“I’m here,” Romeo whispered.He twisted his hand into his t-shirt in front of his heart.“I’m right here, Chad.”
He wondered whether that was the reason Chad was staring so intensely, either sensing Romeo was close, or just hoping.Either way, Romeo decided to put him out of his misery.
He stood up, revealing himself, no longer spying though a gap but locking eyes with Chad across the top of the garden fence.
Chad’s jaw dropped open, and Romeo’s lips twitched until he couldn’t stop his fragile laugh escaping.
Chad was there.Chad was alive.
The nightmare was over and the sun would start rising again.
Romeo’s eyes burned as Chad’s never left his.
Then Chad stood up, knocking Mercutio off his lap, and pointed.
“Shit!”
Romeo threw himself down, breathing hard.
“What the hell...”
His eyes darted, and he listened intently as the sunroom doors opened.
He moved in a crouch, rushing by the fence.
Mercutio yipped and yapped.
Then Josh called out, “Anyone there?”
Romeo kept going, rushing away from the house with his heart in his throat.
Josh called out again.
Romeo slumped beside a tree on the opposite side of the road, panting, mind a whirl.
He shouldn’t have revealed himself.
Chad probably couldn’t make him out clearly and that was why he raised the alarm, but Romeo kept seeing it in his head, that expression on Chad’s face when he’d pointed.
It looked a lot like fear.
****
He needed to get toChad.
Romeo was waiting for the right opportunity, but Josh and Ally didn’t make it easy on him.They didn’t leave Chad alone, and whenever Ally had to go out, Josh showed up first with Mercutio and took over watching Chad.
One time while Romeo was spying on the house, Chad and Ally got into her car and left.Romeo couldn’t get a taxi back to him in time to follow and he watched them go with a sinking sensation in his gut.
They returned two hours later.Romeo had hidden in the trees, and there was a moment Chad had paused before going inside.He’d looked back, scanning the trees on the opposite side of the road.Romeo didn’t reveal himself for a second time.
Ally had wrapped an arm around Chad’s back and led him into the house.
Romeo knew it was only a matter of time, and he needed to be patient.
Ten days after Chad was discharged from hospital, thirty-eight days since he hadn’t come homethatnight, Romeo got his chance.
Josh had gone inside with Mercutio.
