Sudden unrelentingneeddraws me to him… so I follow it, back inside, then across the hall to my office. But when I get there, it’s empty.
Muscles stiffen all over my body, a fervent rage climbing up my esophagus like heartburn.
Lo juro por Dios…
If he snuck back over to the left side, he will be in for a world of hurt.
The mansion is dark, almost unrecognizable in its now perpetual state of quiet. There hadn’t been truesilencein this place in longer than I can recall, not since before the parties became a constant. Now it’s all been calmed.
But then… has it?Really?
Going for my phone in my bedroom, I’m about to text Kent; have him go over to the left and see if Jonathan is there.With Harley and Joy.
But before I can, I find a new text from Mateo…
We might have a problem.
I call him.
“What’s wrong?” I ask the second the call connects.
“I want to start out by saying this wasnotmy fault…” He says cautiously.
I’m immediately on edge. “Just say it.”
“I heard from Alejo that… there were EMT’s at her house earlier.”
Hollow.That’s what I am.
Empty.
“She, um… apparently she overdosed,” he says, and there’s a ringing in my ears.
Jonathan’s mother. Tammy…
I can barely feel my legs moving but they are. I’m not even fully cognizant of what my body is doing, but it isracingdown the stairs.
“How is thatpossible, Mateo?!” I snap. “Tell meit wasn’t onourshit… Fuck, dime, por favor…”
“It wasn’t!” He gasps in my ear while I run. I’mrunningacross the foyer to the left stairs, taking them two at a time. “I told them to stop, and they stopped! On my kids, Iswear—”
“Then where did she get it?!” I roar, stalking up the hall.
Fuck knocking.I barge through the door to his bedroom. But it’s empty. Checking next door, I find Harley’s room also empty.
And Joy’s.
“Fuck!” I snarl out loud, whipping my phone at the wall. “Fuck fuckfuck!”
Bending at the waist, I grip my hair, yanking it in my fists.
This isn’t happening.
Thiscan’tbe happening…
My mind is tearing through so many things, all of this bullshit, like curse after curse being hexed on my goddamn existence. That for once I actually tried to do something good, and itstillresulted in tragedy…
But most specifically, I’m remembering how his phone was ringing earlier, in my office. While he was at my feet.While he was…
