Reece

I sighed, happiness filled my heart as I gazed down at Max who lay on the sofa with his head resting on my lap. I absentmindedly played with his hair while we watched a movie. It was silky soft and I loved the smell of him that teased my nose. My interest in the movie had been replaced with a fascination with the guy who had turned my bleak opinion of the opposite sex into something hopeful.

After my last disaster with Rory I thought I’d never be able to trust again. He had been the walking embodiment of a bad boy. He worked as tattoo artist which had solidified his reputation.

I loved bad boys, the ones who lived life by their own rules. There was something so hot about a guy who didn’t feel the need to conform to society’s rules.

It had only taken a few months to fall completely in love with him, I’d hung off his every word. Then one night I fell out of cloud nine and right back down to earth. I had intended to surprise him but I was the one to be shocked when I found him in a compromising position with a client he was working late on.

Even now when I thought back to it I could still feel the hurt, the embarrassment. I had been such an idiot to believe he loved me the way I did him. I’d sworn off boys, promising myself I would never allow anyone to hurt me like that.

At that time I wasn’t even sure I would be able to let anyone else in but only a few months later here I was feeling the happiest I’d ever felt. Everything in my life was going well. College was going great, I had Max in my life and I had my friends and family. I didn’t believe life got any better than this.

Meeting Max at a party had been unexpected. He and his friend, Aiden, had approached Lacey and I. Max and I had hit it off immediately. Aiden’s interest in my best friend, Lacey, had only been temporary. Once he had discovered Adonis’ jealousy at the sight of the two of them dancing he had shelved any notion of anything more than friendship with her.

While Max and I had grown closer Aiden and Lacey had become really good friends. It helped ease the guilt I felt for spending less time with her and more time with Max.

Like Aiden, Max was in college. He was studying to be an accountant. Aiden was studying engineering. I was in college to get my business degree. I hadn’t quite decided on exactly what I wanted to do when I left college so my business degree seemed like the best option.

Max was the opposite to the cliche type I would have imagined when someone mentioned accountant. In my mind an image of a geeky looking guy with oversized glasses appeared. Max looked nothing like that. He didn’t wear glasses. He was muscular and fit. He wasn’t good looking in the pretty boy kind of way but there was something about him that had caught my attention straight away.

“You aren’t even watching the movie,” Max murmured, looking up at me. He pulled me out of my thoughts and I smiled.

“It’s a crap movie,” I shot back.

He smiled, the type of smile that could read the unspoken in my eyes. I brushed my thumb over his bottom lip and he kissed it softly.

My stomach did a weird somersault and he reached a hand to the back of my neck to bring me down to close his mouth over mine.

The movie forgotten in the back ground as Max shifted positions and I lay on my back on the sofa. I gave him a mischievous look. His caramel colored hair fell forward across his forehead as he stared intently at me, leaving me with no doubt with what he had in mind. My stomach fluttered. The way his big brown eyes held mine made my heart race.

“I’m missing the movie,” I complained.

His eyes held mine and with missing a beat he said, “It’s crap.”

This time he kissed me. It was deep and by the time he lifted his lips from mine I was breathless. I threaded my hands through his hair.

My phone started to ring. I tried to reach for it on the coffee table where it vibrated against the glass top.

Max shifted off me so I could lean over and grab it. It was late, so I immediately had a sense it was something wrong.

It was Lacey’s home number flashing on my screen. I answered without hesitation.

“Hi,” I said as I sat up. Max sat beside me, he put his feet up against the coffee table.

“Reece.” I had expected to hear my friends voice but it was the frantic voice of her Mother. “Is Lacey with you?”

I frowned. “No, I’m at Max’s house.”

I stood up and began to pace as I listened to Mrs Harper. “She isn’t home and she didn’t say she was going anywhere.”

That did not sound like my friend.

“Have you tried Aiden?” I asked. If she wasn’t with one of us she was usually with the other.

“No, he doesn’t know where she is either.”

I wanted to help but I had no idea where she was. I struggled to remember our last conversation. She had started working and between college and homework I didn’t get a lot of free time.

“I’m sure she’s got sidetracked. You’ll hear from her soon,” I tried to reassure her mom.

“I hope so,” Mrs Harper said. “Sorry for the late call.”

