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“We’ll explain everything,” my mom says as she looks to my dad.
Silence falls, and as much as I hate what I’m about to do, I’m going to do it.
“I have to go,” I say, and all eyes are on me. “I know you don’t understand what’s happened or where we’ve been. And as much as I want to stay, I have to go. But I swear to you that I’ll be back.”
“No,” my dad says, finally taking his eyes off my mom and looking at me. “You just walked in the door after five years of us thinking you were dead. You think I’m going to let you leave us again? We had a goddamn funeral, Vance!” he shouts, and I know he’s hurt and confused. But he has to understand. I have to make him understand.
I hug him close and feel some of the anger leave him. I kiss him on the cheek and then pull back to look at him. “I love you, Dad. But I’ve been away from my girl for five years, too.”
It takes him a second, but after a moment something like understanding passes between us.
“All right. But I want you back here tonight.” He brings his hand up to my cheek. “I want everyone in this house tonight. Together.” He looks over my shoulder and to my mom. “I’m going to have a long talk with your mother.”
I nod in agreement and then walk over to Hunter. I give him another hug and then walk over and pat Autumn on the arm. She hasn’t said a word the whole time. She’s stood frozen like a statue with her mouth wide open. Hunter walks over and wraps his arms around her, and still she doesn’t move. It’s actually kind of funny.
Before I go, I approach my mom and give her a kiss on the cheek. She gives me a soft, sad look and I nod. There’s a lot we’ve shared over the past five years that we now have to explain to everyone. I don’t want to leave her with this, but she knows I need to go find Holly. She’s the one who told me to take her home, to give everyone a hug, and then go find her. I needed to make sure Mom got home safe before I went in search, and I hope that I can do it and still make it home tonight.
I walk out of the front door and head to the garage. I smile with relief when at the end of the long row of cars I see my old Jeep. The keys are still hanging up where I left them and I snag them off the hook and get in. I used to leave this here for my dad in the winter time in case the roads got bad. When I put the key in the ignition I smile. He’s kept it up for me while I was gone. Maybe he did truly know we’d be back some day.
Now comes the hard part. It’s been five years since I laid eyes on Holly, and she’s all I’ve thought about since I left. I just pray that when I find her, she’s still mine.
Chapter 3
Holly
When I wake up, I’m so cold. I can see through the windshield that my car is covered in snow. Panic rises in my chest as I unbuckle my seatbelt and go to open my door. I breathe a sigh of relief when it opens, thankful that I’m not somehow wedged in.
I should have listened to Paul. I shouldn’t have gone out in this storm like I did. I’m running through all the ways I screwed up and getting down on myself, but it’s not helpful. I square my shoulders and try to think of my next move.
Icy wind pushes my door closed, and the bitter cold seeps into my chest. I’m shivering and I need to figure out something fast. I won’t last long out here in the cold.
Looking behind me, I see my car loaded down with all my stuff. I don’t want to leave it here, and I’m not sure I can make it walking back to the last gas station I saw. I’m not too far from town, but out here are rural roads that don’t get traveled much. Especially in this weather. It’s dark out and it wouldn’t be safe.
I dig around in my car for what feels like forever and finally find my phone. I guess it shot out of my cup holder and under my seat when I went off in the ditch. The screen is busted, but it still comes to life. My excitement is short lived when I realize there’s no signal.
“Damn it.” I press my forehead to the steering wheel and close my eyes.
I can’t get my car out of this ditch. I can’t go walk for help in a freezing snowstorm. I can’t call for help because of my stupid phone. What the hell can I do?
