Page 41 of A Million To Fall

I pause, my whole body reacting to that name. I haven’t heard it in forever. I feel suddenly off balance.

“What’s going on with Boston’s mom?” I ask, willing my voice to stay perfectly on-pitch.

Archer ignores me, responding to Jake instead. “I don’t know much other than she didn’t show for some court hearing, so they picked her up again,” he says casually. “All I could get from my dad was that they’re looking at possession and now prostitution.”

“What?” I stare at him. This is the first I’m hearing of any of this.

“She’s still locked up?” Jake asks.

Archer nods once. “Far as I know.”

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” I ask again, louder this time.

Jake turns to me, that same worn look in his eyes—the one he gets whenever Boston comes up. “She got arrested in March during a drug raid. It was all over local news for a while.”

“Oh my god.” I look at Archer. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugs. “Didn’t think you needed to know.”

“Why not? Boston’s my friend, too,” I snap.

Archer scowls. “This has nothing to do with Boston. Or you. You don’t need to know everything.”

I want to scream—tell him he doesn’t get to decide what I’m entitled to know, that he doesn’t get to edit me out of my own damn life. But I don’t. I’m not about to make a scene with everyone watching.

I focus on Jake. “Is there any word on Boss?”

Jake swallows. “No. I don’t think anyone’s even looking for him. Except maybe me.”

Archer huffs. “I bet Boston bailed when he caught wind of what his mom was up to.”

Jake stiffens, but Archer doesn’t seem to notice. “If my mom was strung out and catching charges, I’d disappear, too. Wouldn’t want to be dragged down with her, you know?”

“No way,” Jake snaps. “Boss would never leave his family, no matter what kind of trouble his mom was in.”

Archer shrugs. “I’m not saying he’s a bad guy. Some people just don’t stick around when shit gets ugly.”

Jake opens his mouth, but Jonathan cuts him off. “Point is, we have no clue where he is.”

The tension in the room eases, just a little. I’ve always admired how Jake, Jonathan, and Pacey never seem intimidated by Archer.

“Can’t your dad ask Mrs. Rawlings?” I ask Archer, pushing past that knot in my stomach.

He shakes his head. “She has counsel. He’s not allowed to talk to her. And Boston’s not part of the criminal investigation. He’s just not on anyone’s radar.”

Jake slumps against the wall, shoulders sagging. “God, I just wish I could find him. Know he’s okay.”

“Yeah, man, we all wish that,” Pacey says, patting Jake’s shoulder. “C’mon, let’s get food. Forget about Boss for a bit.”

Forget about him. Right.

It’s chaos when we walk into AJ’s—families tucked into booths, teenagers crowded around tables, a jukebox rattling off some 90s tune, the scent of fries and onion rings hanging in the air. It’s loud and alive. AJ’s has always been a Stillwater favorite, probably because it serves the best shakes and burgers around.

Luckily, we don’t have to wait long before the hostess leads us to a table large enough to accommodate our group.

“You need to try the portobello mushroom burger,” Archer tells me before I get so much as a chance to glance at the menu.

I wrinkle my nose. “But I don’t even like mushrooms, baby.” The texture alone makes me gag.