“Absolutely not. There is no way I’m going to hack into the police servers to find out if Luke’s name is in there,” I say, while turning the laptop on. “It’s illegal and unethical and I don’t condone it.”
Lex rolls his eyes and shoves a green Airhead into his mouth.
“Whatever you say,” he says as he chews sloppily and begins clacking away on his keyboard. My eyes don’t leave the screen, even though I can’t even tell what’s being done. This man is scarily efficient.
“Would you like to sit on my lap while I do this? I wouldn’t mind.” Lex asks and I scoot a little farther away from him. I was almost on top of him, my heart racing with worry and nerves andhope.
Lex’s fingers pause and then start up again. He pulls his lip ring into his mouth and then he’s punching away at the keys again before sighing. Each movement makes my heart sputter and spin.
After what feels like an eternity, he finally stops and meets my gaze.
My heart drops and I breath out, “Tell me.”
“He’s alive. Or at least he’s not listed as one of the deceased.”
“Oh my god,” I say, deflating like a balloon being pricked with a needle. “Oh my god. Thank you.”
“Yes, you’re welcome,” Lex says, powering down his computer and shoving it back into his case. “It was eerily easy to hack into those servers. I should probably warn the police….”
But I don’t hear his rambling because Luke’s alive. He’s not dead. I have a chance. A chance.
“Can you track him?” I blurt, interrupting something Lex was saying.
“Um, you told me you didn’t want me to do that, so no.”
I shake my head, feeling insane. “Never mind. That’s crazy. I’m feeling crazy.”
“Why don’t you just call him?” Lex says, sounding ridiculously reasonable.
I stare at my phone and then, with shaking fingers, press Luke’s name. It rings and rings and finally goes to an automated voicemail.
“He’s not answering.”
“Hm,” Lex says. “Maybe he’s busy.”
Yes, but busy with what? With who? God, why isn’t he here with me? That’s where he should be. Not wherever else he is right now.
I think on this for two entire days, calling him endlessly and yet never hearing from him. I spend my time panicking and brooding.
“Okay, it’s been two days since we found out Luke is alive,” Lex says, putting his feet on the coffee table and leaning back. He shakes a box of Nerds into his mouth, and they crunch unattractively between his teeth. “And still, you mope.”
“Yes, well, despite all my efforts, he still hasn’t contacted me,” I reply, stroking the hem of the shirt I’m wearing, it’s the one he’d bought me after the cave tour in Colorado.
“That’s very true, but maybe his phone broke. Not everyone has a Diablo at their disposal.”
“Why are you here again?” I ask, nudging his feet off of my furniture.
“You’re a sad human. I am here to keep you company.”
“You’re stealing shit from me, aren’t you?” I ask, and Lex scoffs.
“You have no shit to steal,” he says, then sits up a little taller. “Unless you have little gems hidden here and there. You do, don’t you? Should I look behind light sockets? Or perhaps you have a false wall somewhere. Air vents?”
“Oh Jesus, you’re going to snoop until you find something, aren’t you? Then you’re going to rob me.”
He leans back and unloads more Nerds into his mouth.
Around a full mouth, he mumbles, “The only thing I’ve stolen is your heart.”