The River Speaks

Chapter Forty Eight: Communicate

Chapter Forty Eight: Communicate

I always thought I was normal.
I wasn't one of the crazy ones.
But love, love is the only thing that can make me go absolutely bat-shit I'm-laughing-at-nothing crazy.
The first time I went insane and flew all over the world.
Now I'm standing in my apartment with a map of the world on my coffee table. My hair is up in the sloppiest bun known to mankind and I shoved a pencil in it. I'm wearing sweatpants with bleach stains on it from me stress cleaning the bathroom, and my shirt is actually Aiden's.
He's not answering the phone. It's completely shut off. I don't know if he even took it with him. His car is still as his apartment and there's no sign of him leaving except for his missing presence and his missing belongings.
His Dad, sister, brother-in-law, two brother in laws, his partner Jackson, and his mother are in my living room watching me go batshit.
"Okay, well you know him the best." Olivia says. "If it was you, where would you go?"
"I don't know. I've never been shot at."
"You've been hunted." Reese says.
"That was different. I wasn't alone. Aiden kept me calm."
I literally feel like I need to be locked in an insane asylum.
"I probably would go to Kentucky." I say. "But that's me. Not Aiden."
"Did he give any indication that he was going to take off?" Michael asks.
"No. He was upset. He said the bullet went through his hair. We got into a fight because he was trying to make rash decisions and I told him to think about it, and then he went home. I went to his apartment so he wouldn't be alone, and when I woke up, he was gone."
I'm about to start crying and laughing at the same time. I'm about to open the window and scream his name out of it.
I don't know. I'm about to lose the last piece of sanity I have.
"How did you find him the first time?" Owen asks.
"One of his books, but that was different too. That was a coincidence. He wasn't even where he was because of the book."
"So basically, we have nothing." Andrew sighs.
"Yeah."
"I'm going to make him a missing person. I told him next time he did this, he was going to be a missing person." Jackie says. "I'm not messing around. I don't make empty threats and he knows it. He knows I don't put up with his crap. I'm the whole reason he got arrested."
I look at the map of the world, chewing on my thumbnail.
He better call me.
I text him again.
Me: call me.
"If he was really upset, who would he go to?" I ask Jackie.
"You." She says.
How is this marriage going to work if I can't be there for him?
I'm scared. I'm really fricken scared.
My cell phone starts ringing on the coffee table and I look down at it.
Mama and Daddy's house.
Stressed, I snatch up my phone and hit answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey." Mama says. "What are you doing?"
"Panicking." I say.
"I have good news." She says.
"What?" I sigh. "Did you finally figure out who got Cindy pregnant?"
Cindy is one of our cows.
"No." She says. "My good news is actually for you. Do you want to hear it?"
I throw up my free hand.
"Sure. Just make it quick because Aiden-"
"-is standing in my living room." She says.
I stop pacing.
"What?" I ask.
"He's standing in my living room. He seems fine to me. He's smiling and stuff. Talking to Daddy and Noah."
Aiden wanted to go to Kentucky and I told him to think about it.
So instead of thinking about it, he went without me.
"Wha-" I cut off. "Mama-"
"Sweetheart, he's talking to your father about where to buy cattle." She giggles a little bit.
"You have got to be kidding me." I say.
"What?" Reese demands.
"Listen, do me a favor okay?" I ask.
"Sure." She says.
"Don't tell him you told me."
"Of course."
"Okay, love you."
"Love you." She replies.
We get off the phone.
"Well?" Jackie presses.
I stare at my phone for a moment and shake my head.
"He's in Kentucky." I say.
Jackie sighs.
"What could possibly be there that would make him want to go there?"
"It's a long story." I say. I go into my bedroom and she doesn't seem to care as she follows me. I start throwing clothes into a suitcase.
"Well good. You have time to explain." Michael says. "I'll just fly us out there."
"All of us?" I ask, and then I shake my head. "Somebody has to stay with Tucker-"
"He can come." He says. "It's my private jet."
He wants to take a private jet to Kentucky.
Aiden isn't going to want his father there.
But at this point, I don't care.
"Fine." I say. I turn to Jackie. "If you're stringing him up by his balls, I'll provide the rope."