Page 78 of Only Be Mine

It had come in four hours earlier.

Four hours.

The relief I’d been clinging to cracked.

“Soon,” I whispered, staring at the screen. “Soon when?”

I checked my phone again, scrolling through my call log even though I already knew what I’d find. Nothing.

My thumb drifted to voicemail. I had one new message.

I pressed play.

“Hey, Cate, it’s Sarah…”

My stomach dropped.

I ended the message before she could finish and turned away, scanning the kitchen like something might explain this if I looked hard enough. The whiteboard on the fridge was blank. No note. No scribbled “Back later.” Nothing.

“John?” I called again, sharper this time. “This isn’t funny.”

The house didn’t answer.

I dialed his number. It rang once. Twice. Then his voicemail picked up.

“Hey, you’ve reached John…”

I ended the call before the message finished, my hand shaking now.

This wasn’t like him.

John didn’t disappear. He didn’t leave without saying where he was going. He didn’t miss dinner without texting. He didn’t forget me.

I crouched down when I realized I was breathing too fast, pressing my forehead briefly to my knees like that might steady me.

“Baby,” I called.

Her nails clicked softly on the floor as she padded into the room, tail wagging, eyes bright and trusting.

“Have you seen him?” I asked, my voice breaking despite my effort.

She sat down in front of me, obedient and unconcerned.

I stroked her head, forcing a smile that didn’t hold. “Okay. That’s okay. We’ll find him.”

The words sounded rehearsed. Like something I’d practiced for a moment I never thought would actually come.

Outside, the rain hadn’t let up.

Inside, the house remained quiet.

And for the first time that night, I let myself think the thought I’d been avoiding since I walked through the door.

Something is wrong.

I started with Seth.

It felt logical. He and John had been inseparable for years. If anyone knew where he’d gone, it would be him.