Page 277 of Silver Sweet

“Because you’re my boyfriend. You’re obligated to sit on the ground with me.” I sniff hard.

His lips twitch. “It’s definitely a choice.” And he’s not leaving my side. It warms me. He wipes my wet jaw with the heel of his palm. I’m about to tell him to leave my tears. They might grow a garden on Ben’s floor for when he returns. We don’t know how magical I am.

I could be a garden nymph.

Charlie seems aggravated.

Eliot has a look of concern aimed at me.

Beckett is turning more toward Charlie, so I address my oldest brother. “You all know something I don’t?” I ask him. “You have a game plan to find Ben? I’d like to be looped in,thank you.” I’m pissed. Why are they withholding this intel?

Charlie shifts back toward me and Phoenix. “You have unresolved trauma from the last time Ben left. We don’t,” Charlie snaps. “That’s why you’re on the fucking ground and we’re not. But this is not like last time.”

I process with two slow blinks. “You know what? I’m happy to know that I might be overreacting in this instance,” I tell them. “The only instance I’ve ever overreacted. All other times were justified reactions.”

Eliot agrees, “This is an outlier.” We’d grin if there wasn’t a very big presence missing in this room. My eyes must speak the loss. Because Eliot assures, “We’re going to find him.”

“His phone isdead, not erased,” Charlie tells me. “He didn’t leave a goodbye letter. Very likely, he rushed out of theapartment without his fucking phone or his bodyguard because that’sBen.He’s emotional. He reacts off fuckingemotion.”

Beckett says, “This might have nothing to do with his OCD. We need to find Harriet.”

66

PHOENIX ST. PIERRE

I’ve never seen Tom break down like that. Full-bodied sobs—as though he was being crushed from the inside. I hope toneverhear those sounds come out of him again, but if they do, I want to be the one beside him—I have to be with him.

I can’t fucking imagine not being present for Tom. It’s by luck or destiny that I’m not in Europe when this happens.

We’ve all thrown on clothes, and they’ve alerted their private security we’re going to Manhattan Valley University to find Harriet. I’ve tried calling her three times. Nothing.

I’m worried about her, about Ben.

But I can’t stop thinking about Tom.

We pool into the hallway outside their apartment. The Cobalts’ bodyguards already wait at the elevator.

“Beckett,” I say quietly in the hall, and he lingers behind while Eliot, Charlie, and Tom stride ahead.

I see Tom checking backward, realizing I’ve slowed down, and before he waits for me, I up-nod him to go on.

He does, staying at Eliot’s side.

I turn back to Beckett. “You said he’s been okay?” I ask to be sure. Of Tom’s brothers, I’ve mostly kept in touch with Beckettand Charlie. Usually a three-way call that involves Charlie hanging up midway through, but his brisk personality has never been that off-putting to me. I’m not exactly warm and fuzzy for a lot of people.

“He has been, but this, tonight, wasn’t normal,” he says quietly while we walk slowly behind everyone. “I think finding Ben’s phone must’ve triggered him, but he’ll be okay. Tom doesn’t like feeling stuck with no solution. You’ll see he’s going to move on quickly.” Beckett starts smiling. “Until he wants sympathy—from you, specifically.”

“Milking his tears for affection,” I say dryly with the shake of my head. Why do I want to be here for that? Because it’shim.It’s so Tom.

How the fuck am I going to leave in a week?

Coming back after two months away is magnifying how much I love being with him.

Beckett sees this torment on my face. “Ça ira pour lui,” he assures.He’ll be okay.“He won’t want you to choose him over your brother.”

“Je le sais bien.”I know…I really do.

Beckett’s personal driver,Hans, takes all of us to MVU’s campus. I sit beside Tom in the limo-style SUV and try Harriet’s phone again.