Page 90 of Attractive Forces
“Tell me what?”
“His brother is missing.”
I blink. “Aaron’s missing?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since last night. Jake’s a mess. He and Aaron had an argument, and Aaron ran away, and they don’t know where he is.” She brushes a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. “I just had to talk to a teacher about an extension to an assignment, then I’m going to help search.”
Jake’s a mess.Her words echo in my head, and I feel slightly dizzy.
“I’ll come too,” I say.
Chloe’s eyebrows fly up. “Don’t you have rugby stuff to do?”
Yeah, I have rugby stuff to do. But that pales in significance to seeing Jake.
Helping Jake.
“Where is he?” I ask urgently.
Chloe bites her lip. “They’ve set up the search headquarters at Jake’s house. I think he’s there right now.”
As I bolt for the student car park, I fumble in my pocket for my phone. I fire a quick message to Coach explaining I’ve had an emergency come up.
My hands shake as I drive the short distance to Jake’s house. To calm myself, I take deep breaths like I do before a game.
Will Jake even want to see me? We haven’t talked in over a week. Things between us are so weird right now.
I put myself in the reverse situation. If something like this happened to me, would I want Jake there?
My answer?
I would always want Jake around.
There’s a crowd of cars, including some police cars, around Jake’s house, so I have to park down the road. I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans as I walk to his house.
The path to his door is so familiar, and a wave of memories crashes over me.
Only this time, instead of Jake greeting me at the door with a smile, the front door is open, and there’s a whole crowd of strangers milling inside.
The dining room table has been taken over by official-looking people having serious conversations. Jake’s mother is there, still in her uniform from the diner, her hair in complete disarray.
I spot Jake standing with his back to me in the lounge, staring out the window. His shoulders are hunched.
Skirting around the action in the dining room, I head toward him. It’s only when I’m a few feet away that I hesitate. What should I do? What should I say?
Jake turns, and I get a glimpse of his face. It’s etched in pain.
And it spurs me to close the distance between us and pull him into me.
His shoulders are stiff at first, but then he relaxes, melting into my arms.
I don’t fucking care if this is beyond the hug you’d normally give to your friend.
Jake’s hurting, and I’ll do anything in my power to help. Anything.
