Page 90 of Lost & Found

“Hollis.” Kylan stops in front of me. He looks a little sad in the eyes, or maybe concerned. Ky and I never really hung out a lot or talked a whole lot at any point in time.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t let him hurt you,” he says, and I just blink at him. He takes another step. “I just-”

“Party’s here!” Jaelynn’s high-pitched tone sing-songs through the air as she swings open the front door and steps in like she owns the place.

Everyone’s head turns to hers. Kylan’s face morphs into an expression that shows how obsessed he is with her as she throws her arms up in the air and tosses her hair behind her shoulder.

“Tú no eres la partida, Jaelynn. Eres un problema,” Daddy jokes and my mom and Delanie chuckle.

Jae closes the front door behind her and walks toward Kylan and me. Everyone else is standing nearby the kitchen.

“I don’t know what you said, Mr. Mendoza. But I do know that it sounded hot,” she quips, and I smack her on the upper arm. Kylan just laughs at her like nothing else matters in the world.

Idolove them together.

My mom rolls her eyes before announcing that dinner will be served in a few minutes. Everyone walks toward the dining room, and I wait by the stairs for a few more minutes. I should text him, ask when he’ll be here. But I don’t want to seem too clingy so soon. I want to take this as slow and natural as feels right.

After five minutes of listening to chatter in the other room and the smell of baked alfredo hits my nose, I decide to go join them.

Where we have dinner…without Jax.

thirty-two

Hollis

Anhourandahalf passes by, and I start to feel like my body is being swallowed by a clay monster. I don’t know how else to describe it, but I feel disappointed, worried, and stuck.

Jax never showed up. My mom had asked—looked at me like she was sad for me—and Delanie just said he was busy with work. I guess that’s what I get for dropping the ball in the communication department, but I’m sure he wasn’t working today.

But the way Ky shifted in his chair told me that it wasn’t the truth. And that’s when my brain started racing a hundred miles an hour. Everyone had already gotten the dishes cleaned up and had gathered out back around the fire pit to start the smores when I practically Irish-exited to the bathroom in my old room upstairs.

Now I’m staring at myself in the mirror. I don’t feel like crying per se, I just feel annoyed that he isn’t here. But also, I think the worst. Is he avoiding me? Does he regret the things we said and did? Did something happen to him? Is he okay?

I know I should have texted him. But I don’t even know where my phone is at right now.

I grip the sink and try to calm my breathing. The air is starting to feel a little heavier again, but I know I can’t overthink things. He probably really is at work.

A knock on the bathroom door startles me a bit as I inhale one last breath and answer it.

“Hey, babes. You okay?” Jae asks as she leans her head against the door frame.

“Yes. But no,” I answer, and she smiles like she understands exactly what I mean.

“This is the hardest part about fresh starts. Not knowing when to react and not to react. Not knowing what to think when something feels off or wrong. But I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that no one really knows the truth unless you ask them. When’s the last time you talked to him?”

“Not since Friday really. We talked all week and I was busy with you yesterday then I got called into work. I didn't intend to ignore his text yesterday but I kind of spaced out on it. And today…well I don’t even know where my phone is. But I’ve been so busy here, preparing with my mom and waiting for his arrival,” I tell Jaelynn as I start to see my mistake. Maybe he’s taking this out on me because he asked for communication. But he can’t do these kinds of things if I miss a day of talking to him, if that’s what this is.

“Maybe that’s what he needs from you though, was that conversation. You guys have a history and a story that not many others will be able to understand, and the traditional way is probably not a valid response in your case.” Jaelynn says things that sometimes I don’t understand. But I know there’s a good meaning behind what she’s trying to convey.

“This isn’t going to be easy, girl. Shit, all hell might break loose before you see the light of the day.” Jae’s head snaps to the side just as my eyes go wide at the sound of yelling and door slamming.

“What the fuck?” I push Jae as we both rush down the stairs to see what the commotion is.

We reach the dining room and notice that someone else has decided to join us, his leather-clad body taking up the frame of the door that leads out back.

Jae and I stand in shock as we hear Kylan say something like,“Calm down, Jaxon. You need to go home.”And then more yelling ensues.

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