double update#!! go read the part before this if u haven't so u dont end up super confused!!!!!  i do that shit all the time!!!! it sucks!!!!!!!1!!
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“Hey… Ryan?”

“Yeah, Bryce?”

“I miss Luke.”

“I do too, Bryce.”

The time is two-something in the morning. The four of them, after being dragged away from the incident at Brock’s apartment, had listened to Marcel's explanation.

Brock had a gang. Who would've known? Apparently, according to Marcel, it wasn't originally Brock’s gang. He just… took over? It was hard to explain, according to Marcel, which meant that he himself didn't know the full story.

It didn't make much sense to Ryan. Then again… none of this did.

“Hey, Ryan?” Bryce's voice pulls Ryan out of his thoughts. Ryan rolls over to face Bryce, the cheap motel bed creaking lightly under his weight. Bryce is laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, hair all messed up from tossing and turning for the past few hours.

“Yeah Bryce? What is it?”

Bryce begins to rub slightly at his chin, an odd habit of his that meant he was thinking hard about something. Ryan waits patiently for Bryce to speak.

“Do you… do you think this is worth it? Like… why are we doing this?”

Ryan frowns. He finds himself thinking about it for longer than he should, and this concerns him. He, after a moment or two, looks at Bryce in the eye and shrugs. “We're doing this because we wanted to figure out where one of our best friends went off to. One disappeared, the other followed, and I suppose we have our own reasons. And honestly? I'm not sure if it's worth it. It really depends on how you look at it.”

“... Ryan? What… what if Luke doesn't want to be found? It's pretty clear he's got into some bad stuff. Maybe he's trying to keep us safe, you know?” Bryce rolls over to face him with big concerned eyes and a nervous expression. Ryan has to resist the urge to pull him close and hold him all night long. This probably wasn't the time for that.

Ryan chuckles wearily, running a hand through his hair the best he can while laying down.

Bryce takes his silence as a cue to continue. “I mean, if he wanted us to find him he would've shown up by now, right? He's obviously around. I don't… we have to be missing something here,” Bryce whispers. “I don't understand.”

“I don't either,” Jon says suddenly, sitting up on his bed. “Are we having deep conversations? I wanna join!” He flops down in between Bryce and Ryan, making himself comfortable between them. “I miss Luke too, you know. Wanna find him and give him a big ol’ kiss, right on the lips. You know, Marcel hasn't met him. I bet they’d love each other.”

“Yeah,” Ryan agrees. “They would."

The next few minutes go by with nothing being said, just the sound of the air conditioner and Marcel snoring away in the corner.

It's no surprise that Bryce breaks the silence. He gives a small giggle that's void of any joy or happiness. “Can I tell you guys a secret?”

“Of course!” Jonathan smiles encouragingly, wrwrapping his arms around an extra pillow. Ryan says nothing, only nodding in agreement.

“They kicked me out,” Bryce whispers. “Mom and Dad kicked me out because they don't like me or any of my life decisions. And… and maybe this is my fault, you know? I feel like it is, at least,” he chokes out, voice cracking at the end.

Ryan sits up, looking down at Bryce who's crying silently. Without thinking Ryan reaches down and wipes his tears gently, smiling the best he can.

Jonathan latches onto Bryce tightly, arms and legs wrapped around his body. “We're gonna be fine,” he murmurs. “We're gonna find Luke, drag him out of this shithole he's in, and we're- we're gonna go home, okay? You can come live with me in my house, and Luke can get a new apartment! And we'll all be fine, we'll be absolutely fine.”

Bryce seems to be consoled by this. He looks at them both, eyes still glassy with tears, and sniffles quietly. “You promise?”

Ryan smiles. “We promise, Brycey. We're gonna be fine.”