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Her hands still shaking, she ran frantically out of the house and down the narrow path.
“Hey, Lizzy, over here.”
Turning her head and staring into the forest, she saw him standing straight and tall, his hair just as it had been when they were young teenagers.
Her first love.
The first boy she’d kissed.
The first boy who had made her heart race.
“Danny! What the hell are you doing here?” she exclaimed, racing up to him and throwing her arms around his neck. “How did you find me? What happened to you? Why didn’t you write or call or something? I’m so happy to see you.”
But overcome with emotion, joyous tears sprang from her eyes and she could no longer speak.
“Lizzy… finally…” he murmured, holding her tightly and letting out a heavy breath. “You have no idea the fine line I’ve been walking.”
“I don’t understand any of this, but I don’t care,” she sniffled. “Come back to the house. I’ll make us coffee. You have to tell me everything.”
“I can’t go up to the house,” he said softly, breaking their hug. “At least, not yet, but I found a spot where we can sit and look at the ocean while we talk.”
“I just can’t believe this. My head is spinning. How did you know where to find me?”
“I’ll explain everything, I promise,” he said, taking her hand.
Leading her a short distance through the foliage, the vegetation abruptly broke open to a wide, flat plateau. The pristine ocean looked close enough to touch, and as squawking gulls flew overhead, for a moment she thought she was dreaming.
“Before I tell you anything we have to make the vow,” he said solemnly, breaking into the surreal moment.
“Oh, my gosh, is it that bad?” she whispered, staring at him with wide eyes.
“You’ll think so at first, and you need to sit down.”
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done.”
“You won’t understand, and I know how you can be,” he said firmly as they settled into the soft ground.
“I’m not fourteen anymore.”
He grinned, then poked out his little finger. “No, but you’re still my Dizzy Lizzy, and I know you haven’t have changed that much.”
“Okay, you’re right,” she admitted, looping her pinky around his and gazing into his warm green eyes. “My dearest Danny, I vow to listen to everything you say without jumping to any conclusions or making any judgments until you finish. I won’t interrupt, I’ll save my questions until you’re through, and no matter what, I won’t yell.”
“My dearest Lizzy, I vow to listen to everything you say without jumping to any conclusions or making any judgments until you finish. I won’t interrupt, I’ll save my questions until you’re through, and no matter what, I won’t yell.”
“Now please, please tell me everything,” she exclaimed, moving her finger away and taking hold of his hand. “Why didn’t you get in touch after you and your mother got away from that creep?”
“She was terrified the bastard would steal the mail from your mailbox, and find a way to get your phone. Which meant if I wrote to you, he’d find the note, or if I called or texted, he’d get my new number and trace us somehow. She was right to be afraid. He was capable of anything. She was even worried he’d go to your house and question you.”
“He did—he did come to our house,” Elizabeth exclaimed. “It was so scary. My parents even called the police, and she was right about my phone too. It was stolen.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. As much as I hated not being able to get in touch, I knew Mom was just being smart.”
“Thank God she never married him.”
“No shit,” Danny muttered, grimacing as he spoke.
“Where did you go?”
