Let's Not Talk About Tomorow

Ben

"Go have a shower, baby" I pushed Jon gently in the direction of the stairs

"Will you come with me? Please?" He said looking at me with sad, puppy dog eyes.

"Alright" I smiled, a slip of paper caught my eye that was definitely not there before "Hold on"I strolled over and snatched it up. I was greeted by Jake's scrawly writing:

Adrian ran away, I've gone to find him. I'll be back soon. Jake x

I dug out my phone and called Jake immediately, I have no idea how long he'd been out or when he'd be back. What on earth does he think he's doing?! His phone went to voicemail, goddammit. I continued to ring him until he finally picked up.

"Jake! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I yelled in a strangled voice "Come home right now!"

"Dad, I can't. Adrian's still missing"

"Where the hell are you?!"

"Doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does! You better come home right now, young man-"

"Dad, what is your problem?! A 7 year old boy ran away because of me! Don't you have a heart?!"

"Don't you understand?! I've already lost you once, no way am I letting that happen again!"

"I have to go"

"No, you listen to me-"

"Bye, I love you" The line went dead and the phone went straight to voicemail every time I tried to ring him.

"Benny? What happened?" Jon bit his lip in worry

"Gabrielle's brother is missing and Jake thinks it's his fault so he's off playing hero and he just fucking hung up on me when I was talking-"

"Benny" Jon interrupted "I get it. Just give him a couple of hours, he'll come home"

I believed him. I fucking believed him. Instead of searching the streets for my son, I sat on the sofa with my husband, watching fucking Netflix. The sun went down, the stars came up. The night ticked on, hour by hour. Minute by minute. Second by second. And even when the clock went past midnight and into the earlier hours of the morning, I waited. I waited. Suddenly, I was aware my eyes weren't open. It was morning,sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains. Carefully, I untangled myself from Jon and searched the house. His room was empty, the bed had not been slept in. Clothes were missing from his wardrobe. He hadn't come home.

"Jake, where are you?!" I cried when the call went through "Your papa and I are worried sick!"

"Daddy, I'm sorry" He sobbed "It's all my fault, it's all my fault-"

"Jake, please just breathe, alright? Just take a deep breath. It's going to be okay, just tell where you are. I'll come and get you, I promise"

 "Daddy, what do I do?! I don't know where I am! I don't know where he is! It's all my fault, Daddy!" Before I could answer, the line went dead. His phone must have died. I threw my phone down onto his bed out of frustration. What the hell was I going to do?!