“Tyler!” Jay yelled, running out into the yard.
“He must have been kidnapped.” Jay cried.
“No, no one knows this place is here.”
“What are you saying?” Jay shouted at him.
“He's gone. There's only one possibility. I'm sorry.”
Jay would have tackled David to the ground if he hadn't known the truth. Tyler had run...again.
He stared mournfully down the road.
“We could follow him.”
“I'm sorry, Jay. I really am.”
“I need to get Will back inside. Come on. I'll get you a drink, and we'll plan from here.”
Jay hung his head weakly and dragged his feet after the two brothers.
Jay ran his finger around the top of the cup of tea in front of him.
“Are you alright?” David asked him.
“This happened before. He ran. He came back.”
“You didn't answer my question.”
Jay thrust his fingers through his dark hair. “I'm okay. I just hope that he'll be okay, too!”
David nodded and rested his chin on his fists.
“Let's try to see this the way Tyler does. It could help us figure out where he went.” he suggested. “Why did Tyler run the first time?”
“He was trying to make himself believe that his father was still innocent.” Jay said.
“Any chance he's doing that again?”
“Of course. He talks about it all the time.”
“That's important, then. That information could help us find Tyler.”
Jay nodded thoughtfully.
David continued, “I think we should give him time, though. He's smart. He can make it for a few days. It might be more dangerous to go after him than to let him go.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We need to give him some time to cool down. I'm sorry, Jay. I know this is eating you alive.”
“It's okay. You're right.”
Jay sighed and rubbed his eyes.
“You need to rest.” David cautioned, taking Jay by the arm and leading him to the couch.
Jay tried to shrug off David's surprisingly strong hand.
“I'm fine. We have to plan. We have to figure out how to find Tyler.”
“Jay, if Tyler is anything like the stories Will has told me, you're going to need a lot of rest before we even try to find him.”
---
Jay was asleep. It was amazing, really. It was the first time that he'd been asleep in five days; really, truly asleep.
He dreamed. It was always about Kim; his mind seemed to taunt him with her image; her soft hair, her deep, caring eyes. It was pure torture being away from her, not even being able to talk with her.
He kept having the same, reoccurring dream.
In the dream, he was in the same place he had fallen asleep. Sometimes it was in a car, sometimes in a dark building.
In this case it was the small room in David's home.
In the dream, a person with a mask and gloves pulled a gun...
...and shot him.
Didn't matter how hard he ran, fought, or tried to disappear into the wall. As he sank, dying, to the ground, Kim would come running. Sobbing and laying her head on his shoulder, she would beg him to stay with her and live. He would fight for his breath and prepare to say those three words, reach out to touch her face.
Then everything would go dark, and he would hear her scream his name.
Moments later, he'd wake up in a heavy sweat, crying like a baby.
---
Kim brushed her fingers over Jay's hand and rested her chin in her hand.
“Come on, honey. Time to wake up.”
Jay opened his eyes and smiled at her.
“Good morning. Shouldn't you be at work?”
He got up and slipped into his clothes.
“It's Sunday.”
“Oh, right.” Jay grinned at her. “So, what do you want to do?”
Kim sat on the edge of the bed and picked up her earrings.
“I was thinking...”
“Yeah?”
Kim stuck her feet in a pair of heels.
“I think we should go to church.”
Jay looked at her hard and flopped back onto the bed. “Seriously?”
“Don't laugh! One of the gals I work with goes, and she's so happy.”
Jay raised his eyebrows. “What's wrong? You've never even mentioned religious stuff before.”
Kim pursed her lips and paused.
“Do you ever think that this could all just be gone?”
“All of what?” Jay tried to sneak a kiss, but she gently pushed him away.
“My job, your career, our health. We can't just assume that it's all going to be okay forever.”
Jay frowned and sat up. “Why are you worried about this all of the sudden?”
“I don't know. I just really want to try church.”
“But...”
“Don't get me wrong, Jay. Our relationship is so fulfilling. But wouldn't it be amazing if there was something bigger, less mortal, than we are? Something that we could depend on no matter what?”
“You can depend on me.” Jay said defensively.
“What if you get sick? What if something happens to one of us. What will we do then? Just hope that fate will get us through?”
---
That had been three months ago, Kim realized. She was sitting on the same bed, in the same room. The same earrings were on the night table.
The exhausted woman crawled under the sheets. The other half of the bed was cold and empty.
In the dark, Kim stretched out her arm and rested it on Jay's side of the bed. The cold pillow against her skin echoed the fear that had built up in her stomach.
The two of them had attended church faithfully for almost two months, but when Jay had gotten wrapped up in finals and planning for the road trip, church had slipped back into a dusty forgotten corner.
This night, Kim remembered the fullness and security she'd felt in church. Hesitantly, she sat up and got out of bed, sank to her knees, and prayed.
The phone next to her bed rang.
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