Page 24 of Hot for Her
His abrupt question caught me off guard, even though I realized it probably shouldn’t have.
I wracked my brain for the best possible answer. “What he does is his business, and honestly, we’re both pretty inexperienced so we don’t talk about it much.”
I didn’t feel comfortable telling anyone Drew’s private business. He could come out when he was ready. I knew he’d find the courage one day. Probably after he’d moved off to college.
“I understand,” Aiden said quietly. “Didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay,” I said as I pulled up Camille’s number and pressed call. She didn’t answer either. I was out of ideas.
I turned to Aiden, unsure of what to do next, but thankful that he was with me and not acting weird after what we’d just done.
“I can’t seem to reach him or Camille.”
Aiden cleared his throat loudly. “You know, there’s all those apps now. Find my friend or find a fuckbuddy or whatever.”
Relief washed over me like tidal wave. “Yes! He’s on my Find My Friends! I completely forgot!”
I opened the app, then selected Drew’s avatar. The hold-one-moment circle starting going around and around for what seemed like eternity, damn spotty wi-fi service in the Airstream, until finally he popped up on the street map.
I stared at my phone, confused.
I’d gotten another text from his mom just moments ago saying she was going to call the police if she didn’t hear from one of us soon.
According to the app, Drew was at the city park not far from Southeastern’s campus, which I found highly unlikely. The only thing that went down there after dark was drug deals.
That plus the fact that he wasn’t answering his calls or messages made me wonder if his phone had been stolen. He didn’t take a piss without his phone in hand—something I was pretty sure he did to take dick pics but I tried not to think about.
“I think I need to go.”
Aiden sat up so quickly it startled me.
“Not because I’m in a hurry to leave,” I explained. “But this says his phone is at the city park by Southeastern.”
“That’s fifteen minutes from here. Not really a safe place to be after dark,” Aiden commented.
“Exactly. I’m thinking maybe someone stole his phone.”
“Only one way to find out. I’ll drive you.”
We dressed quickly. I continued alternating between calling Drew’s phone and Camille’s number, stopping only to tell Aiden when the GPS said to turn, until we arrived at the park.
It was dark and deserted from what I could tell. Aiden’s headlights swept across the grassy area and the playground equipment but there was nothing and no one. At the edge of the parking lot was a heap of what looked like blankets. His headlights lit it up as we drove toward it.
“Stop!” I screamed. The brakes slammed us forward. I lurched while scrambling to unbuckle my seatbelt.
I’d sat behind Drew for years in various classrooms.
I’d recognize the back of his head anywhere.
Even on the ground covered in blood.
I didn’t remember screaming,but when I mentioned that my throat was inexplicably sore, Aiden said I woke up half the neighborhood yelling for help. All I remembered was hearing Drew groan in pain and the relief that flooded through me when his eyelids fluttered.
He’d been attacked, beaten within inches of his life, but he was alive.
The doctors said their guess so far was fists, feet, and possibly a lacrosse stick or baseball bat. I heard the police say something about “multiple assailants” in the waiting room.
Me, Aiden, Drew’s mom, and his sister, Stacy, sat in silence in the Emergency room waiting area. Aiden had called 911 and they’d made us wait in excruciating purgatory on the paramedics. Because they didn’t know what had happened, they didn’t want us to move him.
