"You'll sit." He waves his hand towards a long leather couch. "You'll tell me about what's going on. I tried to talk to Caleb but he's all over the place."
That's an understatement. Caleb had texted me earlier asking if I could talk to his private detective tomorrow morning. I shot him a quick text back explaining that I had to head out of town. I hadn't gotten a reply and at this point, I'm grateful that our correspondence is at a bare minimum. I'm still feeling a rush of confusion about the day we kissed in my apartment.
"Asher was arrested," I begin knowing that Gabriel may not have heard about that. It's doubtful that Caleb would tell his older brother about what happened in the office that day. "It happened at the corporate office."
"Asher told me." Gabriel arches his head back to look up at the high ceilings. "He called me a few days after that."
I had no idea. "How was he when you spoke to him?"
"He was frustrated with Caleb," he starts before he pulls his gaze back to me. "I'm frustrated with him too."
"Me too," I mumble under my breath. Beyond telling Graham and Ivy, I haven't shared the details of what happened between Caleb and me last week with anyone.
"Where do you think he is, Rowan?" He twists in his seat to look back at the bank of windows that overlook Central Park. "Do you think he's still in New York? I want to find him. I need to."
Chapter 24
"If I had any idea, I'd tell you Gabriel," I assure him as I stand to walk towards the windows. "I've spent hours thinking about where he could be. I walk past the brownstone your family used to live in every day hoping he's there, sitting on the stoop the way he used to do when we were kids."
A small grin tugs at the corner of his lips. "He loved that house. When he was in rehab he talked about buying it one day. He wants to raise his kids in that neighborhood."
I turn to smile at him. For the first time, since Asher disappeared I feel actual hope. Gabriel speaks about him as if he's returning. He has the same faith in his brother that I do. "It's a great place to raise a family."
"It is, "I agree quietly. "Asher will be an amazing dad."
"He wants that. He talks about it or he did when he was still here."
I close my eyes to ward off the emotional tidal wave I feel bearing down on me. "We need to find him."
"We're going to find him." He stands behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. "I'm back and I'm not giving up until my little brother is home safe and sound."
"If I can do anything to help, you'll let me know, right?"
"You've been holding down the fort since I've been gone." He pats my shoulder. "Caleb told me that you've been helpful."
Helpful? That's it?
"Caleb likes doing things on his own," I try to sound as non-judgemental as I can. "He hasn't asked me for much help with finding Asher."
"He told me about the morgue." I see his reflection in the glass windows as his gaze falls to the floor. "He told me you were stronger than he was that morning."
I spin around to look directly at him. "I wasn't being strong. That's not what it was. I knew it wasn't Asher. I could feel it inside. I think I'd know if anything happened to him."
His mouth thins. "The last time I spoke to Asher he told me that he was feeling down. He said that life had become complicated and I warned him about using again. I specifically asked him if he was feeling the draw towards it."
"What did he say?"
"He said that he'd never do it again." He shakes his head. "He was adamant about it. I know, from the time I spent in therapy with him, that addicts will say just about anything to convince everyone they're fine."
I know that too. Tom did the very same thing when I started asking too many questions. He'd rush out to buy me flowers and he'd take me to my favorite restaurant all while telling me that he'd never use anything illicit again. I believed him because I was the one who needed to hear those words, even if my logical mind was telling me that they weren't true.
"I can tell when Asher is lying to me." He blinks, and then looks directly at me. "He wasn't lying when he promised me he wouldn't break his sobriety."
"I believe that too," I say as I turn to look back out the window. "Asher is out there somewhere. We just have to find him."
***
"We still have that house in the Hamptons." Gabriel walks towards an oak cabinet situated on the far side of the room. "My parents never split it up in the divorce. No one has been there in years but I remember how much you loved going there when you were a kid."
I did love it. It was the highlight of my summer. My brother and I would hop in the Foster's car with them and travel to their beautiful home in the Hamptons. We'd spend three glorious weeks there, feeling as though we'd both won the lottery. We were treated to boat rides, swimming, tennis and all the personal chef prepared food we could stomach. I always felt like a Princess when we arrived and I'd feel a terrible sense of loss once the vacation was over and we returned home.