All The Wild Ones | Wildfire Series

My Song

NESSA

He wasn't there.

His seat in Western Civ was empty, and a cold dread sank into me. Was he really that unwilling to face me that he was going to ditch out on class? Or was it something else?

I spent that class period ignoring Professor Evans completely and instead searching online for any hint, any clue. But Grayson's social media was sparse. The only pictures or updates were things other people had tagged him in, and there wasn't anything since last football season.

Biting my lip, I tried to think if he'd told me his moms' names. Or of anyone else who might have a clue. But I was coming up empty.

By the end of the week, I decided to give in and knock on his door. But Bren had come for the weekend to visit again, and I had to push him back into our room so that he wouldn't interfere.

"I'm just trying to give you back up," he said, following me down the hallway. "You've done that for me plenty."

Stopping, I turned around and took a few steps toward our room again, forcing him to retreat. "If by back-up, you mean pulling you off of Quinton before you actually killed him, then yeah. You're welcome."

Bren threw up his hands in defeat, an easy smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm really not cut out for jail."

If any of us could survive jail, it would be Bren. But it would also probably harden that secretly soft soul of his, and I was glad we were able to avoid that.

His hands fell down, and so did his grin. "I'm just cautious, you know." He looked pointedly at Grayson's door. "Isn't he rooming with Brodie?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think Brodie is much of a threat now that your dad is out of the picture."

Bren's face soured at that. Skeptical and angry.

"Besides," I added, keeping my voice down. "Grayson is...he's nothing like him. He's nothing like the other football players."

He sighed. "If you say so."

"I do."

I felt confident about that. Even though it had been two weeks of wondering where the hell Grayson was, I still knew. I knew he was different.

Bren nodded, but he didn't move. I raised my brow at him, waiting for him to take his departure so I could get this over with. I just needed to know if Grayson was here. I needed to know what was going on.

"I'll just stay right here," Bren said when he caught my drift. He leaned against the wall. "You go on."

I looked at the ceiling for a moment, exasperated.

"Go back to the room, Bren," I said, lowering my gaze again. "If Grayson is in there, you being around is not going to make this better."

"Why? Grayson and I are cool. I mean, before all this, anyway."

"Yeah, and before he found out about...." I gestured a finger back and forth between us. "You know."

Bren's brows drew together.

"No. I don't know, Nes."

"Me. You. That thing that happened."

Bren stared blankly at me.

"Oh my god," I groaned. "Don't make me say it."

A light bulb went on in Bren's head. "Oh." His eyes grew wider, and he stood up a little straighter. "That."

"Yeah, that," I said dryly. "Grayson wasn't thrilled to learn that little bit of information."

"Oh, come on." Bren rolled his eyes. "It was months ago."