Page 3 of Quiet Confessions: Part Two

“Nate, wake the fuck up! Why are you sleeping? What the fuck happened?” Cal shouts, shaking me. I groan and open my eyes. Something isn't right. I feel nauseous. Why the hell am I sleeping on a lounge chair?

“Cal? What’s going on? Fuck, my head hurts,” I grumble and try to sit up. The sky is dark and the stars are shining, but it’s blurry. I try to remember what I was doing before passing out, but it’s fuzzy.

I think my dad brought me some food. Was Patience here? “No fucking clue. I got a phone call from Rooke’s dad. He was screaming at me for the past hour about his son. He sounded high or something, and then I came out here and you’re drooling on the cushions.”

“Wait? What? What was his dad saying?” Cal sighs and sits beside me as I try to sit up more.

“He said that Rooke ran away and it’s my fault. This whole time I thought he just needed some time from me. Some space, but fuck, bro, I’m worried. I need to find him. Make sure he’s okay. I don’t know what I did to make him run off.”

“Okay, let me get dressed and we can grab Patience and go find him. Did his dad say when he left?” Cal wipes his eyes and groans.

“That’s the thing I don’t understand. He said he’s been gone for weeks. The last he heard of him, he’d left a note saying he was coming to stay here.”

“Okay, yeah, that doesn’t sound right. Help me up,” I grumble, then take his hand and try to stand. Something isn’t right here. I feel weak and my legs wobble as I move inside. The air conditioner makes me shiver and I rush to grab some clothes.

“You okay, Nate? Did Patience wipe you out or something?” he jokes, but you can tell he’s not in the mood to kid. I wave him away and stumble down the hall and up the stairs to my room.

“Call Pay and ask her to come over. Maybe try and reach out to Ki, too. I have a bad feeling about this,” I mumble and he sighs, but nods. Entering my room, I walk over to the shower and rinse off the chlorine and sex from earlier.

The water feels great, but it doesn’t help my head. I feel foggy and disoriented. What the fuck happened? Leaving the shower, I grab some boxers, shorts, and a T-shirt. Cal is waiting for me in the hall as I exit my room.

“Patience didn’t pick up. Maybe she’s asleep. Let’s just go over there. Ki is busy, but he said he would make some calls in the morning.” He yawns and I can’t help but follow. I’m exhausted, but something just feels wrong.

Moving down the stairs, we leave out the side door and walk over to Patience’s house.

Her mom and step-dad are away again, so I know they won’t catch us. Even if they did, technically Cal is Pay’s fiancé, so he has the right to pop by in the middle of the night.

I try the kitchen door and groan when it opens. “Doesn’t she know she needs to lock her doors?” I grumble and Cal laughs at me, shaking his head.

“You can bitch at her later. Right now, I just want to go find my guy,” he huffs and I sigh.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” I walk through the kitchen and take the stairs up to her room. Her door is wide open and the bed is still made. “Maybe she’s in the living room?” Cal grunts and stomps down the steps. I follow him at a slower pace.

“Patience,” Cal shouts, and I check the other rooms, but they are all empty.

“Maybe she went for a run?” I pull out my phone and try calling her again, but it just goes to voicemail. I dial Ki and he answers with a grumble.

“Listen, I know that you’re worried about Rooke, but he’s been away for a few weeks now, another night will be okay.”

“Is Pay with you?” I interrupt him and he scoffs.

“No, Nate, last I heard she was going over to your place.” Cal meets me in the kitchen and shakes his head.

“Something is going on, Nate. I have a sick feeling in my stomach,” he says, and I have to agree with him.

“Listen, Ki, Pay isn’t home. She’s not at our place either. We haven't seen her in a few hours. I woke up groggy outside, too. I think you need to get over here,” I say, then end the call.

Honestly, he’s pissing me off right now.

“Call Dad, maybe he knows something?” I ask Cal and he throws his head back and laughs.

“Dad is fucking clueless, Nate. The only thing he cares about is ruining my life. Watch, he paid off or threatened Rooke to leave. Had to have been a threat or something. I know he wouldn’t just up and leave me. He told me he loved me,” he chokes out before starting to cry.

I pull him into a tight hug and hold him. He may be an asshole at times, but Cal loves hard and he loves Rooke, fiercely.

“We will find him and our girl. Don’t give up just yet, brother. We got this,” I swear to him, and fuck, I hope I’m not lying.

KIAN

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