Page 180 of Make Me Trust Again
Cursing once again, I glance at Rose as she gets to her feet, letting go of Levi, who rushes to his parents. Rose’s eyes are filled with tears, her lip wobbling slightly.
“He was there. Levi said Kyle was right behind him, but—” She shakes her head, pressing her lips in a tight line. “I should have never let him go on his own. I should?—”
“Hey.” I cup her cheeks, holding her gaze. “He’s here somewhere. We’ll find him. This isn’t your fault.”
“I let him go alone!” She shakes her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. “If something happens?—”
I tighten my grip on her. “Sweetheart, he’s going to be alright.”
He has to be alright.
I won’t accept the alternative.
“What’s going on?”
Wiping Rose’s tears, I repeat once again, “We’ll find him.”
I just hope I can keep this promise.
Turning around, I find our friends looking at us, worry evident on their faces.
“Kyle’s missing,” I tell them just as Shadow grabs my shirt, giving it a tug. “Wait,” I chastise, placing my hand on her snout to stop her. “He was on the ride with Levi, but now he’s gone.”
“Miss— Shit.” Becky’s eyes are wide, but she tries to force out a reassuring smile. “I mean, the place is busy, so he probably just got lost in the crowd.”
“Where did you last see him?” Nico asks, and any trace of the previous playfulness is gone instantly as he stands taller.
“He and Levi were driving the bumper cars,” Rose points out. “He asked me to take the pictures, so I did. We were watching him, but then when the ride ended, he didn’t come back.”
“Did you talk to any of the workers?”
I shake my head at the deputy’s question, turning around to go and do it, but Miguel just slaps me on the shoulder as he jogs past. “I’ll do it.”
Rose wraps her hands around herself, rubbing at her arms. “How is this happening? He was just there.”
The guy gives her a small smile. “Kids wander off. Maybe he just got lost in the crowd. Did he want to go somewhere else? Maybe another ride?”
I shake my head. “He was most excited about this one.”
“Okay.” Nico nods, his gaze shifting to Rose. “What about your ex?”
Rose’s brows furrow. “John? What about him?”
Nico shifts, clearly uncomfortable. “Could he have taken him by any chance?”
“What?” Rose lets out a strangled laugh. “That man doesn’t come to pick up his son when he should for his weekend.”
“Okay. Like I said, it’s most likely that he just got lost in the crowd. Did you maybe try calling him?”
“He—” She shakes her head. “No.”
“Kyle’s deaf,” I explain, wrapping my arms around her. “He won’t hear you.”
There is a moment of surprise, but he schools his expression quickly. “Okay, then. Can you tell me his name and what he looks like? Or just send me one of the photos you took today? That way, I can forward it to the other officers to keep an eye out for him, and we can spread around and look for him.”
Rose’s throat bobs as she swallows, but she gives him the information he needs as I keep scanning the place for the sight of the blue shirt, only to come up empty.
Nico thanks her for the information, his expression grim as he takes a few steps back, grabbing his radio to call it in.
