Lakehouse

Chapter Eleven

My gaze on the floor as broken as soon as I hear the turning of a door handle and a shaky sigh coming from Theo's lips. I look up at him, cracking a small smile, and stand so that I can approach him.

I decided to wait for Theo and his parents for their interrogation after I was finished with my own. I had barely talked to Theo today and I really didn't want to go home without doing so, and I was fairly curious of how his parents would react to the whole 'ransom' idea.

I, for one, am still processing this information, knowing that my birth parents could be movie stars or artists or CEOs of a major company. It has to be something of the sort; why else would someone want money from them? They would have had to know my parents could provide it. The thing that's boggling me, though, is if they had all this money, why would they have to give Levi and I up? I've always had the theory that they did it because they couldn't support us, but this completely blows that out of the water.

Theo's parents are very contemporary and sophisticated people, just like he is. His father wears a black fedora and a tuxedo jacket over his work clothes, and his mother has her hair tied back in a tight knot and is sporting red high heels that match her lipstick. I feel somewhat underdressed and disgusting as I stand next to the three of them- my hair has not been washed since they cleansed the blood out of it for my ER visit, and I am only wearing a t-shirt and jeans with ripped knees. They don't judge, though; or at least they don't look like it. They are more concerned on what they heard inside the interrogation room, about their lost daughter and damaged son.

Before I can utter a word to Theo, his lip is quivering and he throws his arms around me. I stiffen, feeling somewhat foreign to hugs, but close my arms around his back and bring him closer to me. His entire body is shaking, tears dripping from his cheeks onto my shoulder. I did not think Theo was an emotional person when I first met him, based on my past knowledge of preppy boys who go to the private school, but I was wrong, and I do not mind it. Honestly, I think boys who claim that they're too cool for crying or explaining their emotions when they feel them are indubitably sad. Like Jake. He is indubitably sad.

"It's going to be okay," I whisper to Theo, digging my face into his shoulder.

"No it's not," he replies, barely audible. I hear Theo's mother weeping a few feet away, but I keep my attention on him. In this moment, he is all that I care about. He should not be here crying over the fact that his sister is missing, taken by a mentally insane man, and cannot help her. He should not be worrying over the fact that this mentally insane man might take all the money away from his family in return for his sister, who will never be the same again.

But when I think about it, he will not be the same again either. I will not be the same again. His parents will not be the same again, and neither will Lou and O'Brien.

"Sadie, this man is going to take away everything we have," Theo continues. "We might not even get Cara back to us. It will not be okay."

I tighten my hug around him, shaking my head. "No, no, no, don't say that."

He pulls away from me, wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve. I suddenly realize the despair in his face, how hopeless and useless he must be feeling. I want to hug him again and assure him that it will be alright, even though he is telling the truth. It will not be alright.

He gives a weak smile, one that I know he is forcing. "You can stop with your optimistic act, Sadie. You know I'm right."

I bite the inside of my cheek, not knowing what to say. I do not want to be a pessimist about this, but maybe its only being realistic.

"Come on, Theo," his mother says quietly. "We should get home." She turns to me. "It was nice meeting you, Sadie. Tell your, uh, I mean... tell Lou and O'Brien that we'd love to have you all over for supper sometime soon."