Page 78 of Keep

“Eat it or toss it, but stop fidgeting with it,” Frannie said.

He took a bite.

The afternoon passed in a blur of meetings and briefings that Hank endured on autopilot. His mind kept drifting—to Frannie’s words, to Cathy’s quiet revelation, to the silence on his phone.

He was still turning it all over when Shelby called that evening.

“Hey, Shel.”

“Don’t you hey, Shel me, Henry Fortner. I’ve been trying to reach you for two days.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Things have been⁠—”

“You don’t have to tell me. I’m sure it’s been a nightmare.”

Hank leaned back on his couch. Through the window, the city lights blurred. “I’ve been better. The polling’s rough. And we figured out who was behind the photograph—someone from work. Frannie’s looking into it.”

“Good. Let her handle that part.” Shelby’s voice softened. “What about Chad?”

“He won’t talk to me.”

“Oh, honey.”

“I’ve tried everything. Calls, texts, voicemails. He just—disappeared.” Hank rubbed his eyes. “I know where he lives. I know where he works. If he’s not going to answer me, I’m thinking maybe I should just go there.”

Silence.

“Hank.” Shelby’s voice had an edge underneath. “And what exactly do you think that’s going to accomplish besides scaring the hell out of him?”

“I don’t⁠—”

“You show up at his apartment uninvited? His workplace? That’s not fighting for him. That’s cornering him.”

Hank closed his eyes. She was right.

“I don’t know how to just wait,” he said. “I don’t know how to do nothing.”

“Nobody’s asking you to do nothing. I’m asking you to give him space to breathe. Let him know you’re there. Then let him come to you.”

“What if he doesn’t come?”

“Then you’ll deal with that when it happens. But right now, you’re asking for trouble.” A pause. “He’s scared, Hank. Give him time to figure out that he hasn’t ruined your life.”

“I hate waiting.”

“I know you do. You’ve never been patient about anything.” Her voice warmed slightly. “Remember when we were dating, and you proposed after four months?”

“That was different.”

“It was impulsive and slightly insane. But this isn’t that. This is a kid whose world just got turned upside down. He needs to find his footing. You pushing won’t help.”

They talked for a while longer—about Owen, about Lowell, about nothing important. Just connection. Just Shelby reminding him he wasn’t alone.

After they hung up, Hank sat in the quiet of his apartment.

First Kiss hung on the wall across from him, catching the lamplight. He’d looked at it every day since Chad gave it to him.

Now it felt like a question he didn’t know how to answer.