Page 179 of Make Me Trust Again
Rose lifts her phone.“And taking pictures.”
“You, too, Chase?”
“You know it.”
Kyle grins.“Deal.”
We watch as he goes to Levi, and the two of them get back in line for the ride, chatting animatedly among themselves.
Rose lets out a soft sigh as she leans against the fence. I stand behind her, my hand resting against her waist.
“Thank you so much for doing this,” she says as she leans against me, her gaze darting over her shoulder to meet mine.
“You don’t have to thank me.” I gently run my hand over her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I had fun with him. He’s a good kid.”
Rose hums her agreement as we shift our attention back to the boys, just to catch Kyle glancing at us and waving before they let them into the ride, and each boy rushes to pick his car.
Rose pulls out her phone and snaps a few pictures of Kyle grinning at us before the ride starts, and he’s off, both he and Levi grinning as they chase one another around.
Slipping her phone in her bag, she leans into me, her fingers intertwining with mine on her stomach. I lean down, pressing a kiss against her neck, just where I can feel her heart beat faster.
Rose tilts her head back, those crystal blue depths zeroing in on me.
“He’s changed a lot in the last few months, and it’s all thanks to you.” Turning around, she wraps her arms around my shoulders, her fingers gently running over the back of my neck and sending shivers down my spine. “He’s happier, more confident in himself, but most importantly, he’s not afraid. John always made him feel self-conscious about his deafness, like he’s less than, but you showed him that it’s okay to be different, to embrace his uniqueness. If I didn’t already love you for a dozen other reasons, I’d fall for you just because of the way you’re with him. You’re the father I should have given him in the first place.”
A knot forms in my throat at her words, making it hard to breathe. I swallow hard, my voice feeling tight. “Sweetheart, I…”
She rises on the tip of her toes, her lips pressing against mine in a long kiss. “And don’t you dare tell me that’s not true, Chase Williams. I love you. Kyle loves you, and he’s so lucky to have you in his life. Any child would be lucky to have you as a father.”
“I love you, too. Both of you.” I slide my thumb over her lower lip. “Let’s go grab our boy and go home?”
“Yeah.” She nods, turning around. “Let’s go ho?—”
Her words trail off, her body going rigid in my arms. My head snaps up immediately, my eyes scanning the space for whatever could have caused her reaction.
“Chase?” Rose’s voice is low, tentative, as if she’s afraid to even voice her question out loud. “Do you see Kyle?”
The cars have come to a stop, and people are leaving the platform: kids, parents, teenagers… I scan their faces, looking for Kyle, but come up empty.
Shadow barks, her snout nudging my leg, but I ignore her.
Rose’s fingers curl around mine tightly, her nails digging into my skin. My heart starts beating faster as I look for a familiar dark head. “He’s not there. Did he leave?”
A small, dark-haired boy slips between the people, and I give her hand a squeeze. “He’s?—”
My words die when I spot the shirt.
A purple one, not blue.
“Levi!” Rose calls out, going toward the boy, but I’m still searching for Kyle, waiting for him to appear behind him, only he’s not there.
Dammit.
Rose’s voice is dulled by the sound of the buzzing in my ears that’s grown stronger since we got here, my senses overwhelmed by all the noises and chatter.
Where did he go? He wouldn’t disappear out of nowhere, would he? He isn’t one to wander off without saying a word, quite the contrary, so why isn’t he here? Did he get lost among all the people? Or is there something else?
My gut churns, the feeling of dread growing bigger the more the time passes, and he doesn’t come back.
