Chapter Twenty-Eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Archer

E ast sleeps fitfully through the afternoon. I don’t leave the bed, holding him, kissing his temple, making sure if he wakes up, he knows I’m here.

That had been the most intense, soul-shattering sex of my whole life. It hadn’t come from a good experience, but I think it led us to a good place, one where East lowered more of his walls and gave himself to me in new ways. I could feel it happening.

And later, when he wakes up, I’m going to talk to him about getting help, seeing a therapist, because there are so many things he needs to work out, but we can’t do it alone. The stuff his father said, I can’t imagine growing up hearing that, believing it. That negativity would affect anyone.

Evening comes, and East doesn’t wake up. He must be mentally and emotionally drained. He’s restless every night, falling asleep and waking up numerous times, and now, I think his body and mind are just too exhausted.

I slip out of bed only long enough to piss, wash my hands, and tug underwear on. I go downstairs and feed the dogs, then take them out, before going back upstairs to climb into bed with East.

I lie awake and watch him sleep as evening turns to night, wishing I had done more today, wishing I hadn’t let Gregory Swift get away with how he’d spoken about East.

Eventually, I fall asleep too, with East warm and relaxed in my arms.

My body wakes up naturally in the morning, and East is gone.

“East?” When he doesn’t answer, I go downstairs, but the house is quiet.

“Where’s Daddy?” I ask the dogs before opening the front door and noticing East’s truck is gone.

My heart drops to my feet, and I run upstairs for my cell, trying to tell myself there’s a logical explanation. I call his phone but hear it in the room. Jesus, I hadn’t even noticed it sitting on the nightstand on his side of the bed.

My damn pulse is banging against my skin, stomach twisted up and chest too tight. How in the fuck had he slipped out of bed without me noticing? I should have stayed awake, should have been more careful.

Why didn’t he wake me?

Why did he leave?

I don’t know where I plan to go look for him, but I have to do something , so I tug on the rest of my clothes, then jog downstairs. I pull the front door open, bile burning up my esophagus when I see Craig and Martinez standing there. “Is he okay? What happened?”

Of course, it’s Craig who speaks. “Archer, is Easton Swift here?”

I breathe out a sigh of relief. He’s okay. They aren’t here to tell me something happened to him. “No, he’s not. Can I ask what this is about?”

“We really just need you to tell us where he is,” Craig replies. “How long has he been gone?”

“Just a few minutes,” the lie slips out. I have no idea if I’m doing the right thing, if I’m saying the right thing. “What happened?”

Martinez says, “Gregory Swift’s house was broken into last night. No one was hurt, but some personal effects were taken. I’m sorry, Archer, but he’s convinced it was Easton. Said the two of you got into an argument with him just yesterday. You know we’ve got to check it out.”

“It wasn’t him.” I try to school my features. It wasn’t East. Deep down, to the marrow of my bones, I know it wasn’t. “Gregory just wants to blame it on him. He’s got this hatred for East, and I’m sorry about what happened to him, but it wasn’t East. He just sees East as an easy target.”

“Gregory Swift? You’re talking about the mayor? The ex-congressman?” Craig’s words are sharp as a knife.

“Yeah. I am. I was fucking there. East didn’t say a word to him. If anything, I’m the one who got into an argument with him.”

“You know we have to at least talk to him, Archer. We’re not trying to be the bad guys here.”

The thing is, I know it’s their job. I would have to do the same thing, but while Martinez feels bad, I don’t think Craig does.

“He went for a drive this morning. I’m not sure when he’ll be back, but he was here, all night, with me. He couldn’t have done it because he didn’t leave.” In my gut, I know there’s no going back from that lie, but East is worth it. It doesn’t matter if he left last night, I know who he is, and he didn’t break into Gregory’s house. It’s like he reverts to a child just by seeing the man.

“Okay,” Martinez replies.

“We’ll be back,” Craig adds, and I watch as the two of them head back to the cruiser, climb in, and drive away.

Goddamn it, sweetheart. Where are you?

The second they’re gone, I call Dusty.

“Hey. Is everything okay?” Dusty asks.

“Is East with you? I don’t even know if you’re at the shop yet, but do you know if he’s there?”

“We’re closed today.” Damn it. I didn’t even think of that. “I’m not sure if he’s there. I can check the work cameras. What’s going on?”

I run a hand through my hair, heart beating so fast, I’m afraid it might implode. “I can’t… I’m coming over. Call Rhett and have him meet me at your place.”

I shove my phone into my pocket before he can ask me anything else, grab my keys, and head out. My stomach is a fucking mess, nausea swirling in my gut and burning its way up my throat. My hands are tight on the steering wheel the whole time I drive, as I try to piece together what the fuck happened. Did Gregory lie? It’s a really big fucking coincidence that his house got broken into the night I got into an argument with him about East. But Gregory is a lot of things, and dumb isn’t one of them. He wouldn’t be so stupid as to make up a burglary.

