LOGIN“Any word on her yet?” I questioned. Sheriff Lucas shook his head, his hands already hooked on his sides made it impossible for my anxiety to calm down.“None for now but I'm sure before the end of this evening, we'll find something, I already have my men on the ground, OSHEA health care and searching for her. She's bound to turn up somewhere, sooner or later.”That wasn't good news, the look on Lucas’ face shattered the bit of hope I gathered before.“This is not good.” My hand ran through my hair, the other hooked on my side, a sigh heaved in my chest. “I need to find her.”“We’ll find her.” Sheriff Lucas assured me with a light pat to my back, “What worries me more is that you might get high blood pressure before we find her.”When I turned around, I found him smirking, he was mocking me.I smacked his hand. “You think this is funny.”“I don't.” The lines on the side of his mouth deepened. “I just find how you look rather funny.”“Go away.” I smiled. “I miss her a lot. I want her f
“You have got to be kidding me!”The signal bar dwindled. My frustration doubled. “Damn it!” I cursed while my fingers folded into a fist as I slammed them into a table. My tables rattled but not long enough to make the whole house shake.The room was quiet when I recoiled, Ben wasn't home. He talked about going to the grocery store to get something. He asked if I wanted to tag along and I said no. Not when my fingers were barely still.The moment his truck drove out of the driveway and I watched it disappear into the distance, I felt myself breathing again.“He's finally gone.” I whispered to myself like I was trying assure myself to be comfortable now that he was gone.It didn't work.The tension in my shoulder still made my body stiff with worry. Memories of what I heard from the other day played repeatedly in my mind, my heartbeat thudded faster than usual, I felt lightheaded.“I need to sit down.” I exhaled and found myself a sofa to lean on.When my back touched the sofa and my
“Officer Lucas, I'm sorry I had to involve you but it's past 24 hours now, this case can now be handled as a missing person.”Lucas arched his brow at me. He stopped just in time to give me a suspicious look and then he asked, “Isn't this the same girl you broke up with?”“i did but that doesn't mean I want her to go missing, I still care about her, I really do, I'm just in a place to–”Words failed me, either that or explaining myself to him felt like much word, “You know what, why don't we think of using this time more efficiently? Maybe like, I don't know, searching for the person in question.”One corner of his lips tightened, “Seems like this love has got you screwed on tight.” He teased. “Stop it.”“Anyway,’ he turned to his men who had just arrived in another vehicle for the police. They had on brown uniforms with batches too. They rounded the bumper of the car and came to where we were standing before they saluted him, I whispered a little yellow with a slight wave.“What see
“You did your part and got her to be with me… I did my part and covered up the murder while I pinned it on him…”The words replayed in my head like a broken record.Over and over again.Louder each time.I stood frozen by the door, my fingers barely grazing the wood, my breath caught somewhere between my chest and my throat. I didn’t even realize I had stopped breathing until my lungs burned.What did he mean?What exactly did he mean?My brows furrowed as I slowly stepped back, careful not to make a sound. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it from inside the room.Murder.Pinned it on him.Who was him?Ethan?No… no, that didn’t make sense. Or did it?My head spun.I forced myself to move, to act normal, to not look like I had just overheard something that could change everything. By the time Ben stepped out of the room, I was already seated back on the couch, legs crossed, my empty plate beside me.I looked up at him and smiled.“Everything okay?” I asked casually.
No news from her.“Anything?” I looked over at Nora again. Nora shook her head slightly. “I doubt there's something we can find if we don't go to the hospital.”I sighed. A long and deep sigh. I promised myself I wouldn't go looking for her but how was I supposed to do that if I was so damn worried about her.“Alright.” I slapped my knees and jumped to my feet. “I'm going.”“Going where?” She got up beside me. “You're the one who said you needed to stay away from her and now you want to go over there? You know that's stupid, don't you? You're not supposed to be around her, Ethan.”I ignored her and went to the rack where I hung my jackets. I took the leather one, when my fingers slipped in, I turned to Nora. “ I need you to look after my daughter for me while I head over there.”“Ethan, you're not supposed to go there.”I didn't care. I could care less when it came to her. I ignored Nora again, “I'll see you when I get back.”Without hesistation, I snatched the car keys off the table
Things were going to be different from now. Clearer. Better. All my life I wanted to start my own family since I lost both my parents in that accident and now I could finally do that.All I had to do was fake happiness.Look excited for the wedding and lie to Ben each and every single day that I loved him so much and I was never ever going to stop loving him.Easy peasy, right?Wrong!“Honey, dinner is ready.” He yelled from the kitchen. I snapped out quickly from my thoughts and gently turned in his direction. “I'm here. What are you making?”“You said you liked mac and cheese, I'm not really sure how it's made but I'm willing to try so I looked it up and tried to cook it for you.” he answered as he walked into the living room with a baking pan in his hand.He had little mittin on and an apron that said ‘I love my wife.’ like he had planned to wear it even before he saw me.Either that or he wore it for someone else. I didn't care, the jealousy didn't set in. He could wear it all
The cabin’s air was slow at night but woke slowly as though it was too reluctant to disturb whatever fragile calm hSnow rested thick along the windowsills and the world beyond the glass locked untouched. Quiet underneath that beautiful morning sky. For a few suspenders moments after I had opened
I did not see her leave the cabin.One moment she had been standing at the kitchen counter, steady in a way that impressed me even when I knew she was shaken, and then the next, she was gone.It was the silence that alerted me.Mia did not leave noisily. She did not slam doors or yell with frustrat
That night, the cabin felt like hell. The warmth from the full house was perfect but yet, the walls felt foreign and nothing like the house I yearned to spend the rest of my life in.Bradley's words had not left with him when the door shut. They lingered in the corner of the rooms in the wooden tab
“And nothing of it would concern me…”That was what I told myself as Ethan's voice lowered and settled into my memory. That this was his history, his guikt. His unfinished business, I was only standing near it because I lhad feelings for him, not because it was mine to bear.Ethan did not look up a







