Now that I have a taste, I don’t know how I can ever go without.
“I really am sorry, Liam,” I apologize from the bottom of my heart. The word sorry isn’t enough though, it never is when it comes to hurting people you care about. And I do care about Liam.
A tentative knock thumps against the wood door.
What now?
“Sweetheart, is everything okay?” My mom’s slightly slurred voice comes through and I nervously rub my hands on my pants.
“Fine mom,” I call through the closed door, praying she goes away. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Is Raiden in there with you? We can’t find him.” For fuck’s sake.
“No mom, he isn’t. Not sure where he is.”
Liam is still glaring daggers at me and I’m wondering howmuch longer until our conversation is finished so I can put my drunk mother to bed.
“I’m not sure where he is either. Oh! Maybe he went back to the Carpenter’s house. He said it was beautiful when you two went.” I avoid Liam’s eyes, knowing they’re burning a hole in the side of head.
A muffled conversation ensues right outside of my door, Ema’s slurred voice not making any sense until my mom repeats the words louder.
“Ema said he asked for her car keys.”
Fuck, Raiden left? Why would he leave?
Liam’s eyes are hard as they stare at me, the mask of indifference has completely melted off his face and the only thing left is betrayal.
“I have to find him. I’m so sorry Liam,” I apologize.
“If you walk out of here, we’re done. Over. Do you hear me Jericho?”
I nod, because I hear him loud and clear but I know the one person who needs me is nowhere to be found, and with the storm raging outside I have to find him before it’s too late. The storm won’t be nice to him.
I open the door, chancing one last glance at Liam as he sets his chin in that stubborn way I used to adore. A tear tracks its way down his cheek, but he brushes it away as fast as it came.
I shut the door behind me to give him some privacy. Ace, Connor, and Hollis are all sitting on the couch, and when I start down the hallway all of their gazes swing to me.
Hollis is the first to speak. “We couldn't stop him, he flew out of here like a bat out of hell.”
“I told him that you would come back for him, but he didn’t seem to believe me.” Connor has a frown on his face, and he leans over onto Hollis’ shoulder.
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault. I have to find him though, the weather is picking up outside and he doesn’t do well driving instorms.” He never has. I’ve always been the one to drive us around, especially when the weather is bad. Raiden has always been content to sit in the passenger seat and watch the storms pass by. I don’t know what he was thinking when he was leaving.
“We’ll help,” Ace offers, standing up and righting his bunched up clothes from where he’s been sitting on the couch for too long.
“Let me try calling him first.” I pat my pockets looking for my phone, and when I finally find it, time passes by way too fast and every minute I waste on stupid shit is a moment I could spend wisely looking for Raiden.
I look up his contact, and see the goofy photo he took. His tongue is poking out and his eyes are squinted shut. I don’t know when he managed to snap this picture but my fingers trace his soft cheeks on my phone while the line rings. And rings. And rings. He doesn't pick up and I flash back to all those times I left voice messages before and he never responded.
He explained why he did that. I can’t keep faulting him for that.
“He’s not answering.”
“Do you have his location?” Hollis asks and I shake my head.
“Give me the description for the car and I’ll call Elijah and have him looking through camera feeds to help give us a head start of where to look.”
I describe Ema’s car, and give the license plate to help speed the process along. The wind outside rattles the windows of my parents house and my anxiety skyrockets when I see the lightning outside lighting up the whole neighborhood with one bolt.
