Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 118592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
With Brennan…
I didn’t know what the hell I believed anymore.
I heard my phone buzz and reached over to grab it. I saw Phoenix’s name on the caller ID and glanced at the clock. It was only seven in the evening.
“One sec,” I murmured quietly into the phone as I carefully untangled myself from Brennan and got out of bed. I slipped out of the room and closed the door behind me. “Everything okay?” I asked, my concern for Tristan already ratcheting up.
“Not sure,” Phoenix replied. “I think you should come down here.”
“Down where?”
“The theater on second street. He’s been inside for hours.”
“Can you get eyes on him?” I asked.
“Yeah…I just think you should come down here,” Phoenix repeated.
“I’m on my way,” I said and I hung up the phone and went back in the bedroom. I scratched out a note for Brennan on a notepad the hotel provided and left it next to his phone. I didn’t tell him where I was going; just that I’d be back soon and to stay in the room. I quickly got dressed and was on my way to the theater which was just a few streets over. I’d explored enough of Seattle that I knew what theater Phoenix was referring to.
While there was lots of foot traffic on the sidewalk around the theater, the theater itself appeared quiet and I realized why when I saw the sign on the marquee indicating they were undergoing remodeling. I saw Phoenix standing near the entrance talking to a security guard. When I reached them, Phoenix pushed away from the man and drew me several steps away from the guy, presumably for privacy.
“He’s inside,” Phoenix murmured.
“What happened?”
“He was fine this morning when he left the apartment,” Phoenix said. “When he realized I was going to follow him everywhere this week, he started asking me if it would be more convenient for him to just drive with me – that way I would know where he was going. He’s a sweet kid, Memphis. Even started bringing me coffee each morning.”
I wanted to smile at that because it sounded like something Tristan would do. But I was too anxious to hear what the hell had happened to put the worried tone in Phoenix’s voice.
“I took him to a couple of appointments this morning – turns out he’s looking to hire himself out to teach kids to play the piano. He said it was a good way to earn a few bucks and to start doing what he’s going to school for in the fall.”
I nodded in understanding.
“He treated me to lunch at this little café and then he had me take him to a doctor’s appointment. He was fine up until then, but after…”
My insides knotted up tight. “He didn’t tell you what the appointment was for?”
Phoenix shook his head. “He didn’t seem worried about it. But afterwards, he asked me to take him home. He only went into the apartment for a few minutes and then he came back down and got in his car. I followed him down to this park by the campus and watched him sit on a bench for two hours. He didn’t talk to anyone, didn’t move, didn’t do anything. Just sat there.”
“Then what?” I asked impatiently since my one and only need was to get inside and talk to Tristan.
“Then he came here. Harry has worked security here for years. He knows Tristan – says he used to play recitals here all the time when he was younger. He let him in even though the place is closed for remodeling.”
I pushed past Phoenix and hurried towards the entrance.
“Center balcony,” I heard him call. I was glad when the security guy didn’t try to stop me and instead, actually opened the door for me.
I found Tristan exactly where Phoenix had said he’d be – sitting high above the huge stage in the center balcony in one of the many red seats. He didn’t look up when I sat down next to him, but I saw him wipe at his face which was damp from what I could only assume were tears.
“Tristan,” I said gently as I pushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “What’s going on?”
“I asked him not to call you,” Tristan said quietly after a long pause. I hated how dull and lifeless his voice sounded.
“Phoenix?” I asked. “He was worried about you. I think you’ve grown on him, which isn’t easy to do by the way.”
“He’s nice,” Tristan murmured. “He told me what happened to his little girl.”
That surprised me because Phoenix rarely talked about the events that had brought him to Ronan’s group.
We sat in silence for a couple of minutes while I surveyed the theater. The stage was covered in debris which had me thinking they were replacing the flooring. Many of the seats on the lower level had been removed and I saw a few new ones installed that were covered in plastic.