When the call ended I sank down onto the sofa still holding my phone in my hands.

“What’s wrong?” Max asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at him.

“Lacey’s missing,” I mumbled.

“I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably just some misunderstanding.” He tried to soothe my worry but something niggled at me.

She had a lot going on lately. With the return of Adonis from his last tour had brought added angst to my friend.

She’d idolized him from afar for as long as I could remember. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes. Despite her feelings for him, she didn’t believe things would work out between them. I didn’t believe that. I saw the way he looked at her when he didn’t think anyone was watching. It was a look that spoke a thousands words. But I couldn’t figure out was why he was still keeping his distance.

Unable to brush the phone call from her mother off I tired to call her cell but it just rang and rang. I let out a frustrated sigh before sitting down again.

Max put his hand on mine. “She’ll be fine.”

I wanted to believe him but I couldn’t shake the worry her mother’s call had started.

“There are other ways to keep your mind preoccupied,” Max said with a sly smile that made my stomach somersault.

“I like the sound of that.” I forced a light smile. Even though I played along in the back of my mind my thoughts still centred around my best friend.

Max leaned over and kissed me. His mouth moved against mine and I leaned forward move my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

I wanted to lose myself in our moment but no matter how much I tried I couldn’t stop thinking about Lacey. Max sighed after he broke our kiss and dropped a kiss to my forehead.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, knowing my preoccupied mind had dampened our night together.

We spent as much time as we could together. Our relationship was still in the early stages so it was all still new and exciting.

He smiled and tucked a piece of stray hair behind my ear. “That’s okay. We don’t need to do stuff. Just you being here is enough.”

My heart melted at his words. He was the first good guy I had ever dated. He was caring and thoughtful so unlike the type of guys I had been with before him. It made me wonder what I had been thinking when I had been so taken with the self centered and uncaring assholes.

His fingers threaded through mine and he held my hand in his. My chest inflated with a warmth I was experiencing more around him.

“Thanks,” I murmured leaning my head against his shoulder. He let go of my hand put his arm around my shoulder.

**********

I was annoyed and irritated but it was the increasing worry that I still hadn’t heard from Lacey that dominated my thoughts despite the countless time I had rang her. Eventually I had called her home and spoken to her mom.

“She’s fine,” Mrs Harper told me but I could feel the underlying stress in her voice. It did nothing to dampen my own worry for my best friend. Something was up and no one was telling me anything.

“Where was she last night?” I asked, prodding to see if I could get more information.

“She was up on the roof and she lost track of time,” her mother explained. She wasn’t telling me everything. I’d known Mrs Harper for most of my life. Her voice always pitched higher when she wasn’t telling their truth. It added weight to my suspicion that there was definitely something going on.

“Please tell her I called.” I couldn’t completely brush off the growing anxiousness I was feeling until I spoke to Lacey and figured out what was going on. I wondered if it had something to do with Adonis.

“Sure,” her mother said before I ended the call.

If I didn’t have college I would have gone over to her house and waited to see her. I chewed my lip. I trudged to my next class knowing my attention wouldn’t be fully on the lecturer.

Even while I tried to concentrate I was thinking of all the reasons why Lacey would be acting the way she should. The main one was the reappearance of Adonis. He had been playing the push and pull game with her. It irritated me that he didn’t just own up to his feelings.

I didn’t know why he didn’t make it clear to her how he felt about her. In my mind I was going around in circles trying to figure out why Adonis didn’t admit he cared more for Lacey and why my best friend was acting so strange lately.

By the time I finished college I was beyond annoyed Lacey still hadn’t returned any of my calls. I checked my phone. Still nothing, not even a text message.

There was only one other person who might know what was going on. I wanted to call Aiden but I didn’t have his number. Max would have it.

I waited until I got home before I called Max. He didn’t answer and it went to his voicemail. He was probably still on his way home from college.

I would call him later. Trying to focus was difficult but I got some of my assignments done.

“Reece,” my mom called from downstairs when dinner was ready.

I couldn’t eat much. I chased most of my food around my plate trying to ignore the thought that something was very wrong with Lacey.

“What’s wrong Princess?” My father asked with concern at my lack of appetite.

My parents were older than most of the parents of my friends. I was their late miracle. From the day I arrived with a healthy scream in the delivery room I was their Princess.

