Always & Forever (Nick & Bailey #2)

39. Ian

"He didn't answer when I called, either," Bailey tells Ian over the phone. "It's so weird. He is always home if he's not working."

Except this time. Ian should have called him as he was driving here. It would have saved him the trip, but Bailey seemed so sure he would be home as she was giving Ian directions.

But now that he is here, sitting in his car outside of the Nick's dorm, he might as well try to find him. He called Bailey asking her to get in touch with Nick—thinking that maybe he was just ignoring Ian—but to no avail.

He's called him at least ten times himself, but it kept going to voicemail. "How did the talk with Pat and June go?"

"It went good," Bailey says. "They're not exactly thrilled about the circumstances, but I think they just need time. You know them. They're not assholes."

"Yeah. Well, I'm glad." Ian pauses. "I'm going to call Nick one more time and then give up."

"Alright. He's probably out with Cam and just forgot his phone or something. It wouldn't be the first time he's forgotten it. Let me know if you find him."

It's true. Unlike most people Ian knew, Nick isn't glued to his phone.

Ian hangs up and tries to call one more time. He listens to the phone ringing, already planning his drive home. He wonders if Amanda is still awake. His parents aren't expecting him back tonight, so maybe he could just go to her house. Her bedroom is in the basement and practically sound proof.

She's been holding back all summer—not seeing him more than once or twice a week, no sex, waiting hours to respond to his texts—but he thinks she's starting to change her mind. Just in time for school to start, and all this waiting has only made Ian want her more.

"Hello?"

Ian wasn't expecting anyone to answer—especially a voice that is most definitely not Nick's. "Who is this?"

"Who the fuck is this?"

"Ian. Where's Nick?"

"Ian? Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah! You're Bailey's brother! I'm Cam. Nick's dumb ass left his phone outside. It's been blowing the fuck up, so I decided to answer it. Is this about Bailey?"

For someone who seems to know Nick and Bailey so well, Ian wonders why he's never heard of him. "No. I'm in town. Where are you at?"

"Are you sober?"

"Yes..." Ian answers hesitantly.

"Oh fuck yes! Nick and I need to get out of here, and I'm not sure Nick's going to be able to walk home."

Oh shit. Ian can count on one hand the amount of times he's seen Nick that fucked up.

"Yeah, what's the address?"

Cam rattles off some numbers and a street name, and Ian types it into the GPS on his phone. "It says five minutes. Be there soon."

Ian sends a quick text to Bailey letting her know he found him and starts driving. As he looks around, he thinks about the fact that Nick walks down these sidewalks probably every day, and Ian's never seen them.

Nick traveled across the country to visit Ian at school, and Ian hasn't been able to drive one hour to visit him all summer. How had he become such a shitty friend?

Ian tries to pinpoint when things changed. And the truth is that it was before Nick and Bailey even got together.

Ian had always considered Nick a brother for life. They had each other's backs through so much bullshit—depressive episodes and asshole step-dads. And no matter what was going on with Nick, he was always there for Ian. Ian never even had to question it.