The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 33:

"Hey baby." I said walking into the bedroom "You going to visit Mattie today?"

"Yeah. Then the girls and I are going to do something."

"Okay, cool. James and I are going to catch up."

"That's fine." She kissed my cheek. "Have fun."

'We will."

"Please, stay out of trouble."

"I will try." I said grinning.

"I'm serious, Jace."

She crossed the room and grabbed her phone off the nightstand and put it in the back pocket of her blue jeans.

"Okay." I said to her, "I promise."

She gave me a quick kiss then headed out the door. I know she's going to be quite pissed when she finds out what James and I really have planned but I'm doing this for her and Mattie, she'll understand. I took my phone off the charger and sent a text to James.

J.S,

Meet me at the park.

-J.M

I shoved my phone in my pocket and headed down to the kitchen. The house was quiet. I rummaged through the cabinet for something to eat and settled with a granola bar. I ate it on the way out, tossing the wrapper in the trash can outside the door. The drive to the park was slow but it gave me some time to think. I still have no idea how we are going to find Josh but I do know what will happen when we do. I pulled into the park and turned off the car.

I sighed. "What are you doing, Jace." I said to myself. James pulled up next to me and I got out of my car.

"So, what's the plan?" James asked, meeting me in front of our vehicles.

"Well, first we must find where he's at."

"Okay, why don't we check his house? Maybe his mom knows something?"

"Not a bad idea but do we really want to ask his mom where we can find her son, who we are going to beat up?"

"Yeah you're probably right." James said.

"There are a few places we can look that he may be at."

"Okay, where do we start?"

"Taco Bell." I said to him,

***

"No Jace today?" Louis asked, walking into Mattie's room.

"No, he's with James." I told him.

He crossed the room and sat next to Mattie on his bed.

"Doing what?" Louis asked.

"Staying out of trouble I hope."

"Did you tell him?" Mattie asked me.

"About Josh?" I asked. "Yes."

"Do you think they're?"

"No." I said, interrupting Mattie. "He knows how I feel about fighting."

"Okay." Mattie said.

Louis got up.

"Babe, I'll be back in a few. Mom needs help with something."

He kissed him and left the room.

"What was that about?" I asked.

Mattie looked at me. "I don't know."

I sighed. "He's strange."

"But I love him." Mattie laughed.