Page 47 of Safe (King’s Heart #1)

Landon

We find Javi at the end of the day, about to head into the locker room to get ready for practice.

“Hey, asshole,” Declan says with no pleasure in his voice.

Javi turns slowly, his eyes glinting with something dark when he sets them on Declan. “ Munequito .”

Declan just scowls back at him, but I see the slightest hint of a shiver run down his body.

I clear my throat behind Declan, making Javi snap his head my way, breaking whatever weird-ass spell these two have going on. “Oh. Hey, Landon. Didn’t see you.”

I nod my head awkwardly and we all fall into silence, until Declan remembers he’s supposed to be the one to ask the questions.

“Oh, yeah. Uh, have you heard from Grant recently?”

Javi narrows his eyes at him. “Why do you care?”

Declan rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, cocking his hip out. “It’s not for me, dickhole. I’m asking for—” He cuts himself off to not bring me into it. Even though it’s pretty fucking obvious this is all for me. Who else would it be about?

“I’m just asking,” Declan mutters, clear annoyance laced in his tone. “Now, have you heard from him or not?”

Javi eyes us but answers anyway. “No. I haven’t heard from him.

I talked to him on”—he pauses to think and look up at the ceiling—“huh. I guess it was Friday at the game. He was being really weird and quiet. A little jumpy. I texted him yesterday to check on him, but he didn’t answer.

He did tell me he had some stuff to do, so maybe he’s just busy. ”

“What stuff?” I ask as a troubling feeling leeches into my gut.

He shrugs, his brow pulling down. “I don’t know. Is everything okay with him?”

“I don’t know,” I mutter. “I haven’t seen him recently.”

His face smooths out in understanding. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, man.”

“Well, thanks anyway,” Declan says, waving at him and pulling me away.

Once we’re a good distance away, he lets out a shaky breath like he was holding it the whole time. “So, that wasn’t helpful, huh?”

That troubling feeling keeps growing, blooming into a hoard of terrible emotions.

Unease.

Fear.

Doom.

“Um. I think I need to go by my dorm room.”

He frowns at me. “Wait. Are you sure? Don’t you have practice right now?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine. I’m just gonna check really quickly.”

He nods, still frowning at me. “Okay. Text me if you need anything.”

I give him a quick nod back and turn away, starting a quick pace toward my dorm, which turns into a sprint the moment I burst through the doors and onto the lawn.

I just need to make sure he’s okay.

Even though he wants nothing to do with me.