I didn’t know if it was because they were older they were very understanding and I had a deep connection with both of them. There wasn’t a subject that was off limits to them. They treated me like an individual with a right to choose how I lived my life. They were there to support me through my decisions. And if I needed, they steered me in the right direction.

My father’s hair was already going very grey. I told him it made him more distinguished. My mother was still staving off the grey with regular visits to the hairdresser to cover it up. Her hair was dark so she had to do it quite often.

“Talk to us sweetie,” my mother prompted putting her knife and fork down.

“It’s nothing really,” I assured them. “There’s something up with Lacey and I don’t know what it is.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing too serious,” my father assured me. He reached out and touched my arm.

“May I be excused?” I set my utensils down and wipe my mouth with a napkin.

“Sure Princess.”

I hurried to the kitchen so I could scrap the untouched food off my plate and into the trash. I put it the sink before I pulled my phone out if my packet of my jeans.

This time I called Max he answered on the fourth ring.

“Hi babe,” he greeted and I allowed the warmth of his voice to blanket me.

“Hi,” I greeted, as I began to pace.

“Everything okay?” he asked. I believed I was able to mask the worry but clearly I hadn’t.

“Please could you give me Aiden’s number,” I asked, getting straight to the point.

“Sure. I’ll text it to you,” he answered. “What’s going on?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I still haven’t heard anything from Lacey.”

“Why don’t you go around to her house if you’re so worried?”

How did I explain to Mrs Harper that I didn’t believe that everything was fine? Or was it down to the fear of what I would discover?

“It’s late.” It was a feeble excuse.

“Everything is probably fine. I’ll message you Aiden’s number.”

He ended the call and a few seconds later I received a message with Aiden’s number.

While Aiden and Lacey had hit it off Aiden was still very much a stranger to me. I didn’t spend a lot of time around him so when I dialed his number I felt a moment of nervousness.

I walked upstairs back to my room while it rang.

“Hello?” Aiden answered the call. He didn’t have any idea who it was.

“Hi. It’s me Reece,” I told him.

“Hey,” he said. “What’s up?”

“Have you spoke to Lacey in the last couple of days?” I paced the room as I spoke to him.

There was a pause.

“No. Why?”

“I got a call from her mother last night asking if I knew where was. I called her but I haven’t heard back from her. When I called her house her mom says she had been on the roof and had just lost track of time. That’s not like her.”

“I haven’t spoken to her at all. Maybe she’s just really busy.”

I frowned. “Yeah. You’re probably right.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’ll be in touch soon.”

The nagging feeling stayed with me that night and the next morning when I dragged my tired ass out of bed.

I didn’t have to go into college until later so I contemplated swinging past Lacey’s house. I needed to assure myself that she was fine and had just been too busy to call.

While I got dressed my phone rang. I answered it quickly.

"Hi," Lacey greeted. So she finally called me back.

"Hello stranger," I said trying to keep my anger and annoyance from being apparent.

"Yeah, I'm sorry but things have been a little hectic," she explained.

"Too busy to call me?" I asked, feeling hurt.

"I need to see you this morning," she told me. I didn’t like the sound of her tone.

"Sure," I said. Finally I would find out what was going on.

"Okay, I'll see you in about half an hour.”

"Sure, see you then."

She ended the call and I sat staring down at my phone. I couldn’t still the thought that there was still something very wrong. Why didn’t she just explain over the phone? Why did she have to do it in person?

I was pacing nervously in front of the door so when I heard the car I was ready to open the door. She knocked once and I opened the door. I also noticed Adonis’ car parked in front. Maybe all this had to do with him.

"Why is Gray dropping you off here?" I asked, I smiled masking the nervous energy I felt.

"It's a long story.” She shrugged.

"Doesn't he want to come in?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you alone."

And there was confirmation that this was something that went beyond liking boys and stuff like that. This was serious.

We went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. She looked nervous and I frowned. This was so not like her. None of her behavior for the last couple of days fit in with the best friend I knew and loved.

"You're starting to freak me out. Just spit it out.” I clasped my hand together, hating how they trembled.

When she began to tell me about my symptoms and the doctor visits I felt the dread grow. And then she said it. “I have a brain tumor.”