Austin's POV

I woke up slowly from the rocking of the bus along the terrain of Nevada. We had just left Colorado about twenty miles back and the signs clearly pointed us to Las Vegas, among other cities. Raelyn was fast asleep with her breathing matching mine. She curled up against my warm side as I lightly stroked her hair.

She was perfect.

Alan, Tino and Aaron were all sitting around a table, playing with a deck of cards. Phil had offered to take the next leg of the trip, and his humming was faint from back here. Something square and delicious bounced from my forehead. A few crackers were stuck on my shirt as evidence of previous tosses.

"20 points!" Tino chuckled. Aaron and Alan were having a contest as to which person could hit me in the face the best, apparently. I grumbled and ate the crackers around me. Raelyn sighed in her sleep next to me. The three children in grown men bodies focused back on their game of black jack.

As I closed my eyes to attempt to sleep again, I felt a slight vibration from my side. It must have been Rae's phone in her side pocket. As to sensing the vibration, she rolled over with her back against me.

The vibration came again. Who was texting her so insistently? As my sleepy brain suddenly started to function again, I thought of Ryker. A pang of jealousy spread through me. She hadn't texted Ryker that much, only once about three hours before. It was about one in the morning right now, but why would he be up.

It wouldn't hurt to check.

Carefully sliding her phone out, I turned it on, seeing a picture of me and Rae that was taken at the park what seemed so long ago. At the top of her phone was a little tab that read Message from Ryker.

I sighed and slid the phone back in her pocket.Was I seriously getting jealous of some guy she met in the grocery store?! Rae had told me over and over that they were just friends and all they did was talk about bands, mostly Of Mice and Men.

"Who from?" Alan called quietly. The moon outside was brilliant. I sighed and smiled.

"Just Ryker. Apparently they were talking about Linkin Park last time I asked." As soon as I said his name, I could help but get a nagging feeling out of my chest. Something in my gut was telling me this was wrong. Not just in the I'm-the-boyfriend-and-I-think-I'm-getting-jealous type way, but in a deeper, more sinister twist.

"Oh, those guys are cool." Tino looked up from his game with a grin. Apparently he had just one that round. The stack of crackers in front of him was getting bigger.

"Does Phil want to take a break?" Aaron asked. Tino shrugged, got up, and went to the driver to ask. Although we were the only ones out on the flat desert of Nevada on the lonely road, not a car in sight for the past two hours, we decided to park just off the road about thirty feet.

Tino reappeared with Phil, who had deep bags under his eyes. The two boys went back to their bunks immediately. The movements in the bus were enough to distract me for a few moments, just to get my mind off this mysterious boy and the insistent messages. Pretty soon three equal sets of snores were heard from the bunks. It was Alan and I left. Swinging my legs over the couch, I cradled light little Rae in my arms. Her eyes never fluttered open.

"Austin?" Alan asked very softly as I stepped by my bunk. I turned around to see what my best friend wanted.

"Did you tell Mom...or Rae...about the letter?" He asked me. No, I didn't tell Rae's mom or her. I shook my head, the thoughts filling me back up.

My girl, she was safe with me. She was much safer when I could see her.

"No, never." I murmured. Alan nodded. It was just our secret. With the fresh worry filling my head, I pulled back the curtain and settled down with Rae in my bed, tucking the blanket over her cold arms.

The texts, the letter, they were just empty words.

Notes

Another chapter!!!!!! Oooohhhh I've got some surprises for all of you! Just hold on a few more chapters!

Rate/Comment/Subscribe!