Hired To Love

Chapter Fifty-Five

Henley

"Come on, answer..." I paced my living room, holding my cell phone to my ear. Why wasn't he answering my phone calls? We needed to figure out our plan! After a few more rings, I reached his voice mail again. Groaning, I pressed the end button multiple times.

What in the world was he doing? We didn't have time to mess around. It was already almost ten AM! Something told me Mrs. Calloway wasn't going to wait until we had a plan to start things on her end. The quicker we figured something out and got to them, the better. I couldn't even imagine how Bennett was feeling.

I tried calling Lee, who also didn't answer. Then Henry. Whose phone didn't even ring.

"Ugh!" I couldn't just wait around and do nothing. We had to start somewhere and soon. I marched to my brother's room knocking loudly a few times before letting myself in. "Brandon, get up, we're going to— Brandon?"

The room was empty. His bed laid untouched, still haphazardly made from the previous morning, my laptop resting on a pillow. Had he not even returned last night? I hadn't even noticed. I'd fallen asleep almost immediately after getting out of the bathtub. But, where was he? It wasn't a good time for him to disappear.

Frazzled, I headed back into the kitchen. No one was around. No one was answering me. I at least knew where Henry lived and Lee was most likely with him, so I could start there. I grabbed my keys and nearly ran out the door. On the way, I tried Sebastian a few more times, but to no avail.

I pounded on Henry's door when I arrived. "Henry! Lee! You two better be up and decent!" I shouted.

A few moments later the door cracked open and a bleary-eyed Henry poked his head out, his hair messy and sticking up everywhere. "Henley?"

"Is Lee here?"

"I'mhere," Lee answered, his head appearing above Henry's, although with his hair muchneater and looking more awake.

I pulled the door the rest of the way open and Henry stumbled out onto the steps, wearing only a pair of heart boxers. His face flushed red and under any other circumstance I would have said something, but with the situation at hand, I managed to keep it to myself. At least Lee was fully dressed.

"Aren't you guys the least bit concerned?" I demanded, rounding on them.

Lee glanced at Henry and smiled. "Not at all. I'm quite proud of my sexuality."

"Urgh, that's not what I meant! I mean Bennett!"

"Sebastian hasn't contacted you?"

"No! I've been calling him all morning!" I said, running my hands over my face. Henry inched closer to us and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you going to stand there in your boxers all day?"

Henry shook his head and dashed into an open door. Lee watched him and chuckled. "Give him a break, he just woke up. It's been a long night."

"Well, I'm glad you two had such a fun night. Meanwhile, I've been up all night worried about your brother. Who, unless you've forgotten, is going through a bit of a problem right now."

Lee let out a soft sigh, putting his hand on my shoulder and guiding me to a seat at Henry's kitchen table. I allowed it and sat stiffly, taking in my surroundings. Henry hadn't been lying when he said his apartment was small. The front door led into a small living area that connected to the kitchen and I figured his bedroom. Still, it wasn't bad for one person.