Wes

I scan the crowd, searching for those distinctive blonde curls. There. Sitting alone at one of the small eatery tables, the mostly uneaten remains of a sandwich in front of her. I walk toward her. Her eyes remain downcast. An expression of sorrow makes her look fragile and almost ethereal. Leon and Stan have already left to go to Jackson’s house. For some reason Jackson isn’t answering his phone and none of his team seem to know where he’s gone. Surely Leon and Stan, combined with Jackson’s security team can track them down?

“Jemma.”

Jemma looks up. She hastily pushes herself away from the table and flings herself against me wrapping her arms around my neck. I hug her tightly to me.

“Oh, Wes, I’m so sorry.” Sobs wrack her small frame and her entire body shakes.

“Shh, you didn’t do anything wrong. We’ll find her, I know we will.”

Jemma takes a step back and brushes the tears from her face with her fingers. Her scars have reddened with her tears, and I just want to hold her. But there’s no time. We need to find Sophie. If she’s with Jackson, why isn’t he letting anyone know? It’s not as if he could be interested in someone four years younger than him. And if he is, I’ll remove his limbs one at a time…

“Why would Soph run off like this?” Jemma asks.

“She might seem mature, but she’s still hurting. Our mother only died last year. It was an aggressive brain tumor. And while she was a terrible parent, she was still our mom. I should have insisted Sophie talk to someone…”

“I’m sorry. I know you’re doing the best you can. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“She’s my responsibility now. I thought I could…ah…I just thought we were doing okay.” I shake my head sigh.

“What can we do? I can’t just sit here and wait for news.”

“I agree. We’ll catch a cab. Any idea where they could have gone?” I take hold of Jemma’s hand as we walk toward the exit.

“Well,” her brow furrows in thought, “Last time they were together, Soph seemed really interested in seeing the set where JD was filming. Perhaps we can check that out. Do you know if he’s filming anything at the moment?”

“Great idea. I’ll call Leon and have him ask someone.” I dial Leon. The phone only rings once before he answers.

“Yes boss?”

“Any news?”

“Nothing yet. Jackson left the house at around ten this morning. No one has seen or heard from him since.”

I run a hand through my hair in frustration. “Can his car be tracked?”

“Not the one he took.”

“Is Jackson working on any movies at the moment? We thought maybe they’ve headed somewhere like that.”

“We’ve already checked out that angle. No luck I’m afraid, boss. You just hang tight and we’ll call you with any leads.”

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing. As soon as we have an idea we’ll check it out.”

“Alright, but stay safe.”

“Yeah, bye.” I end the call.

We exit into the fading daylight. Jemma squeezes my hand. “Where to then?” Anything Sophie’s always wanted to do in L.A.?”

“Well…last time we were here, she was bugging me to go up to the Hollywood sign, but we were too busy with band stuff.” I sigh.

Jemma’s smile lights up the twilight. “Perfect, let’s check it out.”

Several taxi’s wait by the curb, so I open the back door of one and Jemma slides in first. I climb in beside her and pull my baseball cap down low over my eyes. The last thing I want is to be recognized right now.

Seeming to understand, Jemma asks the driver to head for the Hollywood sign. Hopefully he’ll think we’re just tourists.

“Wes,” Jemma whispers, “Do you know what car he’s driving?”

“I’ll text Leon for the details. We don’t want this cab driver to catch onto what’s going on.”

I quickly punch the message into my phone. The details come back almost instantly. I show Jemma the screen. They’re in a black Honda CR-V. Something that won’t stand out here at all.

Jemma reaches out and takes my hand. The connection helps release some of the pressure that builds within me. Sophie is the only blood family I have. It would kill me if something happened to her. I can’t even bear to think about it.

