Chasing Stars ✔️

17.

"Don't you know that you are a shooting star, and all the world will love you just as long as you are?" -  Lyrics from "Shooting Star", Bad Company

She

I was having a great day. A nightmare free sleep certainly worked wonders on my humor. Dr. B noticed my lighter disposition right away; still she kept the conversation more casual than the day before. We even planned for my sessions when I went back to college. During class period, Dr. B spent three days a week in her office just outside campus, so we would just go back to our routine. Talking about getting back to St. Patrick gave me a perception of how the past month flew by. Soon, John, Sienna, Sabrina, and Brian would be back.

Since my energy level was considerably better, Jake decided to treat me with a walk in a park and a meal.

Getting back home, my heart rate picked up at the sight of a car by the driveway. I glanced at Jake, but he was already focused on the vehicle; his brows frowned, a hard line on his lips.

I blinked, trying to refocus, but I had no idea who might be. As soon as we stopped, the door from the unknown car opened. The dirty blond hair of detective Matt made an appearance, and I sighed in relief. That caught Jake's attention. "You know who that is?" he asked, as we saw Matt leaning on the car, a ghost of a smile appeared and disappeared in the same second, from his face.

"That's Matt Wolf, the detective trying to find my mom," I answered, my hands already moving to open the door.

Matt took a couple of steps away from his black car, nodding in my direction, "Hello, Alexa. How are you?" he seemed tense. He was definitely here as detective Wolf, and not Matt, the guy I had coffee with a few days ago.

"Good. What..." I didn't finish, slightly startled by Jake's approach. He stood right beside me, his arm pressing on my shoulder.

"Hello," he said, addressing Matt. "Is there something to matter, detective?"

Matt nodded at Jake. Both men tensed their stance, shoulders straight, chests puffed out. I noticed how Matt stood a couple of centimeters taller than Jake. The darker-haired man remained impassive by my side, but Matt made his eyes travel through Jake's face, his warm brown eyes squeezing even so lightly.

"I have something to discuss with Miss Turner." His voice was commanding, something I had never heard from him before, one of those tones that leave no room for questions. Jake must have thought differently, because I felt him shift on his feet, and saw how he opened his mouth to speak. I wrapped my hand around his arm. "Jake, why don't you go park the car in the garage?" I said, hoping to sound casual enough to mask how uncomfortable I felt with both men staring at me.

Jake lingered for a moment, I gave him an encouraging smile and he pursed his lips before turning around.

Matt waited for Jake to enter the car. "Boyfriend?"

I tried to meet his eyes, but he was studying his shoes like he never saw them before.

"Family friend," I answered, an odd sense of guilt burning my tongue straight away.

Matt cleared his throat and looked up, facing me. "I'm not on your mother's case anymore, but I'm still here in official business."

"Ok."

"Remember I told you your mother was riding with someone?"

I shook my head.

"We had a suspicious, but now we are sure about the identity of that person, and that is why the search for your mother is now a more... complicated matter."