Buckle up, friends. I'm now 6 chapters deep in the Tate storyline and it's not over yet. You asked for Tate drama, and you got it....😘
Be careful what you wish for, because Lucy goes extra 💅
And not to give away my plans too much, but this storyline is gonna Segway into the murder storyline after, so.....Let's go! Who here likes drama?😉
Julianne's POV
I climb onto the bed and Tate does too, and we watch as Holden tries desperately to hide his anger.
"Not now, Sylvie," he finally says as he kicks off his shoes.
"Yeah, sorry.. When I'm in a fight with my boyfriend, I don't do the silent treatment bullshit. I'll tell you when I'm pissed, and I expect the same courtesy from you."
He looks at her, and shakes his head. "I'm not giving you the silent treatment. I don't feel like getting into this with them right here."
She blows out a breath and starts taking off her necklace and bracelet. "Holden, it's important for kids to witness healthy, constructive arguments. They don't need to just see you in a relationship during the good moments. They need to see how you navigate through the difficult ones. Why are you so mad at me?"
"How could you keep that from me?" He all but hisses as he walks over and glares down at her—She's significantly shorter now that she has taken off both stilettos.
"My sister?"
"No, Sylvie. The fact that she asked you to raise her kid?"
"Holden, she was drunk when she asked me! Do you know how many times since he was one that she's asked me? If I thought that she was serious, I WOULD have told you...unlike when you hid the fact that you even had a family," she snaps, and then flinches when she realizes she said that right in front of us.
Holden doesn't seemed fazed, though. "That's different. We weren't dating, then. I didn't owe you ANY personal information." He snaps.
"Oh...forgive me," she scoffs as she takes her hair out of the side pony and puts it up in a top-knot. "I just assumed that a friend would have told another friend that he had siblings..."
"So that's what this was? You trying to get back at me? That's really shitty, Sylvie."
"Get back at you?" She asks in fake amusement. "Not everything is about you, Holden! Believe me when I say that not every damn choice or thought I make revolves around you!"
He shakes his head in complete fury. "You get asked to raise a kid and you don't involve me....This was a HUGE deal!"
"If I was truly going to raise my nephew, you would have been the first one I came to...And the fact that you don't believe that, or are questioning how much you mean to me REALLY hurts."
His face softens just a touch and he lifts his hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry," he sighs as he takes off his dress shirt, still wearing his white tank underneath. "I just felt completely blindsided...What else haven't you been telling me?"
"I started to tell you about it that day at the bar, but I could tell you were stressed and preoccupied about other things!"
His eyes soften even more as he closes the distance between them and pulls her into a hug. "I'm sorry you didn't feel like you could tell me. I'll do better...And I'm so sorry we made such a bad impression with your family."
She hugs him back and stands on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Eh, it's okay..It coulda been so much worse."
"How ya figure that?"
"Tate coulda set the toupee on fire instead of the napkin."
~*~
We get home the next afternoon and once we're unpacked, Holden walks over to Tate. "How's the paper coming?"
"I literally just got home, Holden," he hisses.
"You haven't started on it? I want it by tomorrow!"
"When did you expect me to do it?"
"Uh....on the plane?"
"With what? My imaginary pen and paper?"
"Tate, you were supposed to bring your homework. I take it your homework isn't done either?"
At his silence, Holden blows out a frustrated breath. "Then I'd suggest you start working on it."
Tate scoffs as he shakes his head. "You monopolized my entire weekend without asking me. Did you ever stop to consider that I had plans and I didn't want to go to a damn wedding of someone I didn't even know?"
"What did you have planned?" Holden asks softly.
"I had plans to go to a soccer game with my soccer team in the town over. I was the only one that didn't get to go."
"You said nothing. How was I supposed to know?" Holden asks.
"Would you have really let me miss it? You don't even trust me to walk to the boardwalk. I highly doubt you would have left me alone for the entire weekend."
"You're right, I wouldn't have. Not with what's going on in the town. But you could have stayed with Nico."
When Tate's face still looks pissed, Holden touches his shoulder. "What's going on with you, Tate?"
"I'm so tired of you!" He snaps, and Holden drops his hand and takes a step back, looking hurt.
"Why?"
"I know that you're trying to make us this happy family, but I miss my old life! I'm tired of having rules and...The party was epic and I missed it!"
"Party? Thought you said it was a soccer game....." Holden says darkly.
I figure Tate would backtrack, but he simply shrugs. "I lied. It was the biggest party and I had to miss it! I hate you!"
"You have acted fine all weekend, and you only just now started acting pissed. I don't understand! What happened?"
Tate holds out his phone and shows Holden his Snapchat. "I just found out about it! Nobody told me until after because they knew you would come and bust me, and then them. You are the reason that they have gotten in trouble so much, and now I'm a liability. I seriously hate you. I won't be doing my homework, OR the damn paper. Go screw yourself," Tate hisses as he goes to our room and slams the door.
Holden runs his hands through his hair and curses. "Can't I have just one damn week where nobody gets their ass murdered and no teens give me shit?" He spits as he goes outside and slams the door.