I’d better text Finn an update or he’ll come here too. It was almost impossible to get him to stay behind in Denver. We don’t have a show until tomorrow night, but we still have publicity commitments. The only reason he’s agreed to stay behind is to try to keep this out of the press. One band member leaving is bad enough, but the two founding members of Infusion Deep suddenly heading to L.A. on short notice would be sure to attract the attention of the paparazzi.

I type a detailed message to Finn and hit send. The remaining daylight slowly fades. Somehow my hope seems tied to the fading light. As if somehow, the light represents my hopes of finding Sophie unharmed. My shoulders hunch, and a harsh sob escapes from deep within. I just can’t hold the darkness back anymore.

Jemma

Wes’s heartfelt sob tears my heart asunder. I wrap my arms around him as if I can somehow shelter him with my body. I know how much his sister means to him. How much he holds himself responsible for every bad thing that happens in her life. I wish I could promise him that everything was going to be alright, but I can’t. There’s only one thing I can think to do right now.

“Do you mind if I pray for Soph?”

“Yes. I’ll take anything right now.” Wes makes a strange choking sound. “That didn’t come out right. Please, I’d really appreciate your prayers.”

“Father, I pray for your protection for Sophie right now. Send your angels to watch over her. Please be with her and help us to find her safe and well. And be with Wes. Help his heart to heal and to not lose himself in fear. Thank you. Amen.”

Wes looks up into my eyes. He does seem more himself now. It’s hard to be this close to him, to not feel things in my heart. My love for him is more than the friendship I know I should feel. He is so passionate and beautiful. I just want to hold him for the rest of my life and never let go. But can we really have a life together when we don’t believe the same things?

Pale gold and honey brown eyes with a few flecks of green stare straight into my own eyes. Wes’s are so open and expressive. They hold such an expression of love and hope I just can’t look away. I pull back slightly, too drawn to him to let go, too afraid to move closer and let him know how I really feel. I lower my eyelids to give myself a break from the intensity that’s growing between us.

“What did you mean when you called God ‘Father’?”

My eyes fly to Wes’s again. I draw in a sharp breath. “Well…I guess firstly because he calls himself that. But on a personal level, I feel like he’s always looking out for me. He knows what’s best for me in my life. He cares for us all, even if our own fathers wasn’t what we’d hoped for. He’s there through everything that life throws at us. He was there for me when I was burnt by the oil. His love for me helped me to not give in to the darkness. His light guided me. I know that he loves me no matter what. Through the good stuff and the terrible stuff.”

“Weren’t you angry about what happened to you?” Wes’s face looks curious rather than judgmental. I’m relieved. It’s hard when people don’t really want to hear.

“Yeah, of course I was. My feelings were in a constant state of flux for a while. I was sad, hurt, angry with myself, angry with God. I felt hatred toward my ex. But God was there for me through it all. Through his love for me, I was able to forgive my ex. It helped me to be me again. To find hope and love and joy in the world again. To let my heart be open again. It’s still an ongoing process, but I’m getting there.”

“You are an amazing woman, Jemma Jones. I lo– I…I’m in awe of you.

Did Wes almost say that he loves me? He’s under incredible strain at the moment, so I don’t think I can really put too much stock in anything he says right now. Besides, we have more important things to think about. Once we find Sophie, we can worry about sorting out how we feel about each other and what this is between us. The taxi comes to a stop outside the Griffith Park Observatory.

I ask the driver to wait for us. Wes is already walking away and I jog to catch up to him. There are still quite a few people around even though the sun has set. The Observatory is still open. Hopefully no one will look at Wes too closely and recognize him. I’m not sure he’d cope with that right now. But Wes is heading away from the Observatory building.

“You can get a view of the sign from over here.” Wes indicates a concrete viewing platform. Instead of trying to view the distant dark hillside, Wes searches through the few people milling around but it’s pretty obvious that Sophie and Jackson aren’t here.

“Isn’t the sign lit at night?”

“No.” Wes takes a last glance at the few tourists and heads toward a larger parking lot further away from the Observatory building.

