Matthias

Chapter 20

**Devin's POV**

"Hey, Mom." I sighed into my cell phone.

"Hi, baby," she answered politely. "You okay?" Apparently, she'd picked up on the stressed tone in my voice.

"Not at all." I glanced over to the desk at the police station where Matt was not-so-calmly describing our situation.

"What is it, hon?"

"It's Regan... She's run off with the boys, and we don't know where she is."

"What?!" she yelled over the wire. "Devin, where are you?"

"Police Department."

"I'll be there in ten minutes." she said and hung up.

I closed my phone and leaned back against the wall behind me.

"They say they'll find them, and the only thing we can do is wait." Matt huffed angrily as he approached me.

"My mom says she'll be here soon."

"We'll meet her outside. Come on," I followed out of the building and we sat on the stairs in front of the parking lot. Matt sighed, exasperated . "Did she really think this would work? That we wouldn't look for her!" He thought aloud.

"I don't know, Matt. There's no telling what was going through her head." I said, trying to calm him down.

He scoffed. "I can tell you that. Nothing!"

"Devin?" I heard my mom calling from somewhere to my right. I looked over and stood up. "What exactly is happening?" She rushed.

"Regan took the boys. We let them stay with her and she left with them. We have no idea where, but the police are going to find them." I informed, hugging her. Her breathing stuttered as she tried to steady it.

"When did this happen? Are they looking for them?"

"Of course, Mom. We let the boys stay with her last night, and when she didn't pick up the phone, we went to the address she gave us. She wasn't there, and nobody knows where she could be." I sighed." They'll find them soon, okay?"

She nodded, but didn't seem any calmer. "Oh, Matt." she cried out and crossed over to where he stood brooding. "Are you okay, darling?"

"I will be when I have my boys and that bitch is behind bars." he snapped and walked away. "Devin, you should ride with your mom." He yelled without looking back.

It hurt quite a bit that he didn't want me with him. I knew he was upset, but isn't that more of a reason to want to be with your boyfriend? I know it was for me.

Hell, he probably blamed me for it, I thought with a sharp ache in my chest.

"Devin, are you alright?" My mom asked.

I nodded sadly.

"Well, you look like a kicked puppy. Tell me what's wrong. This is more than just the boys, I can tell."

"You scare me with that sometimes." I said seriously, sighing. I guess now was a good time to tell her what was going on between Matt and me. "But, yeah, there's something I need to tell you."

**Matt's POV**

I ignored yet another call from Devin, sending him to voicemail. I didn't want to talk to him.

A big part of me wanted to blame him. Call him back and scream at him that I was right. I didn't expect she'd do this, but I knew something bad was going to happen. Yet I listened to him anyway, and this is what happened.

But, I couldn't blame him. It wasn't his fault, really. I just couldn't talk to him at the moment.

"Matt, you're scaring me. At least let me know you're okay. Please?" I listened to the voice message he left.

I wasn't going to call him, of course. I couldn't tell anyone I was okay, because I was far from okay. My boys were off somewhere with their psychotic mother and I had no way of knowing where! I've never been so far from okay!

I slumped down on a random park bench. I'd been wandering around everywhere since I left the police station. I didn't understand how anybody could sit by idly while their kids were missing. It took everything in me not to go back to her friend's house and kick his door in, demanding where he thought she might be.

My phone rang again, but before I ignored it, I realized it wasn't Devin.

I answered the call cautiously. "Adam?"

I heard him sigh, relieved. "Hey, Matt. Uh, how are you?" He replied awkwardly.

"This isn't really a good time, Adam. Just tell me what you want." I said more aggressively than necessary.

"I heard about the boys."

"Devin told you to call, didn't he?"

"No!" he answered too quickly.

"Liar."

Adam gave in with a huff. "He's worried. Really, Matt, are you okay?"

"Don't ask stupid questions." I hissed.

"Right, of course." he paused. "Want me to come over? You can talk to me. Where are you?"

"Sure, like I'm gonna tell you so you can run back and tell Devin where I am."

"I wouldn't do that to you. I'm worried, too, ya know?"

I growled and told him that I was at the park and ended the call abruptly.

I leaned back and stared at nothing until he arrived. Adam sat on the bench without saying anything for a while. "Thanks for letting me come here. I know you must not want me here."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Well, you must hate me, right? We haven't talked since... well, ya know..."

I sighed. "I'm sorry about that. I've had some... stuff... distracting me." I said lamely.

"Devin?"

"Yeah," I sighed, probably slightly dreamily, but whatever. "Wait, how did you know?" I snapped.

He chuckled. "Lucky guess."

"So, you're not mad at me for..." I didn't exactly know what to call it.

"Nah." he shrugged. "I can't be mad at you. You can't help that you don't have feelings for me anymore than I can help having them for you. If Devin makes you happy, I want you to be with him."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Adam."

"I know he's good with the boys, too. That's important."

"Most important. I wouldn't have been able to keep them if it weren't for him. I would've ended up just like my dad..."

"You're better than your dad." He assured simply.

"How? We made the same mistake and the same decision, except I've come farther. But, only thanks to Devin."

He shook his head. "I think you're smarter than him. Maybe he wouldn't have had to give you up if he would've accepted that he needed help. There's nothing wrong with needing someone, Matt."

I looked down without replying.

"Hey," he said, making me look at him. "your boys will never lose each other like you lost yours. I think that's s good enough reason to say you're better."

"Yeah, well now I've lost them, and that's as bad." I snapped.

"You didn't lose them! We're gonna find them, okay?"

I sighed and slouched further into the bench. I couldn't answer before my phone rang. I glanced at the screen. Devin.

"Answer it." Adam encouraged.

I sighed and pressed the button. "Hello?"

"Matt! Thank God! You need to come home quick."

"What's the matter, Devin?" I asked, standing up and waving Adam along hastily.

"Just hurry." he said, hanging up.