Friends. The word stung like a wasp protecting its nest. I did my best not to show my real feelings on the subject.

“Yeah, friends. Is that why you didn’t want me to meet your parents?”

Lips that tasted like summer pressed together in a sort of acknowledging agreement as her head tilted to the side.

“Why complicate things? Besides don’t guys hate meeting parents?”

She laughed off her comment, but she made it sound like I was like one of those typical guys in movies.

“I don’t know. I’ve never met any girl’s parents before.”

Our eyes didn’t meet as the space grew between us. Everything felt off. Yet, I wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.

“Friends can still hang out.”

It was a statement and a question all rolled into one.

“Sure. Just on dry land.” A hesitant grin formed on her face like she was trying to make a joke but didn’t feel it. “I’m usually in the café by eight and on most days I have lunch at one.”

So I could see her while she ate. She hadn’t offered a dinnertime. With rowing season beginning, my mornings would be tight.

“I’ll see you around, then.”

Her tight smile belied her words. “Later, I guess,” she said before turning away.

What the fuck just happened?

By the time I made it back to my dorm, I wanted a beer. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. Though it shouldn’t bother me; women were a dime a dozen as my father used to say. But I didn’t want anyone else.

I wanted the girl with the smile that made me feel like I’d won a gold medal.

I’d only been out with her a few times. The way she took in everything like it was new made the experience feel that way for me.

Her kiss…kissing her was my drug of choice and already I was feeling the effects of withdrawal.

Later that night as I lay on my bed, eyes focused on a water stain on the ceiling, I heard the front door open and close before feet two timed it up the stairs.

Gavin didn’t knock, just came in rumpled like he hadn’t slept.

“Guess where I’ve been?”

“Jail.”

He narrowed his eyes at my quip. “Yes, how’d you know? And why would that be your first thought?”

I was about to say that his opening had sounded roughly like something out of the norm happened. I hadn’t expected to be right.

He shook his head. “Never mind, yes, I was at the police station being questioned about a girl gone missing.”

Quickly, I sat up like I could levitate.

“Why you?”

“Funny you should ask. I’d practically accused them of profiling me when they said that a witness had seen my truck and the girl get out of it.”

He had my full attention. “You were with the girl before she went missing.”

His head swung side to side. “No. That would be you. She went missing Monday, sometime after you dropped her off while using my truck.”

“Fuck.” I thought about my last words to her, implying she could get involved with the wrong guy.

“My sentiments exactly.”

“Do I need to go down and make a statement?”

“No, I already told them I dropped her off and went to get my roommate for a beer run.”

“Why?”

“They had nothing on you. The witness could only identify the truck. I think the Feds are on it because when I told them roughly where I’d gone, they’d verified with the cameras on the bridge that my truck had been on it about the time she went missing. They had records of her using her card to go into her dorm before she apparently called someone about an hour later. It wasn’t me; I don’t know her. If it was you, you’d be at the station. They have security camera footage that shows her leaving around that time.”

My head spun with the story. “If they knew you didn’t do it, why’d they pick you up?”

“My guess is they hoped I would know who she might have called. But I didn’t make any calls on my phone. So they finally let me go.”

“I should go down and make a statement anyway.”

“For what? You’ll blow my story. Since we’re each other’s alibi, they would start to question that. Just leave it. We both know we had nothing to do with it.”

Everything he said made sense, but it bothered the hell out of me. So the next morning I called my dad and told him.

“Let me get this straight. You were the last person seen with the missing girl from your school, but the police think it’s your roommate, Gavin.”

“It was his truck.”

“And instead of telling the police that he lent you the truck, he accepted blame, but used you as an alibi?”

“Technically yes, but the way he says it, it makes sense.”

“What it sounds like is that your friend lied to the police during a criminal investigation. That is punishable under the law.”

“Dad. Neither of us did it. They have proof we were nowhere near her when she disappeared.”

His sigh was long and drawn out.

“Tade, you’re putting me in a bad position.”

“Why does it matter who was in the car? We both have alibis.”

“So why are you telling me this if none of it matters? You’re bringing me into it by doing so.”

“I know, I’m sorry. But I’ve been thinking about something.” All night something about the whole thing bothered me. “What if someone’s trying to set me up?”

“Why would you think that?”

“I’ve seen the headlines. The Feds have been talking to my father. They’re trying to get him to flip on the people he worked for. Maybe the big boss wants to set me up and use me as leverage to keep him quiet.”

Dad was silent for a time.

“Let me talk to some people I know and see what I can find out.”

“Maybe I should go see him.”

Though it was only a second, his pause had me rethinking my statement.

“I would never stop you from seeing him.”

“But your campaign?”

“None of that matters. If you need to talk to him before…I won’t stop you.”

“What if the press finds out?”

“We’ll figure it out. This is your decision. I’ll support you, no matter what.”

I wasn’t sure what the right move was. If it could help get that girl back, I would do it.

“You know you’re my dad, not him.”

Dad choked up a little. “And you are my son, no matter what.”

My last words to that girl played over in my head. And I had to hope I wasn’t the reason she was missing. I thought about my missing biological mother. If I could help find this girl, could my soul be cleansed? Could I ask my father not only about the girl from my school, but the truth of my bio mom’s disappearance?