It’s not safe to communicate directly.
I’m untethered without her. The guys are all I have right now and it’s fucking scary. Yes, we love each other, but how many other people have been in love and things still went south?
Jack’s car pulls into the spot next to Eli’s and he steps out with his laptop.
“She may not have left you a message if she was in a hurry.” Luke holds me.
I smile because he doesn’t know my mom. “She always leaves a message.”
I turn in his arms and cup his jaw. Something tells me Luke needs to hear this too.
“I will never leave you without telling you why.”
His blue eyes search mine.
Jack sits next to us on the wall and boots up his computer.
I rub the stubble on Luke’s jaw before stepping away to sit next to Jack. When I rest my head on Jack’s shoulder, he opens a secure connection on the computer. It takes a few seconds, but he finally brings up the chat we enabled so Mom could contact us at the house.
I hold my breath as he scrolls to the end of the chat.
Mom:
Poughkeepsie
I release my breath on a laugh.
Luke looks at it. “Your safe word for pickup?”
I take in a shuddering breath and smile up at him. “She’s safe. Type it back, Jack.”
He types it into the chat.
Mom:
Home not safe
I’m safe
Stay with someone safe
Is there anywhere that’s safe? I lift my gaze to Jack, Eli, Caden, and Luke. Between them and Nico, they’ll keep me safe, but what about her? And how long until she’s back?
Because she’s the safest place for me and now my world is turned upside down.
