Fragment of Us

ind racing with panic. He had spent the entire cab ride home preparing what he was going to say to Nick

tment wa

k to be sitting on the couch, arms crossed, waiting for an e

. The closet door was half open, and his breath caught in hi

o.

e gone. His toothbrush, his charger, even his fa

gripping the edge of

was

him. He grabbed his phone with sha

t to vo

nded in his ears as he

th

he called Pim. She picked up after a f

? What'

gasped. "Have

. "No... isn'

rply. "No. He's gone. His stuff is m

re you sure he's not

"Pim, half his clothes are g

t, then her voice softened

explain-not now. Not when he

muttered. "Just... if he

mised. "Just don'

was already

next, then Tyler, the

him. No one kn

ne so tightly his knuckles turned white.

st like that? Without even g

wisting with guilt. Nick had been upset about Tyler. H

eezed his

he had cheated? That he w

rned at

gone... without heari

made Arthur'

do now? What

ime he closed his eyes, he saw the photos again. The blurry ima

ticed when the s

he had made

ded an

find the guy

ht for the bar from last night. He barely remembered the name, b

t. The place was nearly empty now, just a fe

ands clenched. "Hey," he said, his voice hoars

m up and down. "Maybe.

kly. "Tall. Dark hair. We were drink

frowned. "Ca

e you sure? He was with

"I don't remember seeing him

about the receptionist? Maybe

hed. "You can ask

desk, but the receptionist

im," she said after

stomach

? It was like he had just

bar, his h

this mad

as th

eel like someone

rough the streets, his min

was

of proving that he hadn

eyes as he turne

e supposed