Changed Time

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Okay, if we're trying to trick the murderers into messing up, shouldn't we be figuring out how to do that instead of finding Paige's stupid little sister?" Jessie asked me while we were clearing out of the motel the next morning. "I mean, seriously? Priorities!"

"Jessie, what if it were you? Let's say you followed me here. Wouldn't you want me to find you as fast as possible?" I threw my bag into the trunk of the Charger and slammed the door shut. "It's made up, we're finding Mia, once we can get her safe, then we can figure the rest out."

Jessie frowned. "Yes, sir," she mumbled and turned to leave.

I grabbed her wrist and turned her back around. "Jessie. If you don't want to be here, you can go. I won't be mad." My voice is soft.

"Drew, I want to be here, but I want to catch these guys, and the more we wait, the more chances there is that another girl is going to die." Her green eyes were begging me to understand, but I did. I did understand, but Paige needed to find her sister, and I needed to save someone.

"How 'bout this? If Wyatt is up for it, we split, half find clues for the murderers, and the the other half looks for Mia." I didn't like the idea, but if it kept Jessie from going off on her own, I'd do it. "How's that?"

Jessie stared at me for a minute, as if she couldn't quite believe that I had said it. Then she nodded. "Okay."

***

"You want to what?"

I had pulled Wyatt off to the side and when I told him my plan, his eyes almost bursted out of his head.

"Unless you want Jessie to flee off by herself, we need to do this," I sigh. "I don't like it either, Wyatt, but I don't see any other alternative."

"Drew, we just found out that the murderers are here. We need to stick together. Jessie is just being naive, she'll come around to it." Wyatt was brushing it off, but then he looked at me more closely. "Wait a minute, are you actually agreeing with her?"

I shook my head, "I don't agree with her, but it isn't a horrible plan. This way, Paige and I can focus on finding her sister, and you guys can get a plan to make the murderers mess up."

Wyatt threw up his hands. "Drew, we have no idea what the murderers look like, you two do, and if you're off doing your own thing, then what are we going to do when we meet up with them? Huh?" He really didn't like the idea.

"Paige has her drawings, she can give them to you. It'll be fine, Wyatt. Jessie needs to do this, otherwise she'll leave, and we both know that she'll do it." I was done talking to him, there was no other choice, and we both knew it.

Wyatt sighed, very loudly. A big, heavy exhale of CO₂. "Fine. I hate it, but fine, but you're taking Sophie."

I narrow my eyes. "Why?"

Wyatt gave me a look. "Because, we're going to be looking for these guys, and they killed her sister. She might snap or something." He read my face. "Is that going to be a problem?"

I shook my head, maybe a little too quickly. "No, of course not. It's just that, I thought that maybe Zach would come with Paige and I."

Wyatt was staring at me, knowing that I was lying. "I need Zach with me. He can shoot a bow, and I think he'll go wherever Jessie goes." Suddenly his eyebrows shoot up. "You like both of them."

I went into defensive mode. "What? Sure, I like them, but no, no, not like that."

He gave me a look. "Drew. You're my brother, and you're a terrible liar." He slapped my on the shoulder. "Get your ducks on the boat, man."

"It's in a row," I corrected. He gave me a confused look. "It's get your ducks in a row. Where the hell did you get 'get your ducks on the boat'?"

He frowned. "Shut up. Just get your love life together, Sophie's going with you." And with that, he walked away.

It was my turn to frown.

This should be real fun.

I shook my head and glanced over at the Charger, where everyone was standing, waiting for me.

Paige and Sophie were standing next to each other, talking about something. I caught Paige's eye and she stared at me, smiled. Sophie followed her gaze and now I was matching gray and dark blue eyes.

How would I choose?

How could I choose?