If I Was Your Boyfriend

Justin's Point of View

I numbly watch as Chrissy comes downstairs completely redressed. Her snuggly fit skirt and top had been replaced with a pair of shorts and one of my big shirts and a pair of sneakers. Her hair was up in a ponytail and out of her face. This was all my fault. I was the one who suggested that was go back to the party before checking in on Rocky. Chrissy was the one who wanted to make sure he was alright. Outside of the party I jumped the gun and called the police on Jeff, when it wasn't him. 2 for 2 Justin. Chrissy's going to be devastated when she hears this.

‘Justin.’ She snaps a finger in front of me, ‘maybe he got out some kind of way. We need to go look for him.’

‘He's never got out before Chris.’ I hear myself say quietly.

‘I know but it may be a possibility. Please Justin help me look.’

‘Baby.’ I grab a hold of her hand and look down at her.

Her eyes were watering already. I could see that she was searching my face in confusion.

‘Justin what is it? You're scaring me.’

‘Listen, go into the room and grab Rocky's tracking ID and I'll explain in the car, okay?’

‘Okay?’ She wipes her eyes and disappears back up the stairs.

I take the paper into my hand and shove it down into my pocket grabbing the keys to the Fisker. Just as I close my palm the front door opens. Ryan and Nichole come in the doorway not knowing what was going on around them.

‘Got a lot of your gifts in the trunk.’ Ryan says sitting down on the sofa. ‘So tired.’

‘Meet me at Fredo's place.’ I hurry to the kitchen to make sure the door was locked.

‘When?’

‘Tonight, now. We're not sleeping here tonight.’

I didn't know if this creep was coming back or what they'll do when they do decide to come back so it was best no one was here. I needed to get the alarm system company out here first thing in the morning. How did this guy manage to disarm the system and walk around freely taking my dog? This is why I should've listened to my mom and had security cameras installed. I never got around to it.

‘Got it.’ Chrissy hurries back down the stairs with a piece of paper in her hand.

‘What's going on?’ Ryan questions looking from me to Chrissy.

‘Rocky ran away.’ Chrissy blurts before I had the opportunity to open my mouth.

‘Oh no. We'll help you guys look.’ Nichole offers and stands up with Ryan.

‘No. Just meet me at Fredo's, leave right now. I'll explain everything later.’ I take Chrissy's hand and head out into the garage sliding down into the car.

‘Why are we meeting at Alfredo's?’ Chrissy stares at me in the car as it roars to life.

‘Put your seatbelt on.’ I buy myself some time and ease out of the driveway before peeling down the road.

‘Justin.’ Chrissy's voice is laced with confusion and curiosity. ‘Tell me what's going on.’

‘He took Rocky.’ I weave in and out of the lanes causing some cars to honk at me. ‘It wasn't Jeff.’

‘What?’

‘We got back to the apartment and I saw a note on the coffee tab-...’

‘No no no.’ Chrissy shakes her several times.

I could see it in her eyes she was on the verge of losing it. The stress behind her eyes was evident. I wanted to desperately to find this guy and put an end to this for her. She was tired, worried, scared, and everything in between.

‘Jeff is in jail because of an assumption I made.’

‘Well he's not really in jail. He was just brought in for questioning.’ I clarify, trying to mask the tension.

‘He was taken out in a police car.’ She mutters I don't know to me or to herself while she wipes her eyes again, ‘and Rocky.’

At the next red light I take the time to study her features. Her lip quivered horribly and her eyes were filled with tears.

‘What if something happens to him?’

‘We're going to the police station now. They're toing to find him and the psycho that's screwing you.’

‘The police only make things worse. This is why he took Rocky.’ She says looking at the piece of paper in her hands.

Thank God we decided to have that microchip installed in Rocky once we got him from the animal shelter. I'll we have to do is type in his code and we'll know exactly where he is and the police will know exactly where to go.

‘We're going work through this.’

I kill the engine outside of the police station and get out of the car. Chrissy follows me inside still staring at Rocky's ID number.

‘May I help you?’ The on duty cop behind the desk asks.

‘Can we speak to officer Carter or officer Holbrook.’

‘Officer Carter is out right now. I'll get Holbrook for you.’ He says before disappearing down the hallway.

