Page 18 of Give Me Forever Love

I look down at the cement floor. There’s no telling what that boy is getting into. I haven’t heard from him since Friday night. He was drunk and told me he was going to sleep it off in the loft, so I called an Uber and came here to this lonely ass place.

“I’m going to check his apartment and the loft at Red.”

“I checked his apartment,” she says.

I lift a brow, surprised to hear this.

“He wasn’t there, or maybe he just didn’t come to the door. We know how he feels about me.” She looks ashamed but understanding.

I don’t say anything.

For once I’m amazed that she went over there. Jace doesn’t have any fond feelings for this woman, and I’m sure he’s in a pretty bad state right now. Jace is unpredictable and that can be scary. I don’t think he’d hurt Mary, but he sure as hell wouldn’t be kind.

Her eyes dance over me. “I made sandwiches. Maybe you can grab one before you head to Red?”

I smirk. She obviously thinks I need to eat.

“Um, thanks. I might when I get back.” I stand up and roll my neck. “Is Lee still here?”

“Yeah.” She looks inside the window. “He doesn’t talk to me much. But he’s sitting in the living room. I’m surprised he even called and told me about Bryce.”

For a split second, I wonder why he doesn’t talk to her much, but then I think about everything and I get it. Lee was there from the beginning. He was in the hospital with those boys when their mother signed away her rights and got the hell out of there. I’m sure he doesn’t think very highly of Mary and with good reason. He’s tolerating her because of Bryce. She looks back at me, and there’s something there that I didn’t notice before.

A resolve.

Maybe she isn’t going to go back to her old ways. Maybe she’s finally decided to move on with her life.

“He’s a quiet man,” I say.

She nods. “Well, you better get going so you can get back and be ready to leave.”

“Yeah. I’ll be back.” I walk into the apartment, the air cooling my skin from sunshine.

“I’m going to see if Jace is at Red,” I say to Lee when he looks over at me.

He nods and rubs his silver goatee. I see he has an empty plate in front of him. He may not talk to Mary, but at least he’s being polite by accepting her food. It’s more than I can say for her sons. They don’t care about her feelings too much.

I walk over to the counter and grab my keys before exiting the apartment.

I climb into my car, rolling my windows down to let some of the heat out. I slide my shades on and pull out onto the street.

It’s a normal day for everyone else. They’re just going about their everyday lives, while I’m walking around with a heart that weighs enough to snap me in two.

I pull the visor down, blocking rays that threaten to blind me. I’m headed to track down my boyfriend’s brother and make sure he hasn’t drunk himself to death and in a little while I’ll get to see if Bryce can come home from jail.

What a fuckery all this is.

I pass through red lights and turn a few turns before I’m in front of Red.

The doors are locked, the basement shut down.

I turn the car off and step out. Leaning against my door, I stare at the building, remembering a time when I stood out here in a line that was too long, in shoes that were too high.

I cross my arms as my eyes roam over the structure. Yellow leaves roll over the sidewalk, tumbling without a choice.

Did I have a choice in any of this?

If I could go back to that moment when Claire and I stood here, would I change anything knowing what I do now?

---