- Thursday, October 26th -

Oliver kept silent after telling me to stop messing around. Not to say I mess around, but I get it. He means I should be straight forward to Finnley and it's probably the first time I completely agree with him.

I already decided to ask him to be my boyfriend, no matter how afraid I am for Finnley to turn me down. But then he had to go and stay away from home for over 24 hours. Jason is by now freaking out, Liam and he even went on their own search because they both aren't completely sure Finnley will be safe for Jeff's retaliation when he's outside on his own.

They said they'd check out a couple of places he might be at. That made me realize, if it wasn't for Oliver taking me to a certain "friend", or Jason and Liam checking out a couple of places, I would have had no freaking clue on where to look for Finnley.

I have no idea what places he'd go to.

I still don't know Finnley as well as I thought I did before he went missing. He's still a mystery to me. But that's what makes Finnley... well, Finnley.

We walked for about 15 minutes before Oliver rang a doorbell in an old looking apartment building.

I watch through the floor to ceiling high window next to an entrance door, while Oliver stands in front of a wall with dozens of nametags with buttons to ring the doorbell next to them. The whole building is pretty much ready to come down whenever someone sneezes or coughs a little too loudly. Cracks are all over the walls, the floor is covered in dust, except for a small pathway towards the elevators and the stairs.

"This is where you think Finn is?" Nathan looks inside shortly with a look full of disgust. "It's a dump!"

"Hey!" Oliver chuckles. "Not everybody has fancy rich parents buying them an apartment, okay?" His grin still tells me he's amused by our shocked expressions.

"You know someone who lives here? For real? Where did you meet?"

"Long story..." Oliver mutters, his demeanour changing, his eyes empty and a sad smile on his face. Something about this place reminds him of a bad event in his past.

I'm curious, sue me. I'm intrigued by the fact big scary jerky Oliver seems sad and defeated right now. No joking, no insulting, no cold looks. I'd like to know what the story is behind his changed attitude.

He rings the bell again when there isn't an answer coming.

"At least the entrance door is locked..." I mutter. "Or maybe the lock is broken and we can go in anyway?" I push against the door, half and half believing it might actually be broken, since this whole building seems broken. It doesn't give way to my disappointment.

"Hello?" A cracking voice sounds very faintly through a speaker.

"Hey, it's Oliver. Can I come up?"

There's some cracking noises, before a buzzer sounds behind me. The door instantly gives way when Oliver pushes it to open it. He walks towards the stairs, starting to climb them, while I look towards the elevator longingly. I might be a jock, but I hate climbing stairs.

"Don't even think I will go in an elevator in a building like this." Nathan mumbles when he passes me to follow Oliver up the stairs. We have to climb all the way up to the eleventh floor, where Oliver heads towards the outside gallery that leads to a dozen and more doors. I shiver when the wind hits me in the face and I take in the awesome view over the city. Maybe the building is ugly and dirty and better of when they take it down, the view is beautiful from up here.

Oliver stops almost halfway down the long row of doors, pushing open a door that has been left slightly ajar.

"Adam?" Oliver calls out.

"Hey!" A guy appears in the door opening that probably leads towards the living room. He's got dirty blonde hair, is a little taller than I am but not as tall as Nathan is. He's well-build, wearing a worn off sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt. His hair is messy and overall, he looks like he just got out of bed. "Come in." His blue eyes take both me and Nathan in, looking us up and down suspiciously, but in the same time he's gesturing for us to follow Oliver. "Can I get you guys a drink?"

"Depends." Oliver looks around the living room as if he's searching for something; probably Finnley, but it's obvious he isn't in here. "We're looking for Pretty boy and I thought you could help us." Oliver is now taking in Adam's appearance with a distrusting air around him.

Adam's face flushes a bit, not much, but enough for the three of us to notice.

"Is he still here?"

Adam shakes his head. "He left this morning."

"But he slept here?" I frown, taking another look at Adam. He seems to be a little older than I am, he is handsome in his own way, but I don't find him all that attractive.

"Eh, well..." Adam smiles slyly, pulling up a suggestive brow. "I wouldn't say he slept a lot..." He laughs when my eyes widen and I feel my face heat up.

"I warned you, Adam." Oliver grumbles, stepping closer to Adam. "I told you to stop using him."

