“The motel outside of town.”
Russell bit down on his lip as he stared at me. His face was tight, and I could see his brain trying to work through all the information that was coming his way. “You know him better than anyone,” he finally said to me. “Why do you think he’s there?”
I shook my head and took a seat across from him. “I don’t know. All I can think is that something happened with his mom, but I’m sure he would have told me. And hell, knowing West Creek, my parents or your parents would have heard and called by now, too.”
Russell rose and went to the coffee machine, then prepared me a mug without asking. “He didn’t pick up when you called?”
“No,” I grunted. It frustrated me that Casey had cut me out and that I couldn’t help him with whatever trouble he’d gotten himself into. And the possibility that he had lied to us the night before when we were all supposed to talk threw me a curveball.
Now, talking to Russell and coming up short on answers he wanted, that made it all even worse. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
Unless Casey wasn’t running to West Creek but was running from us instead. He’d always sworn he wasn’t looking for a relationship, and maybe Russell and me wanting to talk and take things seriously had scared him or driven him away.
I shook my head, erasing the thought. If he were running from us, there was no way in hell he’d go to West Creek to hide. There must be more to it.
“His mom,” Russell said suddenly. He handed me the mug, then sat back down. “He went back because of his mom.”
I tensed. “You think something did happen to her?”
“No,” Russell shook his head. “The other night, when we all talked over dinner. You remember?”
“Yeah, of course. You know Casey never talks about that stuff. I remember.”
Russell reached across the counter and took my hand. “When Peyton didn’t want me to criticize our dad, Casey stood up for me. He said it was okay to miss someone and be mad at them, too.” His voice caught. “He said he missed his mom. Maybe he finally went to see her?”
I blinked, surprised by how obvious it all seemed now that he’d said it. “Damn, Russell. I think you might be right.”
“Really?”
I pushed some of his hair back, out of his eyes. “Really. I don’t know if he’s going to actually go see her. He probably doesn’t know himself yet. But I’m sure that conversation put the thought in his head.”
Russell looked satisfied, then slumped slightly, a touch of sadness in his pretty hazel eyes. “Why did he leave us?” he asked. “We were supposed to talk, and he left without saying anything. Like he forgot about us or something.”
All the little expressions I’d caught on Casey’s face over the past couple of weeks suddenly came rushing back to me. There had been these moments of hesitation. Like he was insecure, a version of him I knew from when we were younger, but that I hadn’t actually seen in years.
Casey had been keeping something from me. From us. He’d been going through something, and I’d been so wrapped up in how good I felt with him and Russell, I hadn’t stopped to actually make sure he was okay, not really.
I’d done to Casey what other people had always done to me and just assumed he was fine because he wasn’t telling me otherwise. Mad at my best friend and at myself, too, I tightened my hands into fists.
“I think we should go there,” Russell said.
I looked up from the coffee I had been glaring at. “To West Creek?”
“To Casey. There’s obviously something going on, and the fact that he disappeared when we were supposed to talk means it has at least something to do with us. I think we should go to him. He might need us, and he might not, but at least then he’ll know we aren’t going to let him hide.”
I stared at him. His back was straight, and he looked strong as he kept my gaze, letting his words stand.
Damn, if Russell wasn’t exactly who Casey and I needed. And if this confident, gorgeous man was willing to say it, I sure as hell wasn’t going to chicken out.
“Should we drive to West Creek?” I asked.
“It’s only a few hours. I can be ready to go in five minutes.”
“Okay then,” I said, impressed. I didn’t know exactly what Casey was thinking or how he’d react when we both got there. But Russell was right that the three of us needed to be together and that Casey shouldn’t be alone. “Let’s drive home.”
* * *
RUSSELL
