“Oh! So, at one point, Ethan reached out to me from his phone and told me to stop calling Rae. He’d told me that she didn’t want to talk to me anymore, but he didn’t give a reason. I had my husband go by her old house on his way home. I was too scared to go by myself because something felt off, but we had the kids, so we couldn’t go together. Ethan was moving around inside, and my husband could see him through the window, but he didn’t answer the door. We had called the cops to do a wellness check on Rae...”
I gasped.
“I’m so sorry if that caused issues, Rae. I was so worried.”
I reassured her that nothing came of that. What I didn’t tell her is because he was afraid that if he did anything, the cops would find out since we were already on their radar because of her call. I remembered that day easily because it was one of the few good days I had.
“The cops called me back and said that Rae had come to the door with Ethan, and they both seemed fine. A few weeks ago, I called your work number, but they told me you hadn’t come in, so I called Ethan to check on you. Ethan said you ran away but then corrected himself and said you’d left him. It all felt off, until he said something right before he hung up.”
I had no idea what she was about to say, but my blood ran cold. My entire body was freezing despite the warmth the sun brought.
“Caleb, Ethan said that when he caught up to Rae, she won’t have anything to say to anyone because she’ll regret leaving him. When I asked what he meant, he said something about her missing time with him and making up for lost time. I called the non-emergency number and told them about what he’d said and mentioned the wellness check. The only problem is, he wasn’t at the house anytime they went by.”
“That was probably around the time he came out here,” Caleb said as we heard one of Cierra’s kids crying in the background.
“Oh gosh. I’m so sorry, you guys. I have to go, but I do want to talk again really soon. Is that okay? Also, Caleb, I really only know what I just told you, but if there’s anything I need to do, let me know. I don’t know everything, but I know he did something to make my best friend leave, and if you are asking as a cop and boyfriend, then it seems serious.”
Before the call ended, Caleb thanked her for the information, and I agreed to talk to her again, so she said she would text me.
I didn’t care about the crazy information Cierra gave us as much as I cared about kissing Caleb right now. I also didn’t care that the porch swing would move as I shifted until I was straddling his lap.
“Ranger, that was the sweetest thing you could have done. Thank you,” I said before kissing him deeply. My hands moved across his shoulders and up to the smooth skin on his head before pulling him even closer.
“Anything for you, Sunshine. Anything to see that smile on your face.”
The world around us seemed to fade away as Caleb wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight as he kissed me.
Somehow, Caleb always knew exactly what I needed.
Chapter 50
Rae
Another couple dayspassed without any sign of Ethan, and I was going stir crazy sitting in the house. Jenny and Luke had come by for dinner last night, and Cierra and I had texted and talked a couple of times, but other than that, we had been hanging out around the house and the barn. I loved being around Caleb, but I needed to be outside of the house—off the property. I knew Ethan had been escalating, but I made Caleb promise me that I could start work in a couple of days if we hadn’t heard from him. I made him a promise that I wouldn’t leave the department unless he was with me, and I also reminded him that he could look for Ethan while he was on duty. He agreed and called his sergeant and my boss to let them know our plan.
A part of me felt guilty for wanting that. I knew it was for my safety since Ethan had escalated, and everyone was on high alert. I knew what he had done, and if he ever got his chance again, I didn’t know what he would do as a punishment. However, I also wanted to not have to hide from him the rest of my life.
