Page 104 of Resurrection
It's hot and stuffy all of sudden, and a sheen of sweat makes my shirt cling to my back. After a few minutes of contemplating, I punch in his home phone number and leave another voicemail for the entire family.
Satisfied with my message, I end the call and dial another person, the one who might know what to do.
Adri answers almost immediately.
"What’s up?" he grits out.
"I need a favor," I say, my voice steady despite the anxiety in my stomach.
"Since when do you ask me for things, Shrimp?"
"Quit it, Adri," I snap, then jump right in. "Can you do a wellness check on one of my kids? He’s been missing rehearsals and hasn’t shown up for the talent show. No one’s picking up the phone at his place either."
Adri’s an asshole, but when it comes to his job, he’s not messing around. He's great at what he does. "What’s his name?" my brother asks, voice switching to his work mode. "And an address if you have it."
"Asher Stone. I’ll text you the address in a second."
"Stone?"
"Yes."
I hear my brother grunting on the line like he knows something I don’t. "Ah crap."
"What?"
"That family is a mess. I don’t know why social services hasn’t taken the boy yet."
"You’ll check, right?"
"Yeah. No need to text me the coordinates." Adri sighs. "I know where they live. It's that trailer park up in Eagle Creek. Or in the area anyway. I’ll go right now."
"Call me with an update?"
"Okay."
"Later."
I pause, staring at the cracked pavement beneath my feet. "Thank you, Adri."
"Try not to lose your shit."
I hang up, exhaling slowly. It feels like all the air has left my lungs, and I struggle to pull it back in. I rub my forehead and pace for a few minutes, then head back inside, where the noise crashes over me again.
And there he is.
Tyler Brady.
Standing on one side of the room like a tattooed mirage. He looks like he just rolled out of bed, and my heart skips in a way I wish it wouldn’t. I’ll never understand why he’s so seemingly effortless in everything he does. Including looking at me.
He waves when he sees me, that boyish grin spreading across his face. I weave through the pandemonium, and a little part of me can't believe he showed up.
"Still alive?" he jokes, his eyes catching the afternoon light.
"Debatable," I say, clutching my clipboard like it's a lifeline. I motion to the stage. "Things are a little insane."
He laughs, the sound warm and easy. "Good thing I'm here, then." He moves closer, the hum of the room a backdrop to our little bubble.
I want to kiss him. It's a ridiculous thought given everything, but there it is.
