Part 30 (2/2)
”That sounds like a worth while endeavor,” I tell him, wis.h.i.+ng someone like Zack had been around when I was a child going through my own abuse.
”Rafe said I would need to find my crown and talisman,” Zack says.
”As soon as you awaken whatever power it is you possess, your crown will send out a beacon of sorts for us to find it.”
”Isaiah took Rafe to get his crown this morning,” Mason tells me. ”I meant to tell you earlier but we got preoccupied with getting those matches.”
I look over at him because he's standing on the other side of Zack's bed now and find myself completely unable to prevent a huge smile from appearing on my face.
”The never ending quest for matches,” I tell him with a sigh. ”I don't think we'll ever get enough.”
Zack looks confused by our conversation and I decide he needs to stay that way.
Mason's phone buzzes and he walks away from the bed to answer it.
”So,” Zack says, ”tell me what the deal is with Chandler Cain. Are you really engaged to him? I know Rafe said he was one of the seven.”
I begin to tell Zack everything he needs to know about me, Mason and how my relations.h.i.+p with Chandler is simply a cover story to prevent anyone from asking too many questions when he needs to disappear for a while.
”I need to leave,” Mason tells me, coming to stand in front of me.
”What's wrong?” I ask, standing from my seat on Zack's bed.
”I have to go coddle the President again. Apparently he got upset about what happened with the Tear last night and he wants me to explain to him what exactly did happened.”
”Ok, well, will you be able to take me home when I'm ready to leave?”
Mason sighs. ”I have a feeling he's going to keep me there longer than usual. I'll let Isaiah know to expect a call from you. He can take you home when you're ready to leave.”
Mason leans in and kisses me lightly. ”I'll come home as soon as I can.”
I smile. ”Ok. I'll keep the home fires burning for you.”
”Should we plan on getting matches later then?”
”Yes. Plan on getting matches later.”
Mason winks and then phases, taking a large part of my heart with him.
”Matches equals s.e.x right?”
I turn to look at Zack and feel myself blush.
”Were we that obvious?” I ask him.
”Yeah,” Zack says with a smile, ”you kind of were.”
”Sorry,” I tell him sitting back down beside him.
He reaches for my hand again. ”Don't be. It was cute.”
Zack and I talk for a good two hours as we share things about our past, our present and our future plans. I learn that he has lived in California all his life with his mom and dad. He has a sister named Maggie.
”I think she's the one we heard when we were searching for you,” I tell him.
”Yeah, she's great. She came to spend time with me every day after the accident. She never gave up hope I would wake up. Rafe met her when he was here. Hopefully, I can introduce the two of you sometime.”
”I'm sure I'll get to meet her.”
My phone buzzes. I look at it and don't recognize the number that's calling.
”h.e.l.lo?” I answer.
”Is this Jess?”
I sort of recognize the male voice on the other end of the line but it takes me a moment to place it.
”Horace?”
”Yeah. Hey, you happen to know where Chandler is?” He asks in a rush.
”No. Why?”
”None of us can find him. I thought maybe he was with you.”
I can hear the worry in Horace's voice which makes me start to worry too.
”Are you sure he didn't just step out for lunch?” I ask.
”No, we had lunch together,” Horace tells me. ”The last thing he said to me was that he wanted to work on a new song. Usually he does that in the bathroom.”
”The bathroom?” I ask, sure I heard Horace wrong.
”Yeah, whatever city we're in, he always goes into the bathroom to write. He says the acoustics are better in there.”
”I a.s.sume you've tried calling his cell phone.”
”I'm looking at it right now. It's sitting on the coffee table in the living room. That's weird too because he almost always carries it with him wherever he goes.”
”You keep looking for him, Horace. I'll see what I can do on my end. Tell him to call me if you find him.”
”Ok.” Horace doesn't hang up so I wait for him to say something else. ”I have a bad feeling about this, Jess. I think something's happened to him.”
”We'll find him,” I promise.
I tell Zack what is going on and immediately call Isaiah to explain the situation.
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