35
I run into Doom Slice to find Hughie sitting with Noah and Samuel, eating a slice of pizza. The cop from the market is also there, talking to Hughie as he plucks a piece of pepperoni and puts it in his mouth.
“Hughie!” I run over and hug him. “Are you okay? Where did you go?”
He puts his pizza down. “I saw a cat walking through the crowd and followed it because I wanted to pet it. It didn’t stop until like that BBQ place we went to. You know, the one near the tattoo place where we saw those two guys fighting outside?”
He was right there. The alley behind Dame.
“I went back to the market but you weren’t there, so I came here because I thought maybe you’d show up for pizza.”
At that moment Niall comes running in, brushing past me to pick Hughie up in a huge hug.
“Why did you leave the market? What were you thinking Hughie? You could have gotten hurt…or worse!”
It’s at this moment it all seems to catch up to Hughie, as he is now sobbing uncontrollably. Niall sits there, his back to me, rocking Hughie back and forth.
“I take it we’re all set here? I’ll let the rest know the search is off.” The cop nods at me and heads out the door.
I touch Niall’s arm and he jerks it away. “Niall, I—”
“We can talk about this later.” He looks behind me, and his eyebrows furrow. “And honestly, what the fuck are you still doing here?”
I turn and notice Jackson standing by the bar. He looks from Niall to me, then puts his hands up. “Just glad the lad was found.” He turns and leaves.
“Thank you for finding him,” Niall says to Noah and Samuel. He lifts the still crying Hughie over his shoulder. He briefly looks my way before walking out of the restaurant.
I sit there, staring at my hands. “I think I may have royally fucked up guys.”
“Nah Danny. Everyone fucks it every once in a while. He just needs to blow off some steam and calm down. Everything will be fine. Just give him some time.”
* * *
It isn’t until the next morning that I hear a knock on my door. I look in the mirror before going to the door. I look like shit, just as you would expect someone to look who hadn’t slept.
I open the door and find Niall standing there, dressed in uniform for work. “You wanna come in?”
“This’ll be quick.” Niall takes a deep breath. “What happened yesterday was a shitshow Danny. An utter shitshow of epic proportions.”
“I know, and—”
“Let me finish. Hughie…that kid has been through a lot in his life. A lot of instability, a lot of horrid characters entering and exiting his life. A lot of shit to be honest. I’m supposed to be his rock, ya know?
And, maybe I got ahead of myself and lost sight of that.
Maybe I put too much faith in you to give Hughie that same level of dependency. ”
“How can you even say that Niall? I love that kid. I spend more waking hours with him than you do and I don’t mind one bit. He—”
“Then why was that guy there? Hmm? That was the guy from Doom Slice, right? The night this whole thing started? Have you been kind of dipping in both pots, having your cake and—”
“Are you fucking serious right now! What would even make you think that?”
Niall leans against the doorframe. “What I see Danny? I see you hanging out with him while my nephew’s gone missing.
That you were distracted by this handsome fellow who you would have likely hooked up with if not for me.
And you just so happened to run into him in the middle of the afternoon at the Christmas market. ”
I roll my eyes. “Right. I’m going to meet up with my other lover with your ten-year-old nephew as my wingman. Honestly, Niall. I know I fucked up but the fact that you can even believe this delusion is absurd.”
We stand there in silence for a few moments, looking anywhere but at each other. Niall finally looks at his watch. “I just think that we all need a little space right now. Hughie needs some normalcy and I don’t think you coming around right now will be of any help.”
“So. What are you going to tell him?”
Niall looks up. “Tell who what?”
“What are you going to tell Hughie when he asks where I am? Are you going to blame this absence on me, that I walked away?”
Niall sighs. “I’ll just tell him we are both busy with the holidays and end of the semester.”
I nod. “Got it. And what does this mean for us?”
“I don’t know Danny. I just…I need some time to think.”
I can feel the tears about to break at any moment, and I need to end this conversation now. “Got it. Well, have a merry Christmas or whatever if I don’t see you.”
Before he can respond, whether he would or not, I close the door and start to cry.