Page 79 of Until Forever

“Dad.” JJ grabs his hand. “Come, I want you to meet my friends.”

Jasper looks at me and winks. “Show and Tell. My time to shine.”

I shake my head and wave him away.

“You know, I wasn’t sure about him. I’mnotfully sure,” Dad says to me. “But I see the way he is with JJ and I can’t lie and say I don’t see how happy you are.”

“Dad, I-I’m not trying to—”

“Shh. It’s okay. I’m going to get to know him as you’ve asked.”

I rise on the tips of my toes and peck his cheek. “Love you, Daddy.”

JJ and two of his friends come speeding past.

“Hey. Hey. Where are you three going?”

“Coach said we have to use the buddy system for Brandon to go to the bathroom,” JJ answers.

“Okay, stay together, and come right back,” I order.

“Yup.” JJ pushes his friends, and they race each other to the exit.

For the next several minutes we all stand around chit-chatting. One of the parents offers to take everyone out for ice cream, and it isn’t until that moment that I realize the boys haven’t come back yet. With a frown, I glance around, spotting Brandon next to his father. Then I see the other kid, but no matter where I look, I don’t see JJ.

“Where’s JJ?” I ask and survey the area.

“What’s wrong?” Jasper asks.

“JJ. He went to the bathroom with his friends, but I don’t see him,” I say frantically.

“Okay, calm down. Let’s just ask them,” he encourages.

Jasper saunters over to the boys. “Brandon, right?” He kneels in front of him. “You know where JJ is?”

“Yeah. He went with your friend?”

Jasper frowns, and I make haste in their direction.

“What do you mean?” Jasper asks, his tone way calmer than I could be.

Brandon’s dad steps over to us. “What’s going on?”

“Something’s wrong, Jas. I feel it,” I admit, on the verge of tears.

“All right, just breathe. Brandon, what were you saying?”

“He went with the man. Your friend. He said he was his daddy’s friend.”

My heart seems to sink to the pit of my stomach, and all the air in my lungs leaves me all at once.

“What man?” Jas continues to question.

“The man with the scar on his cheek.”

Jasper’s body goes rigid, and all the blood in my body rushes to my ears. I back away, the world around me fading into a blur. But I keep going, Brandon’s words repeating in my head. Then I’m running and I don’t stop until I’m out near the restrooms, spinning in circles, hoping to catch a glimpse of my son.

Tires screech in the distance, and I search for the sound, lumps forming in my throat when I see a black Sprinter van with the side door open. I gasp with my hand over my mouth, and before I realize it I’m running, fighting hard to get to my son before they drag him away.

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