“What now?”

“If we check the rest of the parking lot for their car we can tell if they’re here or not.” Wes runs a hand through his hair and frowns. “If they were ever here in the first place.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them.”

The parking lot isn’t that big, and it’s only half full. Wes remains grimly silent as we walk up and down the rows of parked cars. Wes stops suddenly and I almost crash into him in the dim light.

“They’re not here, Jemma. Do you think they might have tried to go up Mt. Lee to get a closer look?”

“Um, I didn’t think tourists were allowed to go up that way.”

“They’re not supposed to. So, knowing Soph, that would be the way she’d want to go.”

I guess we could try. Although it’s pretty dark I really hope they aren’t stumbling around in the dark somewhere trying to impress each other.”

“You think Jackson would want to impress a thirteen-year-old girl?” Wes seems dubious.

“Well, see, I’ve been thinking about it, and I think Sophie has probably told Jackson she’s a few years older than she really is. She’s so tall, with a bit of make-up she could easily pass for sixteen or seventeen.”

“If he touches one hair on her head, he’s a dead man.”

“I’m sure it hasn’t gone that far. Sophie might want to grow up, but at heart I don’t think she really wants anything more than a kiss.”

“What?” Wes yelps. “She’s much too young to be kissing boys. Especially ones four years older.”

“I agree. But think about it from her point of view, how old were you when you had your first kiss?”

“Sixteen.”

“Really?” I try to hide the incredulity in my voice. Somehow I just pictured Wes having girls after him from a young age.

“What’s wrong with being sixteen? How old were you?”

My cheeks heat, and I’m glad for the darkness that hides my face. “Fifteen. But I had to wait until I was eighteen for my next one. My parents found out about it, and I wasn’t allowed to date through the rest of high school.”

Wes grunts. “Smart parents.”

“I resented them for it at the time. I think a part of me still does. If I hadn’t been so desperate for a boyfriend, I might have realized that my ex was a scumbag much sooner.”

“You never mention him by name do you?”

“Voldemort.”

Wes actually laughs before he smothers the sound. My laugh follows his, allowing some of the tension to briefly leave my body. We climb in the back of the taxi and Wes asks the driver to take us up to Mt. Lee. He’s reluctant at first, citing the narrow streets and the fact that it will be too dark to wander around the park anyway, but Wes finally convinces him.

I reach out and take Wes’s hand in my own. Sensing he needs my support more than my words right now.

Wes

The feel of Jemma’s hand in mine, helps to calm my racing mind. I don’t think I could live with myself if something happened to Sophie. The car takes another sharp bend and Jemma’s shoulder leans into mine. It helps me to stay connected, to not let the fog overwhelm my thoughts.

“That’s it! That’s Jackson’s car,” Jemma pushes open the car door while the taxi is still moving.

I tug her back before she falls out of the moving vehicle. “Whoa, let’s at least wait for the car to stop.”

The car stops and Jemma jumps out. I tell the driver to park and wait for us, and I jog over to Jackson’s car. Jemma peeks into the tinted passenger window.

“They’re not here, but Sophie’s sweater is on the seat.”

I peer over her shoulder through the darkened glass. It’s definitely Sophie’s pink sweater on the passenger seat. Thank goodness. They must be here somewhere.

I take a step back. The streetlights don’t provide an abundance of light but it’s enough to see we’re at the entrance to Lake Hollywood Park. “They must have gone into the park. If he’s taken advantage of her in any way, I’m going to kill him.”

Jemma takes a hold of my hand. “Just breathe, Wes. They can’t have gone far in the dark. I’m sure nothing bad has happened.”

I let Jemma lead me into the darkened park. I try to do what she’s asked and focus on my breathing. In out. In out. In out.

“Look, over there.” Jemma tugs on my hand again.