"Hey, he came to me, okay?" Adam's attitude becoming a bit hostile. "He's old enough to make his own decisions."

"Do you know where he went?" Nathan cuts their argument short. "We want to make sure he's okay."

"He wasn't doing too well, if you ask me." Adam lets himself fall on the couch nonchalantly. "I suspected him of taking something before he got here, he was all weird..." Adam looks up at Oliver. "You know how he gets whenever he drinks too much... He came here in the middle of the night, telling me he needed a place to sleep and he'd pay for it. We worked out a way..." Adam shrugged. "When I woke up, he was gone."

"Did he say anything?" Oliver demands an answer by using a stern tone-of-voice. "He gets talkative when he's drunk, what did he say?"

"Eeh..." Adam seems to think deeply, before shrugging. "Said he was done with everything. He was done with feeling shitty, feeling lonely, unloved. The usual actually."

"Why didn't you call me?" Oliver grumbles, his hands bawled up to fists. "I told you to call me when he acts like that."

"And I told you before, you can't help him. He's fucked up, you're not the one he loves. The guy he loves apparently realized who pretty boy really is, you know. Didn't want to sleep with him."

I feel nauseous and I really start to hate myself for not fighting to stay with him last night, to explain.

Both Oliver and Nathan look at me, Adam following suit with a frown on his face.

"Meet Cristian." Oliver waves his hand in my direction. "And he loves Finn to death, he'd do anything for him."

"That's not what pretty boy said last night." Adam laughs out loudly, like any of this is funny at all.

"Adam, shut up," Oliver snaps at him. "This is serious. You know he's been contemplating a new attempt."

"Ol, you're my lil' bro, and I love you, but I've told you before you shouldn't get involved with Finn, because he won't be able to replace Maxie and you will end up even worse when Finn really gives up."

Little bro? Maxie? Replace? What?

"Hold up." Nathan looks back and forth between Adam and Oliver. "Lil' bro?"

"Oh, Oliver didn't tell you who I was?" Adam smirks. "I'm his brother. But I guess Oliver is still ashamed of me."

"It wasn't important," Oliver mumbles in annoyance. "And you're not my brother."

"Oh, I am." Adam laughs again. "We have the same father. Only did the dickhead refuse to acknowledge me as his son because I wasn't as perfect as little Oliver over here."

"It's none of their business, Adam!" Oliver hisses. "We're here to find Finn."

"Who's Maxie?" I ask, using the fact Adam seems all too eager to share details about Oliver and I am really confused right now.

"Oli, Oli, Oli." Adam laughs again. "Have you told your friends anything about yourself?"

"They're not my friends..." Oliver looks at me with disgust, a look I nearly started to miss for the past half an hour.

"Maxie is Oliver's ex." Adam smirks, ducking away when Oliver tries to punch him, by the looks of it pretty hard too. "Killed himself years ago..."

"Shut up, Adam!" Oliver shouts, losing his cool really quick now.

"Why?" Adam snaps back, no trace of a smile left on his face. "Because they can't know you try to save Finn just to feel better about yourself?"

Okay, at first, I thought it would be a good idea to get answers about Oliver out of Adam, but now, looking at Oliver, I think Adam might not even answer my questions in all honesty. I can tell they don't really like each other anyway and Oliver seems really sad and hurt right now. "Okay, stop it," I groan, pinching my nose and closing my eyes. "Do you, or do you not know where Finn went?"

"No idea." Adam shrugs, leaning back in the couch again.

I turn around in frustration, scanning the room to maybe find a clue, when my eyes find something disturbing in plain vision.

"Nate..." I mutter, pulling the sleeve of his hoodie, pointing towards the bar that separates the small living room from the kitchen.

"What?" Nathan follows my look and pointing finger, before his face pales. "Is that...?"

I walk over towards the bar, picking up the small necklace holding Finnley's panic button. "He left without his panic button..." I stare at Oliver. "If Jeff gets to him, he can't warn the police..."

Oliver looks sick to his stomach, staring at the device I'm holding up in front of me with fear in his eyes.

Adam frowns, staring at it. "Is that what that is? I found it in the bedroom and I didn't know what it was."

"It belongs to Finn." I mutter, putting it in my pocket. "We have to find him. We have to warn the cops."

Oliver slowly nods, seemingly deep in thought. "You said he was drunk when he got here?" He turns around to face Adam again.

