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He bites his bottom lip before he crushes his mouth to mine. Tyler’s erection slides up against me and I smile, knowing that we’re about to make love yet one more time.
Once we’re nearly exhausted from two rounds, we decide since there’s no sign of Blake in the bar that we’ll check back over at his place.
“His car is still parked in the exact same spot,” Tyler says.
“Maybe we should call the police,” I suggest.
“They won’t do anything. I learned that from when our band’s front man went missing. The cops won’t get involved until the person has been missing over seventy-two hours.”
“Three days? What if he’s lying in a ditch hurt somewhere, waiting for help, but because of the stupid three-day-rule shit, he doesn’t make it.”
“It’s crazy. Trust me, I know, but I’m afraid we have to keep looking on our own until then. It’s late tonight. We’ll check inside and if he’s not in the house, in the morning we’ll go over to his parents’ house.”
“Good plan,” I agree.
When we find him I’m going to give him a piece of my mind for causing all this worry.
TYLER
We head to Blake’s place, and minus the fact that I’m worrying my ass off about my best friend’s safety, I’m still on cloud nine.
Never in my hopes of all hopes did I envision a reunion with Avery to be like this. When I came here, I expected a good slap in the face from her. Instead, she’s given me two preci
ous gifts: Her heart and a beautiful daughter.
I’ve always heard people say they fell in love the moment they laid eyes on their kid for the first time, but I never really believed that to be true . . . until now, that is.
Sure, I was blindsided by the fact that I have a child, but it didn’t stop me from loving her instantly. I know Avery and I have been apart a long time, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Maddie is my daughter. She looks so much like me. We have the same blue eyes, blond hair, and I even noticed we share the same crooked smile. She’s so sweet, and perfect, and hearing her call me Daddy lights up my entire world.
When we pull up to Blake’s, the Mustang is still parked out front. I turn toward Avery and tell her, “See. It hasn’t moved in two days.”
“Let’s get inside and take another look around.”
We get out and walk up onto the porch and I twist the knob on the door, but it doesn’t open. “Shit. It’s locked.”
Avery frowns. “Maybe he left the back open.”
I nod and then lead the way off the porch and around the side of the house. The gate leading into Blake’s backyard is open, so I slip inside the fence with no problem. I’m about to turn the corner to check the back door when something I spot out of the corner of my eye causes me to stop dead in my tracks.
“Stay where you are, Avery,” I order with my back toward her, stopping her from coming any farther into the yard.
“What?” she asks, clearly confused.
I dig in my pocket for my cell, and then search for the flashlight feature. The moment it snaps on, I gasp like all the wind has just been knocked out of me.
Blake’s lying on the ground, still wearing the clothes he had on two nights ago, and my body instantly goes into panic mode. “Oh, shit! Blake!”
I scream his name and run to him. I fall to my knees at his side and take in the scene before me. Blake’s face is covered in blood, and the flesh around his eyes is so swollen that it’s hard to even recognize him. He’s taken a much more severe beating than what he was given at the bar. Sure he was banged up, but it was nothing like this.
“Oh, my God! Blake! Is he all right? Oh, my God.” Avery’s panicked words smash into my ears as she races to my side. “Is he . . . Did you . . . Oh, God.”
I reach out and touch the side of his neck with two fingers, hoping to find a pulse. Relief floods me when his skin is warm to the touch and I detect a faint pulse.
“He’s alive, but he’s really hurt. He needs an ambulance,” I say.
Avery grabs her cell and dials 9-1-1, explains the situation, and runs out front to get Blake’s house number for the operator.
While she does that, I stare down at my friend and wish there was something I could do for him. I feel so helpless just sitting by him without being able to do anything.
