Page 11 of Shadowing You

And then a few hours after that…

I’m starting to worry. Anything I can do? Is it your mom?

Holly was kind and generous, and she deserved better.

Also, she deserved a face-to-face conversation. He’d given her texts a thumbs-up, then turned off his read receipts. Better to have her think he wasn’t getting her messages than know he was ignoring her.

In other words, it would be better for Holly not to know the truth. Yet.

If Ethan returned to Virginia now, he could have that face-to-face conversation with Holly. If Mei Lin was really alive, she would find a way to call him again. He could send her an airline ticket to…somewhere. Not the US—she still didn’t have a visa. But he could meet her wherever she said. They’d figure it out—assuming she was alive, and assuming she wanted him.

He should go home.

That would be the logical thing to do. That was what he should do.

But it wasn’t what he was going to do. He wasn’t returning to the States until he found his wife, or at least until he knew what had happened to her.

“I’m going to Changsha.”

“You don’t have a visa,” Gavin said.

Ethan was already navigating to a travel website. “I’ll buy a flight that leaves in ten days.” He’d done the research on the plane and knew how to get access to the mainland. “I can apply for a transit visa. Technically, I’m just passing through.”

“Technically.”

“There’s no law against searching for your wife.”

Gavin exhaled a long breath on the other end of the line. It wasn’t agreement, but he probably realized arguing would only waste their time.

Ethan booked a flight for Bangkok, then scanned the signs in the terminal.

“Do you know how big Changsha is?” Gavin asked.

“I’m guessing big.”

“There’re over ten million people there. Ten million. You’ll be going in with zero information.”

“I’ve had zero information for six years!” He hadn’t meant to yell, but this conversation was pointless. He grabbed his suitcase and followed the signs to immigration.

“Ethan.”

He took a breath. “I’m still here.”

“Don’t get arrested. If they take you, there’s only so much I can do.”

“I’m not planning to break any laws. I’m looking for a missing person.”

“If she’s missing.”

“Listen.” He kept his voice level despite his frustration. “If she’s running, it’s not from me.” He wished he were as confident as he sounded.

“I’ll see what else I can find out.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Be safe.”

After Gavin ended the call, Ethan lengthened his stride to get past slower passengers in the crowd. He’d lingered long enough.