There was no smartass reply like I’d been expecting. I had to look over at him. “Okay, Michael. I can do that.”
When we pulled up to Cole’s house a few minutes later, I put the Tahoe in park, but didn’t turn the engine off. I turned to look at him.
“I’ve got a meeting this morning. Is there anything more, any tidbit at all, that you can tell me about your parents?”
“No, I’ve told you everything I can think of.”
“And you were born in Seattle?”
He nodded. “Yes. Why?”
I reached over to take his hand. When I had it firmly in mine, I told him my plan. “I’m going to find your father for you, babe.”
He gripped my hand and sat up straight. His face went from a look of excitement to one of annoyance. “I didn’t ask you to do that. Why would I want you to find him?”
The hurt hidden in his words was palpable, and it made my heart ache. “I understand why you’d feel that way. But you don’t know what happened, Rockstar. You only know what your mother told you. Do you really think she’s a reliable source of information? Don’t you want to find out the truth from him if you can?”
Adam turned his attention out the front window and sat, unseeing. I knew this was a lot for him to process, but we had to put a stop to this shit as soon as possible. When the police found his mother, they would charge her with a felony. And if finding his father made the upcoming blow bearable, then I’d do it for him in a heartbeat.
His face went through a series of emotions without him saying a word. He absently rubbed at a spot over his heart. It made me hurt for him.
Adam dropped his eyes down to where he was gripping my hand. His whispered words were tinged with pain. “I don’t want to hurt William and Claire.”
The Bradleys. Cole’s parents.
“I get it, Rockstar. But, if I were in your shoes, I’d want to know. He might be a dick, or he might be great. But either way, I really think you need this. And I’m going to stand by your side the whole way through.”
Adam turned to me, and his eyes and face full of sadness. “He didn’t want me then, and I can’t imagine why he’d want me now.”
I stared into his green eyes and saw the fear return. The little boy who was afraid to be thrown away again. And it broke my heart. “You don’t know that, babe. I’ve got a feeling he might not even know you exist. All you have to go on is your mother’s word. But no matter what, I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
Our eyes stayed fixed as we leaned toward one another. Closing the distance, our lips met in a sweet kiss that I hope reassured him he wasn’t alone anymore.
The spell was broken when the garage door went up. I expected it to be Cole, coming to drag him into the house. But it was Patrick, walking out with his bag over his shoulder.
Adam let go of my hand and pulled back. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.” He opened the door and got out, not glancing back at me.
I watched as he spoke to his friend, then entered the house through the garage door. As Patrick walked toward me, I put down the window and greeted him with a smile.
“Hey, man. How’s it going?”
He returned it, but not as brightly as other times I’d seen him. “Good. Heading to practice.”
The dark circles under his eyes suggested he was stressed, and it made me wonder if he needed someone to talk to. “You okay, man?”
He nodded and looked across the yard. “Yeah. It’s been a difficult couple of weeks.”
I frowned and tried to assess where his anxiety was coming from. “With the team or Cole?”
He smiled sadly and gestured toward the house. “He’s still aggravated with me.”
I knew very little about their relationship, but I could listen. I could be his friend. “Listen, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here, man. I won’t betray your trust. It can’t be easy living in the spotlight.”
Patrick chuckled humorlessly and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks. I might take you up on that.” He took a step back and met my gaze with a half-smile. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you later.”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be back in a little while.”
Even though I didn’t know them very well, I knew they’d been together for a long ass time. Patrick’s expression contorted in anguish, and it was apparent to anyone looking he was still head over heels in love with Cole. It made me wonder if there was ever a time when love wasn’t enough.
