Page 64 of Trip Through Your Wires

“Sorry,” I laugh. “I’m not driving all the way up there to bring you condoms. And if Marcus were here, he wouldn’t either.”

“Man,” Cruz quips. “Fuck off. I don’t need that.”

“I don’t know, Cabron. You may want to cover that shit. The road isn’t kid friendly and something tells me Ells doesn’t want to be a mom just yet.”

The thought of kids crawling all over Cruz makes me smile. He will be a great father one day, but it’s hard to think of him in dad mode at this point in his life.

“Ha,” he lets out a short, dry laugh. “I don’t need you to drive up here, the favor is for Ellery.”

“Yeah?” Another yawn hits, this one slipping out. “What’s that?”

The sound of rustling cuts off his response and a second later, her voice comes over the line. “Jake?”

“One and only,” I reply. “What’s going on?”

“I’m worried about Jenica.”

I move the pizza box off my lap and sit up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. “What’s going on?”

“I haven’t heard from her.”

Welcome to the club, I can’t help but think. “When was the last time you two talked?”

“Earlier in the week,” she confirms. “Monday.”

“That’s not exactly a long time, Ells.” I plant both feet on the ground and scrub a hand down my face, trying to ignore the way her worry has kindled my own. “Cops wouldn’t even put out an APB for that.”

“APB’s are for criminals. And she always calls me back, Jake. Something is up.”

Yeah, well she used to call me back too, and I had to get over that pretty quickly. “Maybe she’s busy,” I suggest. “She was talking about getting another job when she was up here. Maybe she found one. Balancing two jobs and going to classes has got to be—”

“She hasn’t,” Ellery cuts me off. “At least, not when we last spoke. That’s why I’m worried.”

I push up from the bed and shove my free hand under the arm I’m using to hold the phone. “Well, I don’t know what you want me to do.”

The line is quiet for a moment. “Will you go down there and check on her for me?” she asks timidly.

“What?” I laugh in disbelief. “Did you and Cruz get a little weed in the City and smoke a bowl? I’m not driving to Georgia, Ells.”

“I don’t want you to drive,” she says with that drawl of hers that implies I’m being ridiculous. “I want you to fly.”

“Fly!” I look up to the ceiling and blow out an amused breath. “Now I know you’re high.”

“I’m not high, Jake. It would be a quick trip. You could fly into Savannah, get a rental car, and be to her Nana’s house in no time.”

“Ellery…”

“Please Jake? I’d do it myself but Momma says I can’t miss this meeting on Monday. She had to move mountains to get all of the suits in one room and she will have my hide if I ask her to reschedule.”

I turn my head down from the ceiling, shaking it.

“I’ll make all the arrangements,” she continues. “All you have to do is get to the airport and the ticket will be under your name, and when you land, there will be a car waiting at the Alamo desk.”

Despite the fact my mind is saying no, this is crazy, Jenica has made it perfectly clear she wants me to leave her alone, there is something in my gut that says I need to get down there and check on her.

“And what do I do when I get there and show up on her porch? Say, hey, you’re crazy best friend flew me down here to make sure you’re not dead?”

Ellery sucks in a breath and the line goes quiet.

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