The glow of a mobile phone screen is visible further into the park. I start running. I sure hope there are no holes or obstacles in my way. Sophie’s face is visible by the light from the screen. Jackson sitting right beside her. Her face is at first startled, and then she has that look that tells me she’s recognized me.

“Soph,” It comes out more of a sob than anything. I surprise myself by dropping to my knees and throwing my arms around her. All thoughts of Jackson momentarily forgotten with the joy of seeing my baby sister seemingly unharmed. “Oh, Soph, what were you thinking?” Tears are running down my face, but I don’t care. I hold her tight, never wanting to let her go.

“Wes, I’m sorry,” Sophie holds me tight as her tears drip onto my shirt. “Please don’t be mad at me. I just love Jackson, and I wanted to be with him.”

I pull back. “You love him? Sophie, you’re only thirteen years old. You can’t go flying across the country just because you have a crush on some actor.”

Jackson jumps to his feet and takes a step backward his hands held out in front of him. “What the heck, Soph? Thirteen! You told me you were seventeen!” His head drops as he shakes it slowly from side to side. “Thirteen, no. No, this is not happening.”

I stand back up my fists clenched at my side. “What. Did. You. Do?”

Jemma looks between us as if she’s not quite sure who needs her the most right now. Sophie grabs hold of one of my arms.

“Nothing happened, Wes. He just kissed me. Nothing else, I swear.”

“You kissed her,” I shout.

Jackson stumbles back another step. “She told me she was seventeen. I swear I wouldn’t have kissed her if I’d known she was only thirteen. You have to believe me, I’m no perv. She said she was my age, and I believed her.”

I take a step toward Jackson. The tension in my body seeks release.

Jemma grabs hold of my other arm. “Wes, don’t do anything stupid. I think he’s telling the truth. You don’t need publicity over this. Just think about how it would play out in the media.” Jemma lets go of my arm and steps in front of me. Her face looks like that of an angel in the dim light. Her curls are a golden halo around her sweet face.

“Just think of what they would write about Sophie. It could ruin her life before she’s even had a chance to begin it. I know what she did was foolish and dangerous, but fighting is not going to fix this.”

The tension slowly leaches from body and I close my eyes. “I know. I know.”

“You believe me?” Jackson looks at me as if he’s just had an unexpected reprieve.

“I might believe you, but you’d better not come within 1,000 miles of my sister ever again if you want to keep that pretty face of yours.”

“That won’t be a problem.” He looks at Sophie who still has tears streaming down her face. “I want to be mad at you, Soph, but you’re such an amazing chick. I just wish you really were my age.”

My anger rises again. “You’d better stop right there, Jackson. I think you’d better leave now.”

“Uh, yeah. Sorry.” Jackson turns and stumbles before bolting out of the park.

“You’ve ruined everything, Wes.” Sophie pulls away from me.

“I’ve ruined everything? You must be joking. You are in so much trouble, if you think I’m ever letting you out of the house again–”

“You won’t even be there half the time. How are you going to stop me?”

“Leon and Stan can watch you around the clock.”

“You can’t do that to me. I hate you!”

My heart feels as if it’s being crushed. I know she’s just angry, but we’ve never said anything like that to each other before. We have to stick together. We’re all we have.

Jemma steps forward and puts an arm around each of us. “I think that’s enough for now. You’re both really angry and hurt and you’re going to say things you don’t mean. Let’s just focus on what’s important. Sophie is safe and well and nothing terrible happened. Let’s just go home and we can talk about this once you’ve both had a chance to calm down.”

As much as I want to keep yelling at Sophie right now, a part of me knows she’s right. Even though we’re both physically taller than Jemma, she somehow manages to guide us back to the waiting Taxi. Jackson’s car is gone. We climb into the back of the taxi, Jemma in between us, and drive in silence back to the airport. Jemma sends a text message to Stan. We can’t risk the Taxi driver overhearing what just happened. Hopefully no one heard any of what we were shouting and recognized us. I just want this day to be over.