Page 106 of King of Pain

Eight agonizing hours of silence.

We’ve both continued to call.

Both continued to text.

Nothing.

Then we take turns calling all the hospitals in the area. I hang up from calling the last one on the list and Lexi anxiously asks, “What did they say?”

I shake my head. “Like all the other hospitals, they wouldn’t give me any information based on his name. But she confirmed they haven’t had any motorcycle accidents come into the ER since last night.”

Lexi’s hands tighten into fists on her thighs. I sigh heavily, voice cracking as I say, “That was the last hospital in a fifty-mile radius. I don’t know what to do. What if he’s in a ditch somewhere?”

Lexi’s eyes fill with tears, but she blinks them back with determination. “No. Not an option.”

She wipes her face with her sleeve, then straightens her shoulders and forces some steel into her voice. “What we’re going to do next is eat something. You need to eat, Anthony.”

I start to shake my head. “No, I’m not—”

She cuts me off. “I’m ordering food. If you get hungry, it’ll be here. In the meantime, we’re going to keep calling him. Is there anyone else we should be reaching out to?”

I run a hand through my hair, my mind scrambling. “No. His whole life here is the record shop, you, me, and Little G. I texted Jen, and she said she’d let me know if he reached out.”

“Is she coming over?” Lexi asks.

“No. I didn’t tell her anything about his mom or that he’s probably off spiraling somewhere. I didn’t want her to worry, and I doubt he’d want to come home to a full-blown intervention. You know Jen… she’d have Butters, Frank, and Kathy here in a heartbeat.”

Lexi purses her lips, then nods. “Hmm. I’ll let that fly for now. Not much longer, though. She’s your best friend.”

I huff out a soft laugh. “I should’ve known better.”

“Yes, you should have.” She shoots me a pointed look before pulling out her phone. “Alright, I’m ordering sandwiches from Capriotti’s. He loves that place. Maybe he’ll smell it and come home.”

“Yeah, okay.” I reach for my phone. “I’m going to call him again.”

Lexi nods as she pulls up the delivery app.

And we wait.

For hours.

Midnight comes and goes. Still nothing.

Lexi is still beside me, phone resting in her lap. She’s been waiting with me, calling when I need to hear the ringing on her speaker, texting when I’m too worked up to type.

But I can see the exhaustion in her eyes, the way she fights off yawns, her body sagging into the couch. She doesn’t want to leave me alone, but I can’t let her sit here and wait up with me all night.

“Lex,” I say softly. “Go to bed.”

She shakes her head. “No, Anthony, I—”

“There’s nothing you can do,” I tell her gently. “I just need to wait for him.”

She hesitates, chewing on her lip, then sighs. “Okay. But you have to promise to wake me the second you hear from him.”

“I promise.”

She stands, stretching her arms over her head. She reaches down and ruffles Little G’s fur. “You’re staying with Daddy tonight, huh?”