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My phone buzzed with a message. When I opened it, my legs went from under me, Frankie having to hold me up.
“Her bracelet. That’s Ivy’s bracelet. The one I had made for her,” I croaked out. “Did someone take her, hurt her?”
“Gray, Ethan. The bracelet was unfastened. Not ripped from her arm by force but undone and dropped to the floor. Her phone was placed carefully on the bench. As if she was making a choice. I’m so sorry, but I need to tell you that I have a team dredging the lake, looking for a body.”
A noise broke from my chest. Fear, heartbreak, disbelieve. My heart being ripped open at the thought of her in that water.
“She wouldn’t. She wouldn’t,” Ethan repeated over and over as he wrapped his arms around his body and started to rock back and forth. Tanner steered him to a chair and helped him sit down.
“I want to be wrong. I want to be so fucking wrong, but there is nothing. No sign of foul play, no sign of a struggle. She walked to that bench and then she vanished. Right now, I just need to rule out the lake. I’m so fucking sorry to put you both through this. My divers are already in the water, and I have a team searching the area in case we’ve missed something that gives us another explanation.”
“How long will it take?” Addi asked, her voice wobbling.
“Give me the day. I don’t want to rush this. I want to be able to give you answers, one way or another. I’ll call you soon.”
With that, the conversation ended. Looking across at Ethan, I shook my head. “Ethan, she wouldn’t.”
“Did I drive her to this? Did I do this?” He didn’t wait for a reply. He just stood, grabbing his keys and storming out of the house, but I knew exactly where he was going.
To the lake.
“Mav, go with him. I’ll meet you there. Just don’t leave him on his own.”
Chapter 31
Ethan
Therewasacrushingweight on my chest. I couldn’t believe the woman I’d loved for fifteen years had walked into a lake to end her life because we had a fight... because I’d made a decision without talking to her. Yes, a monumental decision that changed all of our lives forever, but she wouldn’t do that to me. She’d watched me with Gray and we both knew how much that hurt, so why would she do that to me again? She wouldn’t. I knew she wouldn’t, but Thomas’ words had planted a seed of doubt in me that was spreading, stealing my belief in my beautiful wife and how well I knew her.
I was about to pull the car out of the garage when Maverick popped open the passenger door and climbed in. “Room for one more?” he asked, concern in his eyes, but his warm smile fixed firmly on his lips.
I didn’t reply, putting the car into gear and driving to the lake I knew well. Ivy loved this place. She used to come and sit here on a Sunday morning with a coffee and a book, while I went for a run. She liked to come here to think, plan, or quiet her mind. Pulling up, the vision in front of me made it all far too real. There were people everywhere; men searching the grass and amongst the trees which surrounded the area, divers in the lake huddled around a small boat anchored in the center. The bright sun glistened on the surface of the water, and I couldn’t help thinking how much Ivy would love to see it looking so beautiful. I flung open the door and vomited violently at the thought of her choosing to sink under that water and not come back up.
Wiping my mouth, I sat up and stared out through the windscreen, watching what was happening, wondering if my heart would ever beat properly again.
She can’t be in there. Please, God, don’t let her be in there.
“Ethan, I know it’s hard, but you have to trust your gut. You have to listen to what it’s telling you and not get distracted by the noise around you or what’s going on out there. What’s your gut telling you right now?” I gripped the steering wheel tightly, as Mav continued to speak. “You know Ivy better than anyone. Do you really think she would have come here, taken off her bracelet, left her phone, and walked into a lake to let herself drown? Would she have given up on you both so easily? After everything you’ve all been through to be together… would she have done that?
“No,” I whispered, too scared to say it loudly. “No, she wouldn’t have. My princess would never have given up on what the three of us have. And not like this. Not in a way that would hurt Gray and me so much.”
“Right, then you hang on to that and you fight for her until she can fight for herself. Don’t let the fear drown you, Ethan. You’re stronger than that. I’ve seen it. You and Gray need to fight for her right now because there's no way your princess is at the bottom of that lake.”
And as if our conversation had drawn him to me, Gray opened the driver’s door of the car and bent down beside me, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“If you’re going to watch them search for her, Ethan, then we’ll watch together. You don’t have to do this on your own.”
I stepped out of the car, wrapping my hand in his, leaning my head on his shoulder with a sigh. “We’ll find her. We’ll find her and she’ll be okay,” I murmured, not sure who I was trying to reassure more.
“And there he is. I’ve missed you, husband. Let’s go find our girl because she isn’t out there. I promise, she didn’t give up on us, Ethan. I just know it.”
Ivy
Myeyesflutteredopen,and I groaned as the light burned. I tried to work out where I was. The floor was damp and cold, making me shiver, and there was a weird smell in the air. Pushing myself up slowly, my body screamed, feeling bruised and sore, but I couldn’t understand why. I tried to recall what had happened. I was furious with Ethan. I’d gone for a walk, but that was it. That was all I could remember.
I tried to shout out to see if anyone could hear me, but my mouth was too dry, and my throat hurt so much that I couldn’t speak. The only sound falling from my lips was a pathetic, raspy cry. I looked around the sparse concrete room and found a bottle of water and a stale tuna sandwich, suddenly feeling the hollow hunger in my stomach. I downed half the water and managed a few bites of the sandwich before bile rose in my throat and I vomited on the floor next to me.
When the sickness subsided, I started to pay attention to my body and why it hurt so much. My hip felt bruised, as did my jaw and my ribs. The nails on my right hand were covered in blood; one of my fingernails had been ripped off completely and hurt like hell. My clothes were filthy and soiled as if I’d been asleep for days. And I couldn’t find my phone. I tried not to cry out when I saw my bracelet and wedding ring were missing, glad that the tattoo on my wrist reminded me that they were simply things that could be replaced. They didn’t change how those two amazing men felt about me and how hard they’d be looking for me.
