38. Presley
“I thought you said lying was bad.”
“This isn’t lying. I call it strategic persuasion .” I arch a brow at my niece. “And it’s for a good reason, not for sneaking candy into your room.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “That was one time.”
“Won’t they be worried though?” Avery asks. “Stephen is already worried enough about Alex. Won’t this make him scared?”
I heave a long sigh. “I thought about that, but you’re not going to be hurt—you’re just going missing for a couple of hours.”
“What if they want to come check his room for clues?” Alyssa asks.
Avery rolls his eyes. “What clues would they be looking for?”
I smooth my hand over her soft hair. “I really shouldn’t let you watch all those crime shows.”
“Too late now.” She shrugs. “Okay, so, you’re going to call them and tell them that you can’t find Avery. Then what?”
“They’ll want to split up and look all over town for him. Then after an hour or so, I’ll call them and tell them that I found him, and to come over. This will get them both here at the same time, and they’ll have to talk it out.” I grimace. “And hopefully, they’re not both mad at me.”
“For the record, I think this is a terrible idea,” Avery says.
Alyssa bounces in her chair. “This is so fun! It’s like we’re spies on an undercover mission.”
“All spy missions are undercover.”
“Whatever.” Alyssa slides my phone closer to me across the table. “Call them now.”
I fill my lungs with a brave breath, and scroll through my contacts. “Your phone is off, right, Ave?”
He nods. “It’s off.”
“Good. They need to think your phone died.”
I click on Stephen’s name, and hold the phone to my ear.
Here goes nothing.
“Hey, pretty girl. How was work?”
“Hey, is Avery with you by any chance?”
“What? No. Why would he be with me?”
“I can’t find him, and I was hoping you knew where he was. He wasn’t at school when I went to pick him up, and the principal said he never came to school today.”
“Oh, shit. Maybe he cut with his friends. Have you tried their parents?”
“Yes.” I pause and close my eyes, mustering all my strength to not give myself away with my terrible acting. “I’m worried. This isn’t like him.”
“It’s okay, baby. I’ll help you find him.” It’s quiet before he asks, “Have you called Chance?”
“He’s my next call.”
“Okay, you call him and I’ll take a ride around the neighborhood.” I hear the sound of his keys clanging in the background. “Don’t worry, pretty girl. We’ll find him.”
Guilt pricks my conscience, and I have to remind myself that I’m doing this for good reason. “Thank you. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
I end the call and click on Chance’s name next. Nerves bubble in my stomach. Chance is the intuitive one of the two, and I’m really hoping he doesn’t call my bluff.
“Hi, rebel.” His deep voice rolls over me like warm butter. “How’s my girl today?”
“Please tell me you have Avery with you right now.”
“I’m home alone. Why, what’s wrong?”
“He cut school today, and now I don’t know where he is.”
“Fuck,” he hisses. “Let’s check the gallery, and I can take a ride down to the arcade. Maybe he ditched with his friends for a day of fun.”
“I don’t know, that just doesn’t sound like him. Plus, his friends’ parents said he isn’t with them.”
“It’ll take me a couple hours to get to you, but I’m on my way. Do you have Alyssa?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I want the two of you to stay home in case he comes back.”
“Are you sure? Shouldn’t I be out looking for him?”
“Someone needs to be home for him, baby. You stay there by the phone. Tell Stephen to check the gallery, and any other places he likes to go in town. I’ll check the arcade, and we’ll be in touch if anything comes up.”
Alyssa clamps her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet, and Avery smirks as he listens to the conversation.
“Okay, thank you, Chance.”
“Of course. Everything’s going to be okay, baby. Try not to worry too much. He’s a good kid. He won’t be doing anything bad.”
“You’re right. I love you.”
“I love you more. Talk soon.”
I let my head fall against the table with a thud when I end the call.
Alyssa giggles. “Now what?”
“You guys want pizza for dinner tonight?”
“Yes!” they both shout.
“That’s it?” Avery asks. “Now we just wait?”
I nod once. “Now, we wait.”
“Where is he?”
I yank Stephen by his arm and close the front door behind him. “He locked himself in his room, and he won’t talk to me. I don’t know what happened.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead, and turns for the stairs. “I’ll try to get him to open up.”
I shoot a warning glare at Alyssa, who’s practically buzzing around me like a neurotic bird. “Keep it together,” I whisper.
“I’m trying!” she whisper-yells back. “ You keep it together.”
God, I am so bad at this. But my plan seems to be working. All I need is for Chance to get here so this can come to a head.
While Stephen is upstairs trying to coax Avery to open his bedroom door, Chance pulls up to the house.
Show time.
My heart is in my throat as he barrels through the door. “He’s here? Is he okay?”
I nod. “He’s upstairs, but?—”
Chance takes off up the stairs, and I run after him. He stops short when he gets to the top step, and his hand tightens around the banister.
Stephen’s head whips around, and his jaw clenches. “He won’t open the door.”
“So, we’ll break it down.” Chance rolls up his sleeves. “Avery, we’re coming in one way or another. You can open this door right now, or I will take it off the damn hinges.”
The door flies open, and Avery’s wide eyes meet mine. “Tell him, Aunt Presley!”
Stephen and Chance flick their gazes to me, and I swallow the dry lump in my throat.
“Surprise!” Alyssa shouts.
Oh, God.
Stephen tilts his head. “Huh?”
Chance pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?” Stephen glances between the two of us. “What’s going on?”
“We tricked you!” Alyssa squeezes past me and stands in the middle of my two men. “We hate that you’re fighting, and we knew we couldn’t get you to talk to each other, so we came up with a plan to get you both here at the same time.”
Stephen arches a brow at me. “You lied to us?”
I give him a sheepish smile. “I call it strategic persuasion .”
Chance grunts. “That’s messed up. You used the kid against us.”
Avery holds up his index finger. “I gave my consent. Come on, hasn’t this gone on long enough? You guys need to talk it out.”
Chance glares at me. “I’ve been wanting to talk. It’s not me you had to persuade. It’s him. And tricking him isn’t the way to do that.”
He turns and heads back downstairs, and my heart drops to the floor. “Stephen, please. Stop him. Talk to him.”
But his phone goes off in his pocket, and he pulls it out to glance at the screen. “Fuck, it’s Aarya.”
The door opens and closes downstairs as Chance walks out.
Shit.
“I’ll try to stop him.” Avery bolts down the stairs with Alyssa right behind him.
Stephen’s eyes widen as he listens to Aarya. “Oh, my God.”
I grab his arm. “What? What is it?”
He drops his arm, and lets his phone fall to the floor. “He’s awake.”