Page 42 of Forever Found
Now my phone was ringing in the early hours of the morning and I feared it could only be more really bad news I was sorely ill-equipped to handle. Whoever it was calling me right then, I knew it had to be because something was wrong.
When I saw it was Asher calling, my panic didn’t abate, and I almost dropped my phone in my desperation to answer the thing.
“Ash?” I gasped, my heart pounding a million beats a minute, or at least it felt that way. “Is it Addy? Is she okay?”
“She’s safe, breathe, Jord,” Asher soothed instantly. “She’s fast asleep right now,” he added, and I allowed myself to take a much needed breath.
“What’s going on? I know you didn’t call me at this time to catch up?”
“I wish I did,” he sighed. “Addy, she had a bad night. She’s not doing so great, brother.”
“A nightmare?”
“Yeah, a bad one. She…shit, I don’t even know what happened, but she ended up out in the snow, screaming her lungs raw. She completely zoned out on us both for a while too. It’s like she’s drowning with every minute that passes Jordan, and I’m trying like hell to drag her out again, but I’m failing.” Asher’s voice sounded unsteady, and even more worrying was the uncertainty in every word he said. It was so unlike him to not be confident he could fix everything.
“Fuck,” I whispered as my eyes burned with tears. I knew Addy wasn’t dealing well with everything that had happened in recent weeks, but I had no idea it had gotten so bad, and I fucking hated myself for failing her too, because I knew I had. We all had. “What can I do?”
“She needs you, Jordan. I think she needs all of you if I’m honest, but she’s not strong enough to deal with Adam and Kane right now. She misses you, but she didn’t want to drag you away from the center right now.”
“Fuck that. If she needs me, I’m there, Ash. You know that. I’m ahead of schedule at the center now anyway. I’ve done nothing but work with Addy gone,” I admitted.
“Good. Do you think you can head up here tomorrow and stay for the weekend?” he asked, and I was already nodding before he stopped talking.
“Give me the address and I’ll set off right now.”
“No. Don’t do that. I don’t want Kane suspecting anything and trying to follow you. The last thing Addy needs is him turning up here, being a complete ass with her again.”
“You’re right,” I agreed reluctantly. As desperate as I was to get there and have my girl in my arms, I knew I needed to make sure I arrived there alone, for her sake. “I’ll set off to work as normal in the morning, so Kane doesn’t suspect anything.”
“I need you to stop off once you leave the property and check for trackers too. I know it’s crazy, but I’m so worried about how fragile Addy is. I promised her I wouldn’t let Kane or Adam come here, and I have to keep that promise.”
“I get it, man. I don’t want them near her either right now. Kane has seriously lost his shit not knowing where she is, and Adam…” I paused as I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried not to let those tears burning in my eyes fall. I was a grown man. I should have the balls to confront my addict brother about what was going on, but I just…I couldn’t. I was too scared I’d lose him all over again.
“Jordan?”
“Adam’s not good. I…I really think he’s using again, Asher. I know I should ask him head on, but I….”
“I know. It’s okay, Jordan. I know how hard it must be to go through all of this after last time. You went through hell when you were a kid, when Adam got addicted. I just can’t believe he’d put you through that again,” Asher sighed.
“I don’t know for sure, but he looks like shit and…well, he goes out at all hours with no explanation.”
“How about you come here and stay with Eli and Addy, while I head back and deal with your dumbass brother and Kane, okay? Addy needs you here, and it sounds like Adam needs a kick up the ass only I can give him. Kane too.”
“I’d really appreciate that,” I agreed emotionally.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to share your concerns about Adam with Addy until we know for sure what’s going on, I’m not sure she has the strength to deal with anything else right now,” Asher sighed, and he sounded completely exhausted himself.
“I don’t like keeping things from her, Ash.”
“I know. Me neither, but I don’t want to add more worry on her shoulders when we don’t even know for sure that there’s anything to worry about. You know Adam. He could just be brooding on what happened. He does that. His behavior doesn’t mean he’s definitely using again,” he reasoned, and I knew he was right – prayed for it to be so, but I wasn’t convinced.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I won’t say anything for now, but Ash – I think you should prepare yourself. Last time Adam acted like this, we both know what he was doing.”
“I’m prepared, Jord, but I hope to God that you’re wrong.”
“Will you call me as soon as you know something? As scared as I am to find out he’s using again, I need to know.”
“I will, as soon as I know anything. Just come here and be with Addy. I’ll handle things back home,” he assured me with a hint of his usual confidence, which I had so desperately needed to hear. “Addy has agreed to do video sessions with her therapistevery day, so I need you to try and make sure she does that while you’re here. You have to make sure she eats too, and don’t let her sleep alone. Her nightmares are a lot worse after everything with Max.”