Now we sat on the terrace of a charming ice cream shop, laughter and the hum of scooters drifting on the breeze. The air smelled of sugar and citrus, and behind the counter inside, metal spoons clinked rhythmically against glass.
Aria leaned across the small table, her eyes bright and twinkling like sapphires. She had Lily’s eyes.
“This is Dimitros’s and my favorite place,” she said. “Papa brings us here every Sunday during the summer.”
I smiled, picturing the three of them, sunlight spilling over their shoulders, hands sticky with melting ice cream, laughter easy and unguarded. The moments I’d missed, but it was a life I was beginning to step into.
“I wish they were here with us,” she added softly. “The whole family together.”
“Me too,” I breathed, the words catching deep in my chest. That word—family—felt so warm.
I reached for my bag, a spark of excitement lighting through me.
“They had some work to do this morning,” I said, glancing back up at her. “But I’m sure they’re done by now. Your papa got me a new phone after the accident, and we’re sharing our locations now.”
A smile tugged at my lips, growing into something conspiratorial.
“How about we surprise them?”
I didn’t have to ask twice. She jumped to her feet, and like two detectives, we followed the blinking dot on my app.
The map pulsed steadily, guiding us through streets that grew quieter with every turn. The hum of the city faded behind us, replaced by the low whisper of wind off the coast.
Buildings turned from homes into storage units and shuttered workshops. This side of town felt like it was where things happened without witnesses.
It took twenty minutes to reach the edge of town, where the land gave way to a stretch of warehouses overlooking the vast, darkening sea.
“We’re here,” I declared, looking at the phone. The dot showed him inside the building ahead of us.
I slowed as we approached the warehouse. It stood apart from the others, its metal siding slightly dulled. It was eerily quiet, aside from the distant crash of waves and seagulls.
We followed the parking lot where three cars sat, their surfaces shining under the sunlight.
My gaze swept over them.
“There,” I said, pointing to his car.
I moved toward the door, the hot pavement too loud under my feet. My hand hovered inches from the handle, pausing when I heard a faint grunt.
A chill crept up my spine, and I glanced over my shoulder.
Nothing.
I swallowed, forcing my eyes back to the door.
“Open the door,” Aria urged, bouncing from foot to foot. “Why are you waiting?”
I forced a smile, realizing my paranoia might have gotten the best of me. Likely a result of thinking about my father earlier.
I pushed the door open as a cry of pain traveled through the air and made me shiver.
Aria’s arms wrapped around my waist, her blue eyes widening.
“What was that?”
I swallowed, ready to turn around and drag her out of here. That stupid app must have dragged me to the wrong place.
Another cry sounded, and we both flinched.
