Page 30 of The Captive Missing

“Well you see, Gabe and I-” Val hesitated, wondering just what to say without breaking her friend’s confidence. “He took me to see this doctor in Male. I got a shot that should last me about three months.”

“You and Gabe.” Jason shrugged into his shirt, then worked purposeful fingers over the buttons. He was angry. “You can trust him, but not me. You tell him, but not me.”

From her position on the bed she watched Jason struggle. He zipped up his pants and buckled his belt, tugged at his collar and avoided her eyes. Ever since that first day when Jason caught Gabe with his hand spread across her thigh, he had fought off his own jealously. Despite the fact he knew nothing had gone on between them, and the fact he knew how Gabe felt about Bee, it was a natural reaction that he just couldn’t seem to shake.

Any time she confided in Gabe or turned to her friend instead of Jason, it triggered a spark in him that he had to work hard to put out. Going behind his back and taking birth control for years was one thing, but Gabe offering his assistance in the matter was another.

Val twisted her fingers in her lap, watching how he tightened his jaw. She could almost hear his teeth grinding. That night on the dock, alone with Gabe, Val knew this exact scenario would play out. She knew if she accepted Gabe’s offer of help, that it would hurt her husband in ways she couldn’t easily repair. But she had done it anyway. She wasn’t willing to risk the alternative.

Guilt flooded her, but she knew better than to approach Jason just now. Instead, she let him walk out the door, trying not to let it sting that he didn’t look back.

Flopping back on the mattress, Val resumed staring at the ceiling. The sun was setting, casting an array of shadows that played in the constantly dimming light. Not having slept well the night before, her eyelids felt heavy and her thoughts blurred.

With the last of her strength, she crawled beneath the covers and rolled onto her belly. Jason was free and he had a plan. She would see her son again. She had to have faith in that. Closing her eyes, her breathing evened out until she spiraled down into the waiting abyss.

* * *

In the far reaches of her dreams she heard his voice. The sound of his delightful giggle was a million miles away. Still, it made her smile. A big wide grin, the kind that makes your cheeks hurt, that’s what spread across her face.

Then someone was pulling her and she felt sucked through a swamp. The muggy thickness was all around her and she had her arms outstretched grasping in the direction of her little boy. But she was being tugged away. Tugged up into the light.

“Babe, wake up.” Jason was standing over her in the darkened bedroom. “Come see this.”

“Hmmm?” Val rubbed at her eyes, trying to shake the raw feeling of the dream.

“Come on, you’ll like it. I promise.”

Then she heard the sound again. Jace’s undeniable laughter lilting from the living room. Springing up suddenly, she made a dash for the bedroom door. The crack of light that seeped through left a long line on the plush carpet. Jason grabbed her around the waist easily, stopping her progress.

“Hey-” he chuckled. “You’re still naked.”

“Oh!” Val blushed before retreating to the closet to throw on some clothes.

Out in the living area, Jeremy sat on the sofa, hands wrapped around the laptop. He was making silly faces into the screen, and each time he would change expressions, Jace’s laughter would tumble from the speakers. Glancing at the clock that hung on the wall, Val saw that the time was a quarter past eleven. The internet was still working in the Maldives. Thank God.

As she crossed the room, Senior and Theresa glanced up. They were seated at a nearby table, picking through Chinese takeout boxes. The smell of the spice-laden food filled the space.

“I think there’s someone else here you’ll want to talk to Jacey.” Jeremy slid to the side, making room for Val next to him on the couch.

“Really?” Jace’s small voice squeaked. “Who is it?”

“It’s me!” Val peeked around the edge of the screen, causing Jace’s eyes to grow wide with excitement.

“Mommy!” He sang it out. “I got to see Daddy, too. Did you know?”

“Yeah, I know. Isn’t that awesome?”

“Did you see his haircut? I’m gonna have the same haircut. I better get the same thing.”

“Ugh.” Val kept a fake smile plastered across her face. “You sure about that? It’s pretty short already.”

“I’m sure.” Jace bobbed his head in confident determination.

The rest of the conversation centered around his latest exploits on the island. Gabe and he were officially building a fort. With real walls and a real ladder and everything. Jace beamed. Val reached out to stroke his little face, but felt the slick screen’s surface instead. Soon, she consoled herself, soon.

Jason strolled over and wedged himself down next to her. They chatted happily for a time, but before long their little boy became bored. It was the beginning of his day on the other side of the world and sitting still was not on his itinerary.

When the call clicked off, Val felt renewed. She lay her head on Jason’s shoulder, and he drew her in closer, pressing a kiss into her hair. The incident between them had been forgiven, or at least put on the back burner until a much later date. She could live with that, feeling content just to be close to him.

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