The Struggle For Love ✔

Chapter 13 - Lead

Or at least inform my parents so they could inform me.

I can't believe they managed to find Nathan this quick, while Finnley is still out there somewhere, waiting for help.

"I'll call you soon." Stan hangs up and I stare at the phone for a short while, not sure how to feel right now.

Nathan is one of my best friends, and I'm relieved and happy they found him – along with a bunch of others – but I can't help but feel jealous over Stan because I'm still waiting for news about Finnley.

And besides Stan, nobody tried to reach me today.

– Friday, April 6th, –

I stare aimlessly towards Stan and Nathan, who are curled up on the couch, Stan holding a sleeping Nathan close in a protective hug.

Besides a couple of bruises and a slight shock, he seems to be fine. He's silent, he's scared to death, but he's physically well and they found him in time to prevent him from having to do anything against his will.

The two guys that picked him up, claimed to only work for a guy who bought Nathan, and they swear they have nothing to do with whatever was going on in that house.

Nathan hasn't seen any of the four other guys they found in the house, since he was being kept in lockdown in a small room, where they were starving him.

The other four had been free to move around the house, and out of four, I know from Nathan that two haven't spoken a word to the cops so far, too traumatized and scared to speak up, while the other two have testified. It was only briefly, as they had been in hospital and other then Nathan, they had nobody picking them up, promising to keep an eye on them.

They're still there, and because they're all adults, child protection services aren't capable of helping them out much.

They will receive help, that much is sure.

I don't know much about the other four, except the fact none of them had been Finnley, and that very fact pissed me off to no end.

I'm still consumed by my thoughts, probably looking angry, when the doorbell rings. None of us moves to open the door, and when it rings a second time, Stan turns to look at me.

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

"Should I? We're all here, aren't we?" I mutter annoyed, crossing my arms with a pout on my face, sliding down in my seat a bit further.

Stan frowns, but releases Nathan carefully to get up. He keeps his eyes focused on me in question until he leaves the living room and walks into the hallway to answer the door.

I roll my eyes, letting myself fall sideways, curling up on the couch, still angry and upset because Nathan is here, and Finnley isn't.

"Eh, Cris?" Stan calls out, a bit insecure. "Someone's looking for you..."

"Who?" I call out, not really interested, causing Nathan to stir because I guess I called out too loud.

"His name is Arav." Stan reappears in the living room, but only with his head, leaning around the doorpost. "He's one of the guys..." He nods towards Nathan. "You know..."

"He's one of the two who testified," Nathan mutters, rolling around to look at us sleepy. "He knows Finn."

My eyes widen as I stare towards Nathan. "He knows Finn!?" I call out in shock. "Why didn't you say so!?"

"Because he was in hospital and nobody was allowed to bother them until they had enough rest."

I send him an angry look before I push myself up and hurry to the front door to find an Indian looking guy on our doorstep, nervously fiddling with the hem of a too big t-shirt. His jeans are a bit old, worn-off, as are his shoes. He's wearing a vest that seems to be just as old by the looks of the faded colour – though it's in better shape then his jeans and shoes are.