‘Chrissy, I promise you this Rocky is going to be okay. I swear.’

‘Promise?’ She asks grabbing my hand tightly.

‘I promise.’ I confirm kissing her forehead.

I'm just hoping it's a promise that I'll be able to keep.

‘I was going to give you a call first thing in the morning.’ Officer Holbrook ushers us down into the hallway.

We were escorted into a back room and all sat down at the table.

‘Why were you going to call in the morning?’ Chrissy asks holding my hand underneath the table.

....

‘Hold on.’ I cut into the conversation, ‘Jeff had all of those pictures of Chrissy because he had hired a private investigator to look after her?’

‘That would be correct. He wanted to watch anyone who was watching her.’

‘Why didn't he just tell me that?’

‘He didn't want to spook you out anymore than someone had already.’

‘Oh wow.’ I lean back into the seat squeezing the bridge of my nose, ‘so off.’

‘Yeah, we're letting him go within another half hour. What brought you two down?’

‘After we went finally made it back to the apartment we realized that our dog, Rocky was gone. I found this note on the coffee table and that's when I realized it wasn't Jeff because he's been here for a while now.’

‘This person's sick.’ Holbrook shakes his head holding the piece of paper in his hands.

‘We have his tracking number.’ Chrissy offers sliding the piece of paper on the hard wood table.

‘I'm going to get an officer to run this through. Be right back.’

‘What are you thinking?’ I ask in a hushed tone looking over at her.

‘I'm scared.’ She admits, ‘all the time. I don't know who to watch or what to think.’

‘Everything's going to be okay.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Because I'm going to protect you. With everything in me. No matter what it takes.’

The door opens up and this time Officer Carter walks in.

‘What's this about another note I'm hearing?’

So we sit there even longer and run Officer Carter through the story we just told Officer Holbrook.

‘We got a hit on the dog’s location.’ One of the officers sticks their head through the door.

‘Send it to the GPS in my car.’ He calls back before standing up, ‘excuse me.’

Chrissy stands up and pulls me along with her. We slip out of the door and out to the car.

‘Are we going to follow them?’ she requests getting into the car.

‘Of course we are.’ I start the car up once again and follow behind the two squad cars.

Chrissy’s Point of View

Justin slowly comes to a stop behind the police cars onto a dark road. In the corner stood a streetlight, which must’ve been broken since the light wasn’t on. The police rush out of their cars with flashlights in hand. I unbuckle the seatbelt and slid out of the car. Justin is a mere two feet away from me cautiously stepping forward. The air was cold and eerie. Along the road were abandoned buildings with graffiti stained across them. Windows were boarded up with pieces of wood and the door was slapped with a red note. The thought of Rocky being out here made my stomach turn uncomfortably.

‘This way.’ I overhear on of the cops lead the rest into the largest building.

I rush behind them with Justin right behind me. I ignore his protests to slow down and to wait until the police say its clear. The cop in the front of the pack kicks one of the doors, sending it down with ease. Rocky’s whine fills the empty room and I don’t wait any longer. I brush past the police officers causing them to shout words I wasn’t listening to. Justin calls my name but I keep going. Rocky was sat in the corner of the room with nothing more than a bowl of water and a dim lit lamp beside him. He excitedly tugs on his chain once I crouch down beside him. Justin was next to me within seconds. I unhook Rocky and scoop him into my arms.

‘Is anything wrong with him?’ Justin asks examining Rocky’s dark coat.

‘I don’t see anything.’ I reply eyeing him too.

The cops search the room with their flashlights while we walk back out of the building.

‘Go wait in the car with Rocky and I’ll be there in a second. I just want to talk to Officer Holbrook about the apartment.’ Justin says handing me the car key.

I do as I’m told and take Rocky to the car and get inside. Rocky sits on my lap watching Justin from the window.

‘What’s this boy?’ I ask aloud picking at the white cloth stuck in the metal of his collar.

Here’s the mutt. I like to give before I take.

I look at Justin who was talking to Holbrook just as he said. He nods a few times while rocking back and forth on his heels. He glances over at me with the smallest smile across his face. He mouths a quick “I love you” before directing his full attention back to Holbrook. The anonymous writer wasn’t specific about what they’d take but I think I had a pretty good idea of what they had in mind. I just hope I was wrong.