Be My First 2 - Together Forever

Chapter 40 - Where?

I looked at the date again to sure I didn't read or see it wrong.

2015.

She died in 2014. I turned the paper over. In the lightest writing I've ever seen, I read,

You didn't lose me.

My stomach turned into knots. The cutest present I've ever received flipped into a horrifying nightmare. I don't understand any of this.

"Hey." Jack stood in the doorway.

"Hi." I sniffed.

"What was in the box?"

"Oh, uh- just a present Ava had for me. A ton of stuff from our friendship." I shrugged, hiding the paper under the T-shirt.

He came over and sat by me.

"You okay?"

I hesitated. "I- nevermind. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Is something bothering you? You can tell me anything."

I shook my head and my vision blurred up. "The date on this says January 25, 2015 Jack." I whispered and handed him the paper, feeling wrong.

He scanned the writing.

"Look at the back." I said.

He turned it over and I pointed to the phrase.

He covered his mouth and looked at me as if I was about to tell him that it was a prank.

"Paige, maybe she just wrote the wrong date." He said softly.

"Okay, explain the you didn't lose me?"

He shook his head. "This is sketchy. I- I really don't know."

I covered my face.

"Hey, we're going to- oh, are you okay?" Jack J stood in the doorway.

"Present from Ava. I'm fine! Where to?" I shook off my horror.

"Oh, uh, to that place in town, I forgot what it's called, they have steak." He bit his bottom lip.

"Alright, let's do it." Jack stood up and held his hand out to help me up.

"Thanks." I smiled.

"We can talk about this later.. If you want." He whispered in my ear before walking out of the room. I only nodded since Kenny was looking at me.

"Hey, what was the box?" Kenny asked.

"Old present from Ava." I shrugged and smiled.

He nodded. "Oh, nice."

Sammy patted my back as we were walking down the hallway.

/////

Jack's POV:

I woke up the next morning on the bed. Rolling over, I didn't feel her. She was gone. I looked up and on the floor.

"Paige?" I said. No answer.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and checked the time. 8:36am. Jesus, I really don't know why I'm awake. I probably would've gone back to sleep if I didn't notice that Paige was gone.

"Paige?" I said again. I looked around. There was no sound outside of the door or upstairs.

I called her phone. No answer.

I got up and put a hoodie on before walking out into the hallway. All of the guys were asleep in the room, and she wasn't in there. I quietly walked upstairs. After walking around, the only thing I found was a note on the kitchen table that said:

We went to Salt Lake City Zoo. Be back later.
-Cheryl & Chad. (And Brynn!)

"Paige?" I called. Where the hell is she?

Slightly panicked, I went outside and looked around the house. Still, no sign of Paige. God damn. She better be okay. I went back inside and ran downstairs. I was too scared to call her mom and dad and ask her if they knew where she was, because if they didn't, I'd be in deep shit.

I opened my messages and texted her.

"Where'd you go? Call me"

////

I've been sitting on my phone for around 2 hours now, still nervous about not hearing from Paige. I heard someone in the hallway, so I jumped up and looked through the door. Jack was walking down the hall.

"Jack!" I said.

He looked back. "Yeah?"

"Where's Paige?" I asked.

He shrugged, rubbing his eye. "Isn't she in there?"

I shook my head. "I've been awake for two hours and I still haven't heard from her. Cheryl and Chad took Brynn to the zoo. I can't find Paige anywhere."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "You looked everywhere?"

I nodded. "I'm freaked out."

"Call her." He suggested.

"Bro, I've done everything I can. I still can't find her!"

"Shit. Okay, I don't know what to do. Where would she even go? She's never been to Utah."

"Maybe- well, what if?- No." I thought out loud.

"What?" Jack asked.

"I was going to say what if she went with them to the zoo?"

Jack rubbed his chin, walking into the bedroom. He scanned around.

He looked under the bed. "Oh my god." He whispered.

"What?!" I nervously said.

"Dude her phone is under here. And her shoes. Her purse."

My heart dropped to my stomach.