The Heart Thief

the heart thief - |23|

Millie

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I knocked on the door frantically, and within moments, Isaac swung it open with a frustrated look on his face, but as soon as he saw me, his expression mildly turned to relief.

"Oh, good. You're here," he said, not waiting for my response as he firmly took hold of my elbow, ushering me inside. Once we crossed the threshold, he let go, and I hurriedly followed his lead.

At the sound of our footsteps, Shane spun around, his tense demeanor suggesting he was on the brink of exploding. It was then that I noticed the person he stood over. Roman sat calmly in the chair, his face devoid of emotion. He didn't even acknowledge my presence, leaving me puzzled.

"What's going on here?" I asked, directing my question to Roman, who remained silent, neither greeting me nor looking at me. It was weird. I felt weird. They were all acting like something big had happened, but neither one of them were hurt. So, if they weren't physically hurt, what brought on this tension?

"You didn't have to call her," Roman muttered under his breath. His words were barely audible, and I had to focus intently to catch them. Frustration etched across his face as he ran a hand into his tousled hair, pulling at it impatiently.

"Shut up," Shane snapped at him, his glare seething with anger. "You don't get to say anything after what you pulled."

Roman's expression contorted with strain. "What exactly do you hope to achieve with this?"

Feeling a gentle touch on my elbow, I turned to find Isaac signaling for me to follow him. I complied, my mind filled with curiosity and worry. We reached the guest room, where he began pacing back and forth while I perched on the edge of the bed.

With raised eyebrows and a puzzled expression, I couldn't help but ask, "Care to shed some light on what's going on?"

Isaac paused, his hands resting on his waist as he turned to face me. "Remember when we spoke earlier, and you mentioned trying to reach out to Roman for days?" His jaw clenched, and he let out a sigh, closing his eyes momentarily. "Well, we've been doing the same," he confessed. "Shane and I have been searching for him. He returned a few hours ago but refused to tell us where he had been."

"Okay, but what's wrong? He's an adult," I questioned, a hint of confusion in my voice.

"Millie, that's not the point," he replied, closing the distance between us and taking a seat beside me on the bed. "Remember when I mentioned that he's been going through some things? It started with his disappearances. Whenever he vanishes, something goes wrong. He either comes back drunk , battered and bruised, or isolates himself in his room." He sighed deeply. "So when he left this time, I was terrified. I had no idea what could have happened. I made a promise to his mum that I would take care of him."

Oh.

"Didn't he tell you where he went?" I asked, growing more concerned. I could feel his fear and mine mingled as one. The fact that Isaac was worried and scared like this made me realize how serious the situation was.

"He never does." A hint of resignation in his voice.

"Okay." I turned myself to face him fully. "Isaac, why did you call me? If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me."

"Really? Anything?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

A genuine smile formed on my face as I nodded. "Absolutely. I genuinely care about him, too. A lot."