"Yeah, and he stole my Jack's when he left," Adam mutters annoyed. "If you find him, tell him he owes me money. He's not a charity case I donate alcohol to."

"He took your Jacks?" Oliver seems like he just got an idea.

"Yeah... bloody thieve..."

"Here." Oliver retrieves some cash from his pocket, throwing twenty bucks in Adam's direction. "And next time, call me."

"Whatever." Adam seems happy with the money, putting it in his pocket with a content smile. "Now, can I go back to sleep? I was sleeping."

"Yeah, do whatever you want." Oliver is already making his way out of the door, Nathan and I quickly follow.

"Now what? Call the cops?"

"I think I know where he went already. If he's not there, we're calling the cops." He turns towards Nathan and me, halfway down the stairs. "Did you perhaps come to Todd's by car?"

* * * * *

"Wait. I know this place..." I sit up straight, as soon as we pass an all too familiar dinner. Oliver made us drive for over half an hour, to the city Finnley and I were taken when we had been abducted. It dawns me that Oliver is sending us towards the apartment that had been our home for a short time, because we just passed Shakespeare's, the dinner Liam took me to the night Stan came to get us.

"Yeah." Oliver turns around in his seat to look at me.

"What?" Nathan seems confused, but he's only been here once, at night, probably not paying attention to his surroundings.

"You think he's in the apartment?"

"It's been vacant ever since." Oliver looks at me with worry. "It wouldn't be the first time I find Finn here, along with alcohol, ready to finish his life..."

"I thought you found him in an alley..." Then it dawns me what he's telling me. "No, Finn wouldn't do that, would he?"

"I don't know..." Oliver coughs awkwardly. "I really don't know, because lately he has been acting weird, stressed, restless. He wasn't talking that much anymore. He started to block me out of his life more and more. So, I really don't know."

"Left, right?" Nathan looks at Oliver when the road ended, splitting in two directions.

"Left." Oliver and I tell him in unison. I might not have been here for a long time, I will never forget the night Liam took me out for food. I tried to take in as much details as possible just in case I ever needed to know the way.

"And park down there." Oliver points towards an alley, when it dawns me in what alley he found Finnley the night he overdosed on meds and alcohol.

"Why did he go here?"

"Because he said this is where things started to go wrong between the two of you. This is where you first had a real fight..." Oliver sighs deeply. "He said he thought it was the perfect place to end it all."

I swallow away a lump forming in my throat, scared of what we're going to find here. If Finnley left Adam in the morning, there's at least 12 hours passed since then. What if Oliver is right and Finn went here to commit suicide? What if we're too late?

I hurry out of the car and walk towards the apartment, Oliver right behind me, Nathan catching up with us after he locked the car.

The building looks even worse and there's no lights on, but the apartment only had windows on the other side. The ones on this side belonged to an empty apartment on the same floor.

I push open the door to the small hallway with the flight of stairs that hold bad memories. This building is in an even worse state than the one Adam lives in. The wooden door to the ground level apartment is rotting away in its place, there's a leakage that causes a large stain covered in mould on the wall to my right. It smells really bad in here.

But I ignore all of it, because there's only one thing on my mind, and that's to find Finnley as soon as possible.

I start shaking slightly while I climb up the flight of stairs as fast as I can, ignoring the fact that the floorboards on the first-floor creak badly, as if they're about to give in. I am a little out of breath once I'm upstairs, mostly because only then I noticed I was holding my breath while going upstairs.

The door to the apartment seems worse than ever, the lock broken, but still pulled close. The wood is chipped in a lot of places, there's a crack running from the top halfway down, straight through the middle.

I push the door open, forgetting about the fact it would always swing right against the wall with a loud bang. "Finn!?" I call out, right before the banging of the door hitting the wall makes me jump.

"Calm down." Oliver tells me, pointing towards the living room. It's dark inside, freaking me out even worse. The lights, off course, don't work. It's freezing cold inside and it reminds me of the cold nights I spend in here.

I follow Oliver into the living room, stopping when my eyes find Finnley, seated on the windowsill, staring outside, holding the bottle of Jacks in one hand, a cigarette in the other.

I instantly let go of a relieved breath because the bottle is still half full.

Finnley is obviously alive and... not that well.

But he's alive and that's all that matters right now.