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Twenty-Four
When I’d been figuringout what I wanted to do this weekend, it hadn’t included driving all over the city for hours on end, looking for a missing thirteen-year-old, and I certainly hadn’t thought I’d be involved in a strange sort of family reunion.
Jenna was quiet as I drove her home. A different kind of quiet than she usually was. My own thoughts kept running over and over everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, and I knew that Jenna was thinking about it too.
This had been the first of her siblings that she’d met, and one who’d never lived with their mother, not even for a few months. Stacey was the same age Jenna had been when she’d been rescued from her mother, and I couldn’t help wondering if Jenna saw that in her sister. The life Jenna could have had if she’d been born to a decent person. All of that potential. All of the love and support that would have nurtured her natural talents.
Would this make her reconsider having me look for the rest of her brothers and sisters? I hoped not.
I wasn’t worried about the billable hours I’d lose if she asked me to stop. I agreed with her reasons for wanting to find the others in the first place, but I couldn’t say that I understood what she was going through. What I, as an outsider, might think was important might be the last thing Jenna cared about. Whatever my friend decided, I would support her.
As I pulled into her driveway, I finally spoke, “I’m here if you want to talk about any of this.”
She gave me a tight smile and nodded. “Thanks. I think I’m going to wait to make any decisions until I’ve showered, slept, and eaten. I need a clear head.”
“Any time you want to talk, just call.”
She thanked me again as Rylan opened her door. The moment she was on her feet, he had his arms around her. She buried her face against his chest, and I looked away, not wanting to intrude on such a personal moment.
I turned on the radio as I made my way back down the driveway, needing something to keep my brain from taking off down some rabbit hole. I had too much to think about, and she was right. Shower, bed, food. After that, I could focus on the things bouncing around in my head.
My stomach growled, but I was too tired to even consider stopping somewhere. I was barely safe driving as it was. If I lost momentum, I’d probably fall asleep at the wheel. At the rate I was going, there was a possibility I’d even fall asleep in the shower, but that one was a risk I was willing to take.
I pulled into my parking space and gave a sigh of relief. Stairs, bathroom, shower, bedroom, bed. Maybe a stop in the kitchen. I’d see where my feet took me. First, I had stairs to contend with. Stairs and snow, I saw as I got out of the car. When had that started?
For the first time since Adare died, I thought that it might not be too bad to move into the apartment above the office. I was renting my place by the month without a contract, but I wanted to give at least a month’s notice. If I did it now, I could be in the other apartment by the first of the year and avoid having to use outside steps through the rest of winter. Some days, I wouldn’t even need to go outside at all.
The idea was appealing, but I wasn’t in any shape to give serious consideration to it. Stairs first.
I was almost to the top when I realized that someone was standing at my door. Judging by the way Jalen was glaring at me, he’d been out in the cold and wet for a while. I tried to muster up some sympathy, but I was too exhausted to feel much of anything.
“Morning,” I said as I stepped past him to unlock the door. I held it open as I walked inside, figuring he’d follow. Whatever he’d come here for, he could say it while I grabbed a semi-stale muffin.
“Morning? That’s all I get?”
He was in a pleasant mood.
“You stand me up last night, ignore my calls and texts so I’m freaking out that something’s happened to you. I call Rylan and have to hear from him that you’re out with Jenna. I’m glad the two of you are friends, but I think I should’ve at least gotten a text to let me know you weren’t coming.”
Shit.
We had plans last night, and I’d completely forgotten about them. I’d even kept my phone on during my conversation with Roberta so I wouldn’t miss any texts from her, and I hadn’t bothered to check out any other notifications.
“I’m sorry,” I said, throwing away the muffin wrapper. “I got caught up in what was going on and completely forgot.”
“What was so important that you’d blow me off and not have the decency to answer me?”
I frowned. This was my fault. I freely admitted that. But he was out of line coming at me like that after I’d apologized. I didn’t plan on giving him details because Jenna was a client and I did my best to keep client’s information private, even if I was talking to someone who knew them, but his attitude made it easier to be blunt about it.
“Where I was and what I was doing is between Jenna and myself.” I took a bottle of water from my fridge and drank half of it. I was still hungry, but I’d taken the edge off enough that I’d be able to sleep.
“That’s the way things are going to go between us then,” he said with a bark of a laugh. “I have to tell you everything, and you get to keep whatever you want from me. Go out to lunch with your ex, hang out with your friend. Expect me to sit around waiting until you decide to show up.”
I was not in the mood for this, but I figured I’d at least try.
“I apologized,” I countered. “Both for not telling you about my lunch with Clay, and for not calling you last night.”
“Only after I called you out on both of them.” He crossed his arms, a muscle in his jaw clenching.
