The nagging feeling that I’ve completely forgotten about something nibbles at my thoughts, leaving an edge of jitters against the soft exhaustion of my mind. I close my eyes and blink hard, adjusting the sun visor again as I try to keep the bright light out of my face.
I’ll be home soon, and that’s all that matters.
The thought of Alisha rushes over me like a cool, refreshing cloud. Instantly, my body feels rejuvenated, and my mind clears. I can’t wait to get home to her, just to hold her in my arms and feel her close to me.
When I had to leave her, I became such a fucking jerk. I snapped at everyone, all the time, especially my buddies. I felt like there was no joy left in the world. Now I know, so long as she’s in my life, everything will be okay.
The town limits come into view, and my heart soars. I truly can’t remember a time in my life when I was this happy.
There is still so much to tell her. I haven’t been honest, and I feel like absolute shit for it, but I’ll make it up to her, and she’ll understand why I had to do things this way.
It doesn’t take long to drive through Eccles out to the cottage, and by the time I reach the house, my exhaustion has almost vanished. I can’t wait to see her bright, violet eyes and the way she smiles when she says my name.
“Alisha!” I call, opening the door. My heart beats harder in my chest as excitement rises in me, making me feel like I’m perched right on the edge of a massive cliff.
I wait to hear her footsteps, but I hear nothing, not even the faint sounds of someone moving around elsewhere in the house. Tilting my nose up, I search for her scent, but the sweet-edged aroma is hanging in the air everywhere I go—it’s impossible to tell if she’s actually here or not.
But where would she go?
The idea fills me with panic. First, I run to the kitchen, spinning around to check every corner and not believing my own eyes when I don’t see her. I take off down the opposite hall and head for the stairs, charging towards the bathroom.
She’s here. She’s just soaking in the bath or something, and didn’t hear me call.
I knock softly on the bathroom door, opening it just a crack. I’m so sure that she’s in there that for a moment, I don’t realize the tub is actually empty.
I blink at the deserted bathroom for a few seconds before I run back down the hall to check the bedroom. When I see that it’s empty, too, I return to the living room where her scent is the strongest.
Alisha and Scarlett. And they were both here not long ago.
I tilt my nose up and take very slow breaths, examining the air. There isn’t the slightest trace of blood or any sign of violence in the house. It’s exactly as I left it this morning.
There are two bags of clothes on the floor with Scarlett’s scent on them. I rummage through the bags, but I don’t find any clue about where they might have gone. Relieved to have even this one clue, I pull out my phone and call Scarlett.
“Hey, Brad,” she answers. “What’s up?”
“Is Alisha with you?”
“No, sorry. She’s not at home?”
“No. I found the clothes, and I thought maybe you two went somewhere.”
“She wasn’t really feeling well. I don’t think she would have gone out anywhere.”
“What do you mean? Was she sick?”
“I don’t know, Brad. She says she was just run down. I don’t know what to tell you, but I left her on the couch with a blanket and a plate of cookies.”
“How long since you were here?”
“I don’t know…a few hours, maybe. I drove home and went straight to get Jarrod from school.”
Fuck!
“So, you have absolutely no idea where she’s gone?”
“No, none,” Scarlett answers. “Although…”
“What?” I snap. “Tell me!”