Rhett is already parked in front of Dusty’s house when I pull up. “Where the fuck is my brother? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out. Jesus, let’s go inside.” I push past him to the door, which pulls open, Morgan’s hair sleep-mussed and his eyes frantic.

“What happened, Archer? I’m freaking the fuck out here.”

We get into the house, Rhett closing the door behind him. I can’t keep still, pacing as I speak. “We went out to lunch yesterday, and it was fucking perfect…until we ran into your dad.”

“Shit,” Morgan curses.

Rhett stiffens, his face shutting down, not showing any emotions.

“He said some terrible things. East didn’t respond at all. It’s like…hell, it’s like he disconnected. I dealt with Gregory, and I thought everything was okay. But I woke up this morning and East was gone. I have no idea what time he left or where he is. He left his phone at home. Then two officers were at my door, telling me Gregory’s house was broken into last night and he thinks it was East.” I eye them all, one after the other so they know how serious I am. “He didn’t fucking do it. I don’t care if I can’t say what time he left, he didn’t do it. I told the officers he was with me all night, but—”

“You lied to the cops for my brother?” Morgan asks, soft awe in his voice.

“I love him,” I admit. “There’s not a damn thing in this world I wouldn’t do for him.”

“I…thank you,” Morgan replies. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just want to find him. That’s all that matters.”

“He didn’t do it,” Rhett interrupts, surprising me. I thought he would be a harder sell. He’s always been so by the book, but then, before East, I had been too. “It was me.”

“You broke into your dad’s house?” Dusty asks.

“Fuck him. He deserves it,” Morgan argues. “Still surprised you did it, though.”

“It’s our fucking house too. I just…didn’t want to see him, but there were some things of Mom’s I wanted. I didn’t even…fuck, I was so stupid. I should have known he would blame it on East.”

“Hey, you’re not stupid.” Morgan takes a step closer to Rhett.

“You hate me. Don’t pretend you don’t.” Rhett moves backward, and while I can see that it looks like a rejection, something in his eyes tells me he’s afraid of being rejected himself.

“I know you two have a lot to work through, but can we get back to East? I’m worried about him. He…he talks to her.” He talks to her, and I knew. Why hadn’t I talked to him about getting help before? “He has conversations with her.”

“Talks to who?” Dusty asks.

“Ella.”

I feel the blast of heat from Rhett. “My brother hallucinates our dead sister, and you didn’t think to tell us until now?”

“I didn’t want to betray his trust. And he said he knows she’s not real. I don’t think it’s true hallucinations, but…what the fuck do I know? I love him, Rhett, and I’m doing my damn best here. You don’t think I’m beating myself up enough? This is a waste of fucking time. I need to find East.”

I head for the door, but I’m stopped by Dusty’s calm, steady words. “Wait. Don’t go yet. We need to figure out a plan here. Rhett, you need to tell your dad it was you.”

“Fuck him. I’m not talking to him.”

“Not even to save your brother?”

“I’ll go to the police station and tell them, but I’m not talking to him.”

I sigh. “You’re going to go to the police station and admit to breaking into someone’s house?”

“I’m not an idiot, Archer. I know what I’m doing.” Rhett crosses his arms, and I don’t have it in me to argue.

Dusty says, “Okay, Rhett will take care of the breaking and entering. The three of us need to find East. Do you have any ideas where he might be? He’s not at the shop.”

Something sparks in my brain, a lit match coming to life.

It’s what he was doing that first night I found him in the woods.

“Shit. I think I know where he is. I found him at a campsite a few years back. It’s…important to him. He’s there. I know he is.” Because even though that’s not where Ella died, he goes there to be close to her.

“At Birchwood?” Morgan asks.

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“We took them there…me and Rhett. Not long before Ella died. Dad was supposed to go, but he didn’t. We were going to cancel, but they were so upset that we went ahead with it. Rhett and I…” Morgan looks at his brother.

“We agreed to get along for that trip. We tried to put all our issues aside so we could give the twins a good time. They loved it…they were happy. Do you remember Ella with the butterflies? They were everywhere. I swear we saw hundreds of them that weekend. She would chase them, and East would chase her.”

“He did anything she wanted, all the time. He just wanted to make her happy.” Morgan swipes at a tear rolling down his face. “It was the last thing we did together before…”

“Let’s go,” I tell them. “We’ll deal with the police later.” It’s the right decision, having his brothers there. Something inside me tells me that. East needs to feel loved, needs his family because he’s felt so damn alone since losing Ella.

Without another word, we all head for the door.