Hunter
Me
You okay, Theo?
Can I call you?
I left a voicemail. Did you get it?
read tuesday
I hope you’re okay.
You don’t have to talk to me. Just please send me a message to let me know you’re okay.
I’m really worried.
Please open the messages, even if you don’t respond.
delivered
I stare at the string of unanswered texts I’ve sent to Theo this week. It’s embarrassing, really, but I can’t help it. I’m fucking worried.
I haven’t heard from him since the day he hung up on me during our FaceTime call. At first, he was reading my messages, and that gave me some manner of peace. Even if he wasn’t talking, he was looking at them.
He existed. Even if it was in short bursts at random times of the day.
Now? Now, I’m not even getting that.
Deliveredmocks me from where it shows on my phone. Maybe he just turned off his read receipts. Or maybe… No, I can’t let myself think like that.
Shaking my head against the thoughts, I sit down on the front porch and start to pull my boots on.
I know one thing for sure, and it’s that I’m not going to sit around here all day wondering. It might feel like I’m alone, but I’m not. There are other people in this town who care about Theo and his well-being.
After getting my boots on, I climb into my truck and head into town.
Daisy’s is slow this time of day, and my heart sinks a little when I don’t see Luca’s car or Austin’s truck, but I get out and go inside anyway.
Arlo greets me when I walk in. “Hey, just sit anywhere you want, and I’ll be right with you.”
I shake my head. “Actually, I’m just here to talk to Luca. Is he around?”
Arlo eyes me warily. “No. But I can tell him you’re looking for him.”
“Would you?”
“Sure,” he says, pulling his phone from his pocket.
He types for a second, and when his phone dings, he glances at it before looking at me. “Do you know where he lives?”
Everyone knows where everyone lives in this town, so I nod. “Course.”
Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he inclines his head at me. “Okay. Luca said to swing by.”
“Thanks, Arlo,” I mumble, barely sparing him a glance as I walk straight out of the diner.
By the time I’m pulling into Austin’s long gravel driveway, my heart’s in my throat.
