My Boys

Chapter 8

~*~Acre's POV~*~

"Where's Joey?" I asked Atticus when he finally met up with us again. Brooks and I had been looking for Joey for over an hour after he disappeared.

I would admit, Brooks was being an asshole for no reason. Joey did nothing to provoke him and he was just being a dick to mess with him, but he didn't listen when I told him to stop. Joey looked so sad when he asked me if I lied to him, he looked like a kicked puppy. It made me feel sad that he thought I'd lie to him. I'd never lie to him.

"Don't even." Atticus snapped, holding his phone up to his ear and groaning. "Come on, Joey, just answer please." He whispered, tossing his phone when the line went to voicemail.

"Can't believe you're friends with such a little Bitch-"

"You say one more thing about him and I slit your throat." I threatened. I was done with his bullshit. It was his fault Joey was missing now because he couldn't just be nice. "Atticus, go find my Dad."

"I'm not leaving your damn side." Atticus glared down at me, giving me the look I've always hated.

"Brooks. Please leave us alone." I muttered to my friend, getting an eye roll and scoff in response before grabbing Atticus's arm and dragging him to the bathroom. "What is your problem?" I asked as he cleaned off his dirty phone.

"It's that guys fault Joey is missing. And you should have told him enough is enough, not let him verbally abuse Joey. Do you think that's going to make him like you or trust you?"

"That's how Brooks teases people, he's mean about it."

"Then don't fucking bring Joey around him when you know he's sensitive like he is!" I frowned as Atticus turned to face away from me and put his face in his hands. His shoulders started to shake slightly which worried me even more than I already was.

"Atticus?" I had to step around him to make him look at me. And seeing him crying made my stomach turn and made me want to throw up. "Hey, come here." I pulled him over to me, kissing the side of his head as he hugged me and cried. "Can you talk to me?"

"I really like him, Acre. And I thought you liked him too but you were letting that guy upset him. You don't let someone hurt someone you like like that."

"I do like Joey, a lot. I was telling him to stop and I kept nudging his arm but he wouldn't listen." I feel sick. Did I mess everything up? I like Joey a lot and I don't want him feeling sad now.

"Then go find him and tell him that." Atticus sniffed, avoiding my eyes and refusing to look at me.

"Can I have a kiss before we go?" I knew it was a long shot with how upset he was right now. He probably wouldn't-

His lips crashed into mine hard. I knew it was an angry kiss, meant to make me feel bad for what I did. And it did, because I knew he was only kissing me so I knew that he still loved me even if he's mad.

"Why isn't he answering his phone?" Atticus asked after pulling away, calling Joey's number again and getting mad when he didn't pick up. "He always answers his phone!"

"I don't know, let's just go look again. He couldn't have gotten that far."

~*~Atticus's POV~*~