Page 87 of Shattered

“See you soon.”

We hang up, and I turn to face Harley, who holds up his hands before I can speak. “It’s all good. You go take care of things. I’ll finish up here.”

“I owe you.”

I had been staying calm for Sienna’s benefit, but the borderline hysterical tone of her voice has worry slithering up my spine, making anxiety flood my system as I make the drive over.

I’m sure he’s fine.

He’s probably just got a ride to a friend’s place. Maybe he lost his phone or broke it—I can easily see both of those things happening. He didn’t even bring it the night we went for dinner.

By the time I make it to his street, I’ve convinced myself it’s one of those possibilities. But the second I see Sienna sitting on the steps in front of his door, her expression panicked and her hands rubbing anxiously over her knees, the clenching in my stomach returns.

I park behind Jason’s car and quickly get out. Sienna is immediately on her feet and walking toward me, her stress palpable.

“I’m probably overreacting, right? It’s not like it’s the first time he’s disappeared for a couple of days at a time.” She laughs, but it sounds strained and forced, and her arms wrap around her stomach as she approaches me. “But something doesn’t feel right, Neilix.”

“Come on.” I hold out a hand, and she grabs it with both of hers, showing just where her mind is if she’s willing to risk Jason seeing it. When we reach the front door, she tries to take the key from me, but I pull my hand back.

“How about you let me go in first?” Her eyes swing up to me, wide and alarmed. “Just in case he’s there with someone.”

I know he hasn’t associated with the best people in the past, but what I’m really hoping is that he’s simply busy with a woman, and Sienna is worrying about nothing.

She nods, and I push the key into the lock, nerves shooting through my body.

“Just wait here a second, okay?”

She nods again, but her eyes are now glued to the handle. After blowing out a silent breath, I open the front door and enter.

He’s fine, I tell myself. The idiot is just being careless and not responding.

There are doors on either side of a short hallway a little way in from the front door, and I head to the one on the right first, knowing it’s his bedroom.

“Yo, Jason. You here?” I call out, poking my head into his room. It’s empty, but the window is open, letting in an afternoon breeze that blows the curtains around and with it, a sense of foreboding. I don’t know why, but the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

I turn back into the hallway, glancing at Sienna who is still standing just outside the front door, and step across the hall to look in the living room.

One step in, and I freeze.

My heart launches straight into my throat, a strangled sound getting trapped alongside it.

No, no, no, no.

“Fuck. Jason,” I choke out, gripping my hair with both hands and shaking my head.

Sienna was right. She knew something was wrong, and she was fucking right.

My fucking oldest friend. He’s . . . he’s gone.

Agonizing pain slices through my chest, making my breaths come out choppy. Tears sting my eyes. I bring one hand down and fist it in front of my mouth, biting into the flesh while trying to hold back the onslaught of mixed emotions wanting to escape.

Shock has me rendered immobile. I can’t move forward. I can’t look away. I can’t seem to do anything but stare at his pale, lifeless form and vacant eyes, staring at nothing.

It’s not until I hear Sienna call my name from inside the front door that I suck in a stuttered breath and snap out of my frozen state. I spin around and grab her just in time to stop her from seeing anything. She can’t see this.

“What are you doing?” she asks as I push her back and press her against the wall in the hallway.

“I’m sorry.” My words come out in a broken whisper.

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