ll go look for him.”
Tully returns a second later with Spencer in tow and before I know it, we’re all heading out the door, searching out the guy who’s impacted all our lives for the better.
We start for the locker room that the football team use and as we walk in, I can’t help but look around in disgust. This place is gross, nothing at all like I’d imagined in all my dirty dreams. Not to mention, it kind of stinks too.
Spencer walks around to the showers as Tully calls out his name after suggesting that someone could have stuffed him in a locker, making both Noah and I scoff. I mean, the guy is huge and packed with muscle. There’s no way in hell he’d fit in a locker, but Tully is determined to check anyway. Apparently, she believes the football team is quite imaginative when needing to stuff big things into small holes. I wouldn’t doubt her, she’s had more than enough practice with these guys.
The only things we find are a few questionable sex toys hidden in one of the guy’s lockers before deciding to move on. He’s not here. Next up, the junior lockers.
We make our way around the school, not finding him anywhere. Hell, Spencer even called his home just to double check, but he was nervous about worrying his mom so he didn’t say much.
As we walk across the oval to check the old bleachers, Noah’s phone starts going nuts in his pocket. He pulls it out and checks the message as I watch him. Usually, I wouldn’t give a shit who’s messaging him, but the irritated eye roll and huff that goes with it has me as curious as ever, not to mention the way he quickly disregards the texts and jams the phone back in his pocket.
“Who was that?” I ask, hoping he doesn’t think I’m trying to invade his privacy like one of those needy girlfriends who insists on being up in her man’s business.
He pulls the phone back out as Spencer checks behind the old bleachers. “Anton,” he murmurs quietly to keep the conversation our own. “He keeps texting. Won’t leave me the fuck alone.”
He hands me the phone and I look down at the text.
Anton – My patience is wearing thin, boy. This is the third job you’ve missed. Don’t fucking push me.
“He texted this morning,” Noah explains as I hand the phone back. “Wanted me to head into Broken Hill and collect a debt from some drug addict loser.”
“Broken Hill?” I question. “Why would you be collecting a debt from them? Don’t those guys usually just pay straight up for that shit?”
“Usually,” he says. “But not the ones who have been cut off from Mommy and Daddy in hopes of kicking their ice addiction.”
“Shit,” I say, wide-eyed.
“Uh-huh,” he tells me. “But I’m done. I won’t run at his beck and call anymore. He can find some other sorry loser to do his dirty work. Not after the bullshit he pulled on me.”
I slip my hand into his as Spencer returns shaking his head, bringing our conversation to a stop. “He’s not here either,” Spencer says with a hint of panic marring his tone.
“We’ll find him,” I promise. “He couldn’t have gone far.”
We start walking back up to the main part of the school when Noah nudges his sister. “How’s mom?” he questions. “Is she still angry? You know, doing that thing where she mutters under her breath, cursing me out all the time?”
“Uh-huh,” Tully says. “She’s hating on you big time.”
“So…maybe she’s not ready for me to come by?”
“Not in the slightest,” she murmurs, making Noah let out a heavy, heartbroken sigh that has me holding his hand a little tighter as I try to hold myself together for his sake, but seeing him hurting isn’t exactly easy. “You know it takes her forever to move on from things, and this…well, you’ve never done anything quite as bad as this.”
“You didn’t tell her about Lily, did you?”
“As if,” she mutters. “I’m all for watching you go down in flames when it comes to this bullshit, but I’m not going to be the one responsible for breaking her heart like that. You need to come clean. Tell her exactly what’s going on and why, so this doesn’t come back and hurt her again later.”