Tough Love

Part 20: Dirty in the Bathroom

Brian's POV

Faith didn't come back that night. Or the next, or the next. It's actually been a week or so. She had her phone turned off or it was dead, and no one knew where she was; not the guys, or any of her old co workers. This worries me so much that I nearly got into a car crash several times and I have a hard time sleeping.

On the bright side, the tension between Sal and I seems to be lessening. Or maybe I'm too wrapped up in everything else that I just don't notice if anything is wrong. My life really seems like a huge pile of shit right now.

"Maybe she just needs some time to herself," Murr reasoned on set one day after I explained everything. It's extremely hot, what with it being the middle of summer, so we decided to pack it up and find an indoor location.

"She fucking slapped me for even thinking about getting drunk. Why would she not talk to me for so long simply for drinking?"

"Tell us again what happened," Joe demanded. So I did, and he sighed. "Do you know anything about her past? Maybe she's had bad experiences with drinking. Maybe Simon was always drunk." I flinch at the mention of my rapist's name. "Oh, sorry. But seriously, it could be PTSD or some shit. And you called her a bitch. Women don't like that, y'know."

"I know that. But... I don't know..."

"It seems like a logical explanation to me," Murr stated. The three of us went back and forth with this idea. It wasn't until Joe pointed out that Sal had remained completely silent that I even realized that he was just over my right shoulder.

"Sal, you've been quiet, what's eaten' ya'?"

"Nothing, it's just..."

"What's wrong Sally?" I ask him, concerned by the dreadful look on his beautiful face.

"She stayed with me."

"What?" He had said it too quiet for Murr, who was standing opposite him, to hear.

"She stayed with me the night she left your house."

"You didn't..." Joe begins to ask, his eyes going wide. I was thinking the exact same thing. They better not have done it. I swear to god...

"I was driving home and found her sitting on the curb, barely able to breathe from her pregnancy. I tried to get her to go back to your house, Q, but she wouldn't. She actually tried walking away again until I said she could stay with me, that way she wouldn't be out in the open where she could get really sick again. Or hurt. She fell asleep on my bed, I slept on the couch, and the next morning she left."

"That's it? Do you know where?" I ask in a near desperate manner.

"No. She didn't say anything. Just got in a cab and left. I assumed she was going back to your place."

"Why didn't you call me?"

He shrugs as if it was the least important thing on his mind. "She didn't seem like she really wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah but why are you just now telling me this? She's been missing for a fucking week and you don't tell me that you've seen her?!" My hands are starting to shake from anger and I can feel my face heat up; if that's even possible considering how hot it already is outside.

"Brian, calm down, we'll find her buddy," Joe says.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" I yell at Joe.

"Q," Sal says, drawing my attention back to him. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I didn't say anything. I just... I don't, okay? I thought she would come back and... well I..."