Page 104 of Only Be Mine

“Yes,” I said. “We argued.”

“About?”

I swallowed. I hadn’t spoken this out loud in years.

“About the wedding,” I said. “About… About us.”

“Was he upset when he left?”

“He was quiet,” I said. “Which was worse.”

Detective Marshall nodded, scribbling notes. His pen scratched loudly in the silence.

“Did he take anything with him?”

“No,” I said quickly. “Just his jacket. His phone. His wallet.”

Seth shifted beside me.

“Did he ever come back?” the detective asked.

“No.”

“Did he contact you after that night?”

“No.”

“Anyone else?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

Each answer felt like another nail.

The detective flipped a page. “Were there any signs he intended to leave? Financial stress? Mental health concerns? Substance use?”

“No,” I said sharply. “He wasn’t like that.”

“What was he like?” he asked calmly.

I opened my mouth, and stopped.

Because how did you explain someone who disappeared without making them sound like they were already halfway gone?

“He was steady,” I said finally. “Thoughtful. He planned things. He loved me.”

The detective didn’t react.

He turned slightly toward Seth. “Mr. Peterson. You were with John that night?”

Seth stiffened. “Earlier. Not right before.”

“Did you argue with him?”

The air shifted and Seth’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”

My heart skipped. “You never told me that.”

His eyes flicked to me, his guilt sharp and immediate, then back to the table.