Page 121 of Single Teddy
“That…that’s not possible. Just…trust me. I’m going to do whatever it takes to find Wesley and get him back home safe and sound. I promise.”
Ruby stared at me but grabbed my phone, and after a few moments, punched in her number and called her own cell.
“There. Now I have your number too. So you better believe I’ll be calling you non-stop if you don’t get in touch ASAP,” she said.
“You got it.” I took my phone back and gave her hand a squeeze, then returned to the food truck and grabbed Bear’s stuff.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
I didn’t answer. I put us both in the car and drove to Slade’s, who was already on his porch, waiting for us.
“Go on, honey. Mac is inside,” I told him when we reached Slade, but Bear just stopped and stared at me.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
I glanced at Slade, but he didn’t say anything.
“Slade and I have to go,” I said.
“I want to come with you.”
“You can’t, Bear.”
“Why?” Bear crossed his arms over Bubblegum on his chest and pouted.
I didn’t have time for this. I couldn’t sit here and explain everything to him. Especially when I had to sugarcoat the truth to make it more palatable for a kid. And even then, it would only give him nightmares if I did.
“Because…because you can’t, Bear. Now go inside with Mac and her dad.”
At that, King appeared at the door and took Bear’s hand, but Bear wasn’t having it. Instead of following King inside, he stomped his feet and pulled to break free.
“No. Don’t leave me alone, Uncle Teddy. Don’t leave me alone,” he cried, and the words struck me like bullets to the chest.
Fuck. I shouldn’t have spoken like that to him. I hadn’t wanted to scare him, but I only made things worse.
I dropped to my knees and grabbed him by the arms.
“Bear, sweetheart, I’m not leaving you alone. I’m leaving you with your best friend and her dad. I will be back. I’m not going anywhere without you. Okay?”
Bear shook his head.
“Take me with you.”
“I can’t, sweetheart. It’s too…” I took a deep breath. “It’s not safe for kids.”
“I want to come with you. I don’t care.”
He wrapped his arms around my neck and hung on for dear life, only making me feel shittier for having to leave him at a time like this.
“I will be back, Bear. I promise. Please, let go. I will be back.”
“You promise?” he cried in my ear.
“I promise. I swear to you I will be back,” I repeated over and over again until Bear gave up and allowed King to take him inside. And even though I was finally free to leave, I felt trapped and heavy.
“You okay?” Slade asked.
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t okay. How could I be when Wesley and the boys were missing, probably in danger, and I was abandoning Bear at a time when he felt very vulnerable? Was that how he reacted when Josie would leave him alone to go out with her boyfriends? How could she do it? How did it not break her heart to leave him crying like that?
