Chapter 214

Joe’s POV

When William told Joe he was leaving, Joe knew he couldn’t let William go alone. The world was a dangerous place, and William was far too confident about things. Plus, with how William was talking, he sounded like he wasn’t planning on coming back.

Joe hoped to convince him differently.

So when William sneaked out of the house, Joe was right behind him. They walked forward, both carrying their backpacks over their shoulders, following the sidewalk by the light of the streetlights.

“Where are we going?” Joe asked.

“I said you didn’t have to come,” William said.

“And I said I’m coming,” Joe insisted. “I would just like to know where we are going.”

“Does it matter? We’re free now. We can go wherever we want.”

That didn’t sound all that good to Joe. He wasn’t much for sleeping outdoors, but there probably weren’t many places for them to sleep inside in this great unknown where William was leading them.

Joe glanced back behind them, to their house slowly getting smaller in the distance. It wasn’t too late. They could still turn back.

“You’ll like life on the road,” William said. “No rules. No homework. You can eat all the candy you want and not worry about getting yelled at.”

“What about cavities,” Joe said.

“Huh?” William asked, not having heard.

“Nothing,” Joe replied, hanging his head. He glanced behind them again, regret filling his heart. He already missed the comfort of his room. It was getting cold out here and he hadn’t thought to pack his thick coat.

William probably wouldn’t let him go back and get it, not without continuing on his own without Joe.

Joe couldn’t chance it. He had to keep up with William or he might lose his brother forever.

So he fought against the cold feeling, put one foot in front of the other, and resolved to stay with William for as long as this adventure lasted.

Though he secretly hoped it wouldn’t last very long.

Aria’s POV

“I don’t understand how they can just be gone,” I said, panic making my heart race and my hands tremble.

“They were playing when I walked by. I don’t… Did they just walk out the front door? Why would they do that?” Liam asked. His words were as frantic and shaky as my own. He was just as scared as me.

With all the problems pushing us apart, at least we could be connected in the concern for our kids.

“Joe knew about the proposal,” I said realizing.

“What? How?” Liam asked.

“I didn’t tell him,” I replied, suspicious he might be accusing me of that.

“I wasn’t –”

“It’s everywhere. They could have seen it on the news. Or one of their friends said something.”

Liam lowered his head.

“Joe was worried the family was going to break apart,” I said. “I didn’t speak with William but he probably felt the same. Worse even, given his history.”

Liam’s mouth formed a hard line. “We have to find them. They couldn’t have gotten far.”

Nodding, I immediately turned and rushed down the stairs. Liam was right on my heels. When I grabbed my coat and a flashlight out of the closet, he grabbed his own right behind me.

When we left the house together, I immediately called Isabelle to let her now.

“I’ll come to the house and stay in case they come back while you are gone,” Isabelle said.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Anything for those kids,” Isabelle said. “Whatever they need.”

Liam and I fast-walked down the sidewalk, as I flashed the flashlight this way and that.

“William!” Liam called. “Joe!”

My next call was to the police.

The police officer was understanding and they promised to send others out to search.

“The more people looking the better,” I said, then gave a quick prayer to whoever was listening that the kids would be safe.

The further we got without finding them, the more anxious both of us were.

Liam kept pushing his hands through his hair.

I didn’t want to blame him, but it was difficult not to, given all that had happened.

“If you wanted to divorce, I wish you would have told me yourself,” I said. “If I had prepared, I could have readied the kids.”

“I don’t want to get divorced,” Liam said.

I didn’t believe him. “You have a hell of a way of showing it.”

“I can explain all that. I can explain everything.”

“Don’t bother.”

“It isn’t what you think, Aria,” Liam said.

“What else could it possibly be?”

Liam stopped, looked me dead in the face, and said, “None of it was real.”

“What?”

“The engagement. All of it. It was fake.”

What an outrageous lie. I half-scoffed, mostly laughed. “Don’t say that.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know what I saw.”

“It was all part of an act,” Liam said. “To convince Markus.”

“Markus is dead!”

“I didn’t know that at the time!”

Voices raised, our chests heaved as we stared at each other.

“Even if that’s true, and that’s a huge if, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I said, trying to keep my voice calmer now. Losing my patience wasn’t going to help find Joe and William.

None of this was.

“No,” I said. “None of this matters anymore, not with the kids missing.”

“You’re right,” Liam said with a measure of defeat in his voice. “Once we find the kids, I’ll tell you everything.”

I shook my head, not believing him. “You have so many secrets you wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“I promise, Aria,” Liam said.

“You make a lot of promises too,” I said. “But sure. Once we find the kids, you can say whatever you want.”

I’d do anything, agree to anything – so long as the kids were safe, nothing else mattered.

Joe’s POV

Joe and William sat in a diner, already too cold to keep walking. The only problem was they didn’t have any money. Something that the waitress seemed to recognize from the skeptical look she was giving the two of them.

When she took their order and went to the back, William leaned forward and whispered, “We’ll run before the bill comes. Mom used to do that sometimes.”

“Mom never did that,” Joe said.

William looked a little sheepish. “My other mom…”

Oh. “Sorry,” Joe said.

“It’s fine.”

Joe didn’t want to steal. He hated that idea. So he told William, “I’m going to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Sliding out of the booth, he started to walk toward the bathrooms, but stopped near the waitress station by the kitchen.

Their waitress was there, tallying something by the cash register.

“Excuse me,” Joe said.

The waitress looked down at him. She seemed friendly, if not somewhat worried. Maybe she already knew they were planning on running out on the bill.

“I’m sorry,” Joe said. “I, uh… we don’t have any money.”

The waitress’s eyes softened.

“We were just kind of cold and hungry.”

“Where are you headed, honey?” the waitress asked.

“We’re running away,” Joe said.

The waitress frowned, her eyes getting all crinkly. Maybe she wasn’t worried we were going to run out of the bill after all.

Maybe she was worried about us.

Well, so was Joe.

“Um,” Joe said. He hated to betray William, but if they couldn’t make it two hours, how could they survive forever. “Can I borrow your phone?”