Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
He nodded. “What about you?”
I shrugged. “Next week I start the classes Cam got me. The whole thing—going back to school—feels weird as fuck in some ways, but I’m excited too. Who knows if it’ll go anywhere, but it’ll be nice to have something that’s mine. Something I do just for me.”
“Yeah, I get it. I always thought you should have done something like that anyway. In fact, I believe I told you more than once when we were younger.” He cocked a brow. “But I guess it’s different when it comes from the man you love.”
The wrench I’d been using fumbled from my hand and hit the ground. My chest felt tight all of a sudden, this need I never thought I would feel to tell the truth, teasing at my mind. “You know…I thought I was in love with you. I know we talked a bit in your gym that one time, but my brain was all fucked up. I didn’t know what I felt, but then…then I did.”
Rush looked down, almost guiltily. “Yeah, man. I know. I hated hurting you.”
“I know you did.” Part of me also realized he had to have known. Rush and I were too close for him not to.
“But Cam helped.”
I nodded.
“And now what you feel for him, you know that’s real. I’m not trying to minimize what you felt for me, but it’s different with Cam, isn’t it?”
There was no hesitation on my part. No doubt. “Yeah, it is. I never knew I could feel this way—and that’s how you feel with Linc. Things are the way they’re supposed to be.” I paused for a moment, then let myself keep going. “And Cam and I? We weren’t really dating when you caught us at the wedding.”
Rush rolled his eyes. “No shit. I know the signs of a fake relationship. Did you forget about me and Red? Though I guess neither of us was ever really in a pretend relationship—we just told ourselves we were.”
I laughed, figuring he was close to the truth.
“You’re my brother, my best friend, and you always will be.”
“Always,” I confirmed.
“Wanna hear some crazy-ass shit?”
“Do you have to ask?”
Rush rubbed a hand over his face. “Your dad and my mom…they’ve been hanging out quite a bit. She says they’re just friends and he’s going through some stuff, so she’s just being there for him. I can see it. They’ve known each other forever, but…I don’t know. It’s just weird.”
“Holy shit. He hasn’t said a word.” I shook my head, still trying to process. If Rush mentioned it, he must have seen something there.
“Right? I mean, I could be wrong… Who am I kidding? I’m never wrong.”
We laughed, and it felt good to do that with him, like we had nothing between us anymore. It had felt like it, whether it was my feelings, or Linc, or my lie about Cam, but now we were just Rush and Jude, like we’d always been. “How weird would that be?”
“Nah, I think it would be kind of perfect. It’s time we all have our bit of happiness, ya know? Fever Falls has a way of doing that with people.”
He was right. Ash and Beau. Rush and Linc. Keegan and Owen. Carter and Sawyer. Jace and Dax.
Me and Cam.
And maybe my dad and Mama K.
Lincoln had been saying it for a long time—there was something in the water. Of course, he thought that something turned straight men gay, and we knew that was impossible, but maybe that wasn’t it. Maybe it was something else—happiness, or love, or…holy fuck, I was going crazy.
“What?” Rush asked. “You’re smiling.”
“Nothing.” I shook my head. There was no way I’d admit I was thinking crazy thoughts about love in the water. I was losing my damn mind.
The crunching of wheels on gravel sounded from outside. Rush frowned as though he hadn’t been expecting anyone. We both stood, and my stomach dropped out when I saw the Burke Construction truck pulling to a stop.
Cam was supposed to be at work. He had no good reason for being here.
My heart thudded as I jogged over to him. Rush was right behind me. The second Cam got out of the truck, I saw it in his eyes, in the sorrow there. “What is it? What happened?”
“It’s…” He cupped my face. “It’s Theo, Beautiful. He’s missing.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Camden
I’m sorry. Love always, Henry. ~ Letter from Henry
My stomach was in knots. I hated telling Jude this. Hell, I fucking hated that it happened in the first place. Theo meant so much to both of us, and I didn’t know what we would do if something happened to him.
“What? Since when? How do you know?”
“I forgot my phone at the condo. I went back to get it, and the police were there with Theo’s mom. They wanted to know if we had heard from him. I guess last night he went to his dad’s. His mom didn’t know. She was at work. I don’t know why he didn’t tell us, but he came out to his dad. She didn’t give me a lot of information, but I’m assuming it didn’t go well. Theo left angry and said he was going home. His mom got home late and didn’t realize he was gone until this morning.”