Page 104 of Single Teddy
Had they lost weight since Friday? They looked so skinny. It was a thought I couldn’t shake for the rest of the day, and finally, at recess, I pulled them aside and asked them if everything was okay at home.
“Everything’s okay,” Niko said, but I could tell there was something they weren’t telling me, either because they were afraid or because they wanted to protect me.
“Okay. If you’re sure. I’ve got some snacks to take home if you want,” I told them, and they both helped themselves to some sweets and croissants before they returned outside.
I went back to the classroom, grabbed my phone, and called Teddy.
“Miss me already?” he answered straight away.
“Of course,” I said, unable to help the smile on my face. “I always miss your silly face.”
“Silly? Who did you call silly?”
I laughed.
“Listen, I don’t have much time. Have you checked with Slade what happened with that phone I copied? Any news? I don’t think the kids are having a good time. They look so skinny. I don’t know if they’re eating at home.”
His tone turned serious when he spoke next. And that was why I liked him. He knew when it was time to play and when it was time for business.
“I’ll call him now.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“I beg to differ.”
He didn’t say anything else, but I could tell he wanted to. I did also. But it was too soon.
I had to keep reminding myself. It was way too soon.
I couldn’t let myself fall in love so hard so quickly. Only disaster awaited anyone who fell so hard so quickly. And I was already dealing with one too many disasters.
TWENTY-SEVEN
TEDDY
Igot in touch with Slade right after Wesley’s call, and the next day, we gathered bright and early at Wyatt’s bar.
“Is there any progress with the phone? Wesley is concerned and justifiably so. And so am I,” I asked Slade.
“Me too,” Joey added. “We need to get those kids out of there as soon as possible, no matter what.”
“Yeah. At this point, I don’t even care if it’s a stash house or the base of operations. We need to save the kids,” I added.
“That’s dangerous talk, and you know it. You know they hold an ace up their sleeve, and we don’t. They know who we are. We don’t know any of them. We’ve been walking in blind every time—” Wyatt started.
“And you want to keep on doing that with those kids’ lives on the line?” Joey asked incredulously.
“That’s not what I said, and you know it,” Wyatt huffed. “I’m saying if we don’t know who this man is connected to and whathe knows, all we will be doing is putting those kids and ourselves in further danger.”
“I don’t care. The kids are living in fear and probably abuse. Can we risk it?” Joey retorted.
Wyatt opened his mouth, but Slade raised his hand and interjected.
“If you don’t mind,” he said. “I do have an update on the phone.”
“You do?” Wyatt, Joey, and Maddox asked in unison.
