Never Say Never (Completed)

Twenty-Six {Need You Now}

Ian went ghost for over two weeks before I got the phone call. I had brushed off the kiss and though I'd mentioned it to Bryan, he'd insisted it was no more than a final goodbye and thankfully left it at that. Our boss had long since fired Ian, and though I hadn't been able to make it to work, he'd ensured there was always a place there for me. Even dance had been put on the back burner for so long I wasn't even sure I wanted to go anymore.

I had been at the Grace's watching Netflix with Chelsea after school while Luke studied on the couch beside me and Will and Navi played with the twins when I got the call. The second my phone lit up with Ian's contact I thought about declining it. Nobody, including his worried parents, had heard for him in two week and the fact he was trying to call me after the way we'd left things was more irritating than worrisome.

Yet I found myself pressing the green button and bringing the phone to my ear. "What do you want, Sebastian?"

"I need you." his breathing was ragged and strained. "Charlotte, I need you right now."

I jerked forward, knocking the popcorn out of Chelsea's hand on onto the floor. She started to protest until she saw my expression.

"What's going on? Are you okay, Ian?"

Chelsea's lips pursed at the name but my brother looked toward me and eyebrows shot up in curiosity. Bryan slipped out of the kitchen hearing the urgency in my voice and shot me a look similar to Luke's.

"I don't know. I. . .I just need you. Please come get me."

I rose to my feet and headed for my jacket on the coat rack but Bryan intercepted me halfway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You have no idea what you're walking into or getting yourself involved in."

I shrugged his hand off and returned my attention to Ian. "Where are you at?"

"Fifth and Lincoln. Please hurry, Char." Then the line went dead.

I tried for the door again, but this time Bryan grasped my shoulder and spun me around to face him. "I told you I wasn't going to let you end up victim to his crap, Charlotte. You're not going anywhere."

"I'm going, Bryan. We're wasting time standing here and arguing about it." I grabbed my purse from the recliner, and looked back into his blue eyes. "Are you going to come with me or not?"

***

Bryan touched my fingers locked around the keys in the ignition as soon as I pulled into the parking lot of a park in the middle of Fifth and Lincoln.

"Charlotte, we need to go home. I don't have a good feeling about this." he whispered.

"I need to find Ian. He said he was here."

"I've been down this road before, Charlotte. I. . . this isn't going to end well. We need to go."

Before I could respond, a banging sounded on the window beside my head. I jumped and Bryan glared at the figure, but looked as if he'd been startled to. Ian stood outside my door, pounding on the window and throwing looks over his shoulder every five seconds. I pushed the door open and he backed away, but his blotchy and flushed cheeks had me jumping to the conclusion he'd no doubt been running.

"What the hell is going on, man?" Bryan said through his teeth, walking around the car to stand beside me. He was eying our surroundings, his head moving from side to side as he awaited Ian's answer.