Backstage // Josh & Jake Kiszka

Part 13

Stevie POV

"I'll never ask anything of you ever again, brother."

The panic was etched in Jakes begging drawl.

"Just, please hurry..."

You were standing outside her apartment. The call button ringing out to no avail. Jake was beside himself. And you were trying to keep it together for his sake. But a part of you was frantic. The part of you that knew she was pregnant.

"No, if I knew where she was do you think I'd be calling you?!"

He sank down onto the curb. His phone attached to his ear, voice begging for someone to take away his pain. On the verge of tears. You sat down on the curb at his side and tried to be of some comfort.

You'd never really endeared yourself to any of the band. You'd preferred to spend your time with Kit, occasionally sharing a green room drink after a good show. You'd always found Sam to be the most amenable member, but you'd kept even him at arms length.

"We'll wait here for you. Just please, hurry..."

There was no way to really comfort somebody that was as far gone as he was. He put his phone back into his jacket pocket and lowered his head into his hands. And your arm lingered in the air behind him, judging whether he needed it around him or not.

"Josh is on his way." He muttered, sniffing back tears he was fighting against. "Magda and Daniel are checking all the bars we usually go to."

You dropped your arm. "Kit's on the phone to Harry. We'll find her, I promise."

"I just don't understand why she would do this?! She wouldn't do this. Somethings happened I know it has..."

You tried to imagine the theories running though his mind. The terrible reasons why she'd chosen not to go to him. Each and every one of them with a sinister plot and devastating end.

"She's not been well lately." You reasoned.

You'd never been on the receiving end of Jakes eyes before. You'd never noticed how intense they were when he looked directly at you. Red rimmed and dark circled as they were, you could see the agony in them.

"She was sick at new year, but she's been fine. More than fine, actually."

You gathered up the edges of your sleeves, wringing them nervously through your fingers. You could see Kit sitting in the drivers seat in the car across the street, waving their arms around as they exchanged what was no doubt a heated conversation with your manager.

"More than fine, like how?" You asked, recalling her sombre mood the last time you'd seen her.

"You're her sister, I don't really want to go into it. But...you know... she's been pretty heated the past few weeks."

"Oh..." You stuttered.

"We were fine." He continued, repeatedly running hands through his hair. "Everything was working itself out after the whole arrangement thing."

You'd been in the dark about it. Your suspicions weren't far from the truth, but you'd never wanted to admit that your own dear sister might be embroiled in something that was beyond her. You'd known about Jake, you'd accepted it when she fell in love with Josh. Returning to Jake hadn't been something you saw happening. But with her, anything was possible.

"This has come completely out of nowhere."

Your hand finally found its way onto his back.

"Not completely..."