Page 131 of Run to Me

Something Jensen mentioned in the room eats at me, so I say to Javi, “Tell me what happened after Logan died.”

“You mean after you ended the friendship,” he says, but I don’t flinch at his brutal honesty. None of us are in the mood to sugarcoat reality. “He crashed hard. Lost his job, stopped paying the bills for the house. He slept all day while Jake was at school, then he drove around for hours at night before parking down the street from your house until sunrise. I followed him for several days, and it didn’t take me long to realize he was mourning you instead of Logan.”

Jake rises to his feet and paces, his irritation evident in his cinched features. “He said he got laid off because business was slow at Bruno’s. How many lies has he told? How many secrets does he have? I feel like I don’t know my own brother at all. And after everything we’ve been through.” He chokes on the last words.

Tatum reaches his side in an instant and wraps her arms around his waist. “He’s been hiding from himself, Jake. Not from you.”

“How did you help him back then?” I ask, my focus still on Javi.

Sighing heavily, he slouches in his chair and admits, “I didn’t. I confronted him and got him to confess his feelings for you. But, like you, I left him to his secrets as long as he didn’t hurt anyone. When things weren’t getting better, I told him Jake still needed him, and that seemed to snap him out of it.”

Need.

“The magic word,” I whisper softly enough for no one to hear. Louder, I ask, “Did you know about the room?”

Affronted by my accusing tone, Javi scoffs. “Of course not. He had the only key, and I never had a reason to doubt him when he said it wasn’t safe.”

The room wasn’t safe—not for Jensen. As he feared, all his secrets are now exposed. He can no longer hide from the people who love him most.

Trevor drums his fingers on the table, deep in thought as he stares at me. “Do you love him? If he hadn’t forced his way into your life in recent months, would you have come back to him one day?”

Well, that question is unexpected coming from Trevor. When I blow air between my lips and open my mouth to respond, he holds up a hand to cut me off.

“We’re not the ones who deserve the answers. That’s between you and Jensen. It’s just something for you to think about while we get him some help.”

Ready to go, Javi stands and pushes his chair under the table. “I have someone in mind I can call. In the meantime, lean on your friends. Jensen’s not the only one struggling. You are too, and you have a big decision to make. Do you stick by him and see him through this? Or is he too much for you to handle? I’m not a psychologist, so my opinion doesn’t mean much, but I’m guessing there’s no one-and-done solution here. He’ll face his mental health challenges forever. Are you willing to face them alongside him?”

Shoving my chair back, I ball my hands into fists and invade Javi’s personal space. I’m fed up with him not trusting me, and the hard edge in my voice lets him know it. “I’m not leaving him. Don’t ever doubt me again, Javier. Especially when it comes to my feelings for Jensen.”

He raises his hands in surrender. “Fair enough.”

“What happens now?” Trevor asks as he slides the laptop into his bag. “How do we get him out of bed?”

Four sets of hopeful, pleading eyes beg me for guidance, and I drag my hands down my face, hesitant to hand over the key to unlocking Jensen. Maybe. “If what I’m thinking works, we’ll be manipulating him. We could do more harm than good.”

Jake clasps my hand between his. “Maisy, he hasn’t eaten in days, and we need to get him out of his fucking bedroom. How do we bring him back?”

Hoping I’m right, I say, “Tell him I need him.”

The guys leave, but Tatum stays behind with me and Pam. We move to the couch, where they sit on either side of me. I’m lucky to have their support, and I’m beyond grateful I don’t have to face the coming battle alone.

“Thank you,” I say to both of them. “The last few months would’ve been too much for me if I didn’t have your help. With Vera and what happened in Philly and now with Jensen…I needed you both. Need you both. I couldn’t get through this without either of you.”

“But you will get through this.” Pam puts an arm around me, and Tatum does the same, sandwiching me between them.

“I will,” I say, more determined than ever to stand by Jensen the way he stands by me. Looking at Pam, I remind her of our conversation on the night I first broke my silence and spoke to him. “You told me I’ll know when I’ve found my place because I’ll fight tooth and nail to hold on to it. Well, I’m here. And I’ll fight like hell for Jensen.”

The pride shining in her eyes brings tears to mine.

Tatum lays her head on my shoulder. “He’s worth it,” she says.

With every tired bone in my body, I agree. “He is.”

49

JENSEN

“Jensen.” The mattress dips when Javi sits on the edge. “I’m turning on a light.”