FATE

38. The Photo Album

BROOKE

Blake calls when i get back from school to say he'll be running late which gives me more than enough time to solve my issues with Jonah and be back hopefully before dinner.
The house is seemingly quiet when i walk on to the lawn. The grass doesn't look like it has been cut in weeks and there's a dirty hose on the ground. I hit the button next to the door and freeze as the doorbell rings, mentally practicing what words to tell him when he comes out and sees it's me.

The door opens but its not Jonah in a blue shirt and off white shorts, he would never wear anything without adding a bit of black anyway. It's Jonah's dad and the confused look on his face quickly turns into a smile.

"Oh, hello", he says.

"Good evening Mr Locke, I don't know if you remember me but I'm Brooke, Jonah's friend", i say quickly. I'm not sure if he knows anything about my relationship with his son.

He nods, "of course. Jonah doesn't have a lot of friends"

He moves to give me room to enter the house. As he shuts the door behind me, i glance around and listen for any sign of Jonah but there's nothing. Mr Locke walks past me into the kitchen and i stand for a few seconds before following him in.

"Is he home?", i ask as Mr Locke hums a tune.

He stops, "you didn't call before coming?"

"I-i didn't think it was necessary with it being a school night and all"

He's facing the kitchen sink and rinsing his hands but i can see a smile form on his lips. "Of course", he looks back at me, "but i don't think he came back here after school"

I frown slightly and stare at my shoes. Jonah didn't come home after school. He must have gone straight to Hailee's house. I mentally facepalm myself as i wonder why i came here in the first place.

"I did go check at the Hartford's and he was there after school but they say he went out for a drive with Hailee", Mr Locke says again.

I dip my hands into my pocket and stare at my phone. There's no text from Jonah so i text him instead.

"I'm at your house, where are you?"

I hit send and place the phone back into my pocket before taking time to look around the kitchen. There are plates, cups and cutlery arranged on a little table in the center of the kitchen and Mr Locke places a glass bowl of mac and cheese at the center of the table. He looks up at me and catches me watching him.

"I made dinner for him and I", he says softly, "you can sit and wait for him. The Hartford's said he just went out with Hailee because she hasn't been feeling well and needed some air. He should be back soon"

"Okay, thank you", i say as i sit in one out of the three chairs arranged around the table.

"Would you like some?", he asks gesturing towards the covered bowl of mac and cheese.

"No thank you", I force a smile and he smiles back before turning to face the sink again.

Jonah never speaks about his father and I remember him saying they weren't as close as most parents and kids. Now i wonder why because Mr Locke seems like a very polite man but then again, my mom seems that way to everyone besides me.

I pull out my phone from my pocket and stare at it. Still no word from him.

I look back up as Mr Locke moves towards the fridge and opens it. I watch him from behind. He's a little bit taller than Jonah. When he turns to face me, he eyes me awkwardly. In one hand, he holds a tall jar of orange juice and in the other, a little glass cup. He gives me a sheepish smile that makes him look like Jonah for a little while.

"Since you won't have any food, you should have a drink", he says as he drops the glass cup in front of me and fills it up with juice from the jar before i can say anything, "i can imagine the walk down here must have been stressful"

He places the jar on the table and sits on the chair next to me.

"Thank you", i say softly and he nods without speaking.

I take a sip out of the cup and sigh deeply. The juice is cold and it relieves my nerves instantly.

"We didn't have a chance to talk well the other day", Mr Locke chuckles faintly, "Jonah doesn't really find it appropriate to introduce me to anyone"

"Why?", the words come out as fast as i think them.

Mr Locke stares at me and shrugs, "we were never really close", he stands up and walks out of the kitchen. He comes back seconds later with a small book which he places in front of me.

"Lauren, my wife was Jonah's everything. I used to think before he was born that since we were going to have a boy, he'd be close to me but boy was i wrong"

I open the book. It's a photo album, the first picture in it is of Jonah's mother. Her blonde hair is packed into a messy bun and the picture was taken while she was laughing.

"He talks about her sometimes", i say

"But he thinks about her all the time", he says.

I turn to the next page and it's a picture of her again except this time, standing next to her is a younger Jonah. He's short, shirtless with jeans on and he has dirt on his hands.

"She was into gardening amongst other things", Mr Locke says, "had a whole little greenhouse for her plants and all of that. Jonah wasn't really into all of that dirt but he did it anyway because it meant time spent with her"

Jonah's hands point to the camera and he grins happily. His mom looks at him proudly.

I smile, "were you ever jealous of how close they were?"

He smiles back, "of course. Sometimes i was but she was his mother, i couldn't stop that"

On the next page, there's a picture of little Jonah and a girl in a white dress. She frowns, her forehead creasing as she stares into the camera. I don't think i would recognize her if it weren't for her grey eyes.

"Hailee"

"Those two have been inseparable since they were little", Mr Locke says, "Lauren was so sure they would end up dating or something"

I purse my lips as I stare at the picture. Jonah has always had Hailee in his life, even before his mother's death. Who am i to feel entitled to things she knows about him when I haven't been a part of his life for up to a year?

"They stayed best friends", i say.

"And just when i was beginning to think he might have other sexual preferences", i look up at Mr Locke as he speaks, "you come along"

"I-", i stutter, "I don't understand"

He chuckles, "you're Jonah's girlfriend right?"

I hesitate before nodding slowly and he grins. That explains why he showed me the photo album. He knows Jonah and I aren't just friends.

"I knew the first day i walked into the house and saw you two together. I've never seen my son stare at anyone the way he stares at you", he says.

I close the album, "you talk about him so well but..."

"He doesn't speak very kindly about me?", he asks, "i know"

Before i can say anything else, there is a loud, rapt knock at the door. "Phillip!", a male voice screams.

Jonah's dad stands up quickly as the knocking continues and runs out of the kitchen. I hear the door open.

"Paul?", i hear him say, "what's going on?"

A familiar female voice speaks shakingly, "it's Jonah and Hailee", i stand up and rush out of the kitchen and towards the door as her next words come, "there's been an accident, they're at the hospital"