~*~
Holden makes enchiladas for dinner, but Tate doesn't come when he calls him. Holden goes into his room, and curses loudly when Tate isn't there.
Holden gets out his phone to track Tate's, but crinkles his brow in confusion and looks at me.
"That's weird," he says as he scratches his cheek and turns on his heels, going back to our room.
"What?" I ask as I follow him.
"It says his phone is here....." he says as he looks around the room. A moment later he lets out a string of extremely forbidden curse words as he goes to the floor and picks up Tate's phone.
"He seriously kept his phone here so I can't track him......shit," he hisses. He starts to go through Tate's phone, when he slams it on the bed.
"He locked it with a passcode. SHIT! Have you heard anything about this party? I don't understand why he's so upset."
"I don't think it's about the party," I say softly, and Holden turns to look at me.
"What do you mean?"
"Tate got left out—He's never gotten left out before. His friends purposely didn't invite him. This is a really big deal to him, Holden."
Holden nods as he goes to the kitchen and gets out his keys. "I know it is..But he's still in big trouble," he says as he slips on his shoes.
"Can't you give him grace for this? He's been almost perfect lately: he's really been trying hard to do better."
Holden's face softens as he points for me to grab my shoes. "I know he has, Annie. But what would I have done to you if you left without permission?"
"Spanked me," I say softly.
He nods. "I came down really hard on you. Not just for the drinking, but because you walked alone.. You at least had your phone so if I thought you were in danger I could have tracked you. He has no way of getting ahold of me if there's an emergency. He's in big trouble for this."
"Can't you see why he's so upset though?" I ask as I follow him out the door.
"Of course I do! It hurts to be left out. Those things stick with you....I get it."
"But you don't care," I say as I get in the front seat and buckle.
"No, I do care. My heart is broken for him...But just because he's hurting doesn't mean he can lash out like this.."
"Where are we going?" I ask as he puts the car in reverse and drives down the driveway.
"I don't know...But we're gonna drive until we find him."
~*~
By 11:00 pm we have not found Tate, and Holden is a mixture between pissed and panicked.
"Shit I thought for sure he would've come home..." he says when he looks all around the small house.
He gets on his phone and paces anxiously around the worn living room carpet.
"Grebner, I'm so stressed. He doesn't have a phone and I seriously can't find him. I've tried everywhere. He locked his phone so I can't even call any of his friends....ok, thanks. Let me know if you find him."
Holden hangs up his phone and his chin starts to quiver.
"Are you about to cry?" I ask.
Holden takes a big breath and dips his head down in defeat. "I can't find him," he breathes, his voice still free from tears, but shaky like they could be on the horizon.
"Can you call Kenna? I have no other ideas.
I've called everyone I could...I don't know where his friends live and I don't have their numbers."
"What about your class lists?" I ask.
"They're at school and my keycard won't work this late...Shit I didn't even think about that," he sighs as he shakes his head.
I call Kenna, and huge shocker, she hasn't heard from Tate at all.
"Hey, Neek...can you please come over and sit with Jules? She needs to get some sleep and I won't have her home alone right now. I can't just sit with my thumb up my ass. I need to keep looking for him. Thanks."
"Nico is coming?" I ask, and Holden gives me an apologetic smile. "Yeah, are you comfortable with that? I should have asked first. I'll call and tell him not to if you're not."
"He doesn't make me uncomfortable, but it'll probably be awkward."
"It's Nico...I guarantee it won't be awkward," he jokes as he gives me a half smirk. "I was only thinking about keeping you safe. Tell me. Are you comfortable with this?"
"Yeah"
~*~
"Thanks buddy," Holden says as soon as Nico comes through the door, and he looks at Holden hard.
"Where are you plannin' on lookin' for him?" He asks.
"I'm gonna go on foot for now. The car can't get to several places he might be."
"T, you don't need to be walkin' alone either," Nico says calmly, yet firmly.
"This is my brother, Nico. I don't give a shit what happens to me," he snaps as he grabs a flashlight off of the counter.
"No, but chances are he's sleepin' at a buddies—And you're gonna risk leavin' them alone with NO ONE."
"You're telling me that if I'm the next victim, you wouldn't take them?"
"Of course I would T, but they don't want me. They want YOU. You can't raise them if you's dead."
Holden thinks about that for a minute and then shakes his head. "I have to find him."
"He's not lost, Holden! He snuck out! You're actin' like he got abducted!"
"And what if he did?" Holden asks, and I see how close his tears are from falling.
Nico can see it too.
He finally sighs and nods. "Share your location with me. If your ass is in one spot for longer than three minutes, I'm gonna call ya. If you don't answer, I'm comin' to find you myself."
"Do NOT leave her alone," Holden begs.
Nico sighs and pulls him into a hug. "You're my boy. You best stay alive. I ain't kiddin' though. Share your damn location with me."
Holden gets out his phone and does something, and Nico nods. "I got you."
Holden gives him a smirk, and then gives me a hug. "I'll be fine. Love you, Annie."
"Love you too," I say as I watch him walk out the door, and my own tears fall down my face.