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“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Hana asks, nervously fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. “I don’t think we should ambush him like this.”
“It’s not an ambush, Lee,” Drake mutters. “We’re just stopping by to say hello.”
“To someone who doesn’t know we’re coming. That we haven’t talked to in over a year. Yeah, you’re right. That’s totally not an ambush.” Maxwell rolls his eyes as he hurries to keep up with Drake’s quick pace. The crowded New York sidewalk is difficult to navigate, and more than once Maxwell crashes into a stranger as he struggles to keep pace with Drake’s long-legged stride.
“Look.” Drake stops in front of a run-down bodega and gestures for Maxwell and Hana to come closer. “This is our last chance. Liam is going to marry Madeline in eight days. Eight. Fucking. Days. And we all know that if he goes through with it, it will be the worst mistake of his life. Seeing Callum again could be the thing that tips the scales and convinces Liam to call off the wedding.”
Maxwell can’t keep the skeptical look off his face and Drake scowls at him.
“What if Callum doesn’t want to see Liam again?” Hana frets. “This feels like we’re going to be manipulating him.”
“It feels that way because that’s exactly what Drake wants to do,” Maxwell replies, deadpan.
“I want to stop my best friend from making the biggest mistake of his life!” Drake snaps.
“And you want to use Callum to do it!”
“Please don’t fight.” Hana’s eyes worriedly flit between the two men.
Drake sighs scrubbing his hands over his face. “Look,” he sighs. “We all know that there was something between them. Something real. What’s the harm in putting them in the same room for five minutes so they can talk?”
“So much harm,” Hana answers.
“Literally all the harm,” Maxwell says.
“If you both think this is such a horrible idea, why did you come with me?” Drake throws his hands up, exasperated.
Maxwell steps closer and places his hands on Drake’s shoulders. “All we’re trying to say, is that if someone changes their phone number, moves out of their apartment, completely ghosts their job and old co-workers, and deletes all their social media… maybe they don’t want to be found. And that showing up out of the blue to talk to this alleged person might cause said alleged person to freak out.”
“We’re just worried,” Hana says softly. “About you and Callum.”
“Also, how did you even find him?” Maxwell asks.
Drake flushes and stares down at his boots. “Just… research,” he mumbles.
“What kind of research?”
“Does it matter?” he tries to deflect.
“Drake…”
He wilts under Hana inquisitive stare. “I asked Bastien to find all clubs and bars Callum’s family owns.”
“Go on,” she encourages.
“Then I searched through their social media accounts and the accounts of any customers who mentioned them until I found someone who mentioned a bartender who’s description matched Callum’s. Then I narrowed my search to that particular bar’s Instagram page until I found him in the background of a few regular customers’ tagged pictures. I think he might be working there. Or at least visits there sometimes. Either way, someone will have to know who he is and where we can find him.”
Hana flounders, opening and closing her mouth, trying to find a response. Maxwell has no such compunctions.
“So you stalked him,” he says, frowning at Drake in disapproval.
Drake glares at him, the tips of his ears turning bright red. “No!”
“Callum doesn’t want to be found! The fact that you had to go so far to even get a hint at where he might be proves it! That’s literally the definition of stalking!”
Drake’s shoulders bunch up around his ears, and he muscles past Maxwell, charging down the sidewalk.
“This is so fucked,” Maxwell mutters, running his hands through his hair.
Hana rubs her hand between his shoulder blades in soothing circles. “I miss Callum too, but this feels… personal for Drake. More so than just trying to keep Liam from marrying Madeline.”
“Everything’s been so messed up since Callum left,” Maxwell sighs. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t convinced Callum to come to Cordonia none of this would have ever happened. Drake and Liam would still be getting along, Callum wouldn’t have had to give up his life -”
“No,” Hana sternly interrupts him. “None of this is your fault. None of it. And I don’t want to hear another word about it, do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says meekly, nodding.
“Good.” She links their arms together. “Now let’s catch up to Drake. I have a feeling he’s going to need our support tonight.”