Race With a Heart
Chapter 201: Steve’s Disappearance

Chapter 201: Steve’s Disappearance

No no no! ’I love you. Forgive me’ sounded like goodbye. But why ...? For what reason...?

The first thing Martin did was find his phone. He called Steve immediately, but his phone was off.

God damn it! God damn it! God damn it!

There was no point in calling further. Steve won’t pick up a dead phone!

Martin, in chaos, began to dress.

Karl! Karl has been Steve’s friend for years. He was also the manager of the stables and of Steve. Maybe he knows something!

The boy immediately dialed his number. Walton wasn’t picking up, but his phone was within range, so maybe he was asleep. What time could it be now? Does not matter! Martin will not stop calling until he contacts ...

"Hello!" Karl answered and sounded not sleepy at all, rather displeased.

"Karl! Steve has disappeared...! "

"No, he has not disappeared," Walton announced calmly. Martin felt irritated. Karl did not seem to realize the gravity of the situation yet.

"He left me a farewell letter and ..."

"Calm down, Steve is alive and well. He just got on the plane."

"On board ... a plane?"

Martin picked up a farewell letter.

"I’m still at the airport," Walton announced. "Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything to you when I return to the hotel ..."

"But..."

"Martin, I’ll explain everything when I get back."

"Steve ... is he really okay?"

"Yes. Are you in his room? "

"Yes."

"I’ll be there in about half an hour."

Martin sat down heavily on the bed again, putting down his phone. He understood absolutely nothing. He looked at the letter Steve had left and tried to think rationally. For that he had to take a deep breath first.

Steve was weird when they made love today. He was wonderfully erotic, he set Martin on fire so much that the boy couldn’t think, but there was something strange about him. These are the words he used when they made love. Never before had Steve told him so insistently that he loved him. He had never asked him to keep Martin in his heart, no matter what ...

Even if what would happen?

Martin got up nervously and walked around Paxton’s room. Karl said, Steve got on the plane ...

The boy looked into the wardrobe and actually did not see his lover’s clothes in it. It looked like Steve had actually left.

Thank God! Martin was nervous, angry with Paxton, but so grateful that this short note was not a suicide note! Anyway, why would it be a suicide note? Steve, after all, has felt ...

Martin sat down again.

Steve wasn’t feeling well. He was nervous, irritable, and he slept badly. It wasn’t anything very disturbing, but he was clearly not feeling well. Then a message came from the doctor that Steve would not be allowed to drive for a while...

For how long?

Martin suddenly realized that he didn’t even know it. Steve told him it was going to be okay, that it was only a short delay, and Martin didn’t ask for details. What if this break from racing was going to be significantly longer? After all, racing was his whole life for Steve!

Yes, if this break was going to be longer, Paxton might have felt more depressed, but he didn’t indicate he was having suicidal thoughts.

Only a lot of people seem perfectly okay and then the family is shocked that someone took their own life. And Steve was not ok. After all, Martin knew perfectly well that the situation with Hannah deeply hurt his heart, which did not heal, when the mean Don started to tease him and some shit wanted to kill Paxton out of revenge... Steve did not have time to get a grip of himself after one blow when the second came and the note he left sounded so disturbing. ’I love you. Forgive me.’

What was Martin to forgive him? After all, Steve didn’t do anything wrong. What was he asking for forgiveness for?

The boy really didn’t understand what was happening, but the apology upset him greatly. Probably he didn’t even thought consciously when he got so scared that Steve might...

But Karl assured him that everything was fine.

No, it wasn’t okay, otherwise Paxton wouldn’t have left without a word, leaving only a brief note and wouldn’t have boarded the plane... Where to? Did Steve make his decision suddenly? Did he get an urgent message and needed to go home? Yes, it is possible. Martin was completely exhausted from their sex and his lover did not want to wake him up, so he left a note. Steve apologized for disappearing so suddenly without saying goodbye, but things were rushing ...

But then why did Paxton act so strange when they made love? Why did he want to be engraved in Martin forever?

No, it was too much! Martin couldn’t grasp what was happening with his mind. Steve left him an enigmatic note and disappeared, and Karl had yet to show up.

Walton certainly knows what’s going on with Steve. Just wait for him patiently.

Wait patiently!

Oh Steve, do you have any idea what you are doing with the heart of the man you say you love?

Martin tried to understand what was happening. He tried to think calmly, but was unable to. Steve assured him that he loved him, engraved the words on his body and then disappeared without a word, leaving this disturbing note. How Martin might not be dying of anxiety, even if Karl said Steve was okay. Because if Paxton disappeared so suddenly, it meant that either something sudden and bad had happened or he was planning it, and that fact was just as disturbing, or even more ...

Oh Steve, where are you? What happened to you? Why did you disappear so suddenly?

Waiting for Walton was a pain. All Martin could do during this time was to finish dressing and wait. When someone knocked on the door, Martin was there within one second.

"Mr. Walton, Steve ..."

"Let’s go in," announced the stable manager.

The boy politely admitted him, although he wanted to pounce on Karl and extract information from him by all possible means. He was so worried that he almost trembled. Oh, Steve!

"Mr. Walton, please ..." Martin groaned despairingly.

"Steve had to leave for a while."

"To leave? Where? Why?"

"Martin, you know Steve has health problems."

"I know," the boy paled. "Is this something more serious than Steve told me?" It is..."

"No, Martin, it’s not fatal, but it could end his career forever. His chances of getting back on track are slim, but they are. Larissa, my aunt who is a doctor, found a place for him in the best clinic in the world dealing with this problem. Steve should have been there yesterday, but he insisted on seeing you at the track. It was very important to him. That’s why he took a night flight today. Steve loves you very much, maybe too much, so he couldn’t look you in the eye and say that everything will be fine when he knows perfectly well that it may not be like that at all."

"So Steve ..."

"He went to the clinic to be examined. Perhaps undergo treatment."

Martin sat down heavily, so relieved that he felt tears in his eyes.

"This clinic is a good place, right?"

"The best in the world."

"So Steve went for hope, didn’t he?"

"Yes," admitted Karl Walton.

"But why...? Why didn’t he tell me anything? I want to be with him, I want to support him ...! "

"That’s why" the stable manager sat down next to him.

"I don’t understand," admitted the lost boy. "We love each other, we should be with each other in happiness and misfortune, in health and in sickness. Why Steve..."

Martin really didn’t understand. After all, if you love someone, you want to share everything with them. Besides, nothing gives strength to the struggle against adversity more than love and presence at the side of a loved one. So why did Steve leave without saying a word?