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It isn’t fair.
It isn’t fair that she’s gone.
It isn’t fair that we might never get answers.
This can’t be real. It can’t be happening.
“It’s okay,” he whispers into my ear, pulling strands of hair away from my sweat-soaked forehead. “I’m here. It’s all okay.”
“I’m so scared we won’t find her,” I admit—something I could never say aloud to Blake. “I’m scared I’ll never see her again.”
He pulls back away from me, holding my cheeks with both hands. “Don’t say that. Don’t put that out there. We’re going to find her. You have to believe it.”
I nod, wiping away my tears. “I didn’t tell you this already, and you weren’t here when I told Blake, but…Mae was with a man last night. While we were dancing. I’m—we’re—worried he did something to her.”
“Wait, what? A man?”
“Yeah. Actually, it was the man Blake thought he saw you talking to earlier. That’s why I was asking.”
“Oh. Wow.” He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “No wonder you seemed so shaken up.”
“Yeah. I mean, I thought it was harmless. They just danced for a little while, same as we’d been doing, but not in a weird way or anything. Just a few songs and then he left. But then we found out she came back to the bar and was with him after I went to bed. I had no idea, and I just… I don’t know what to think.”
“Well, who is he? Did they find the guy?”
“Not yet. They’re trying to track him down.”
“Okay, what can I do? What can we do?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know if there’s anything we can do. Right now, I just need to get back out there and check on Blake. He’s not holding up well and I’m trying to be here for him, but I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m probably the worst person to have around for all of this because I’m a bigger mess than he is.”
“Sure. Of course. Let’s go.”
He holds out a hand, gesturing toward the door, and we exit our room. In the hallway, he slips his hand into mine. “For the record, there’s no handbook on this sort of thing, you know? I’m sure he just appreciates you being here for him.”
“Thanks.” My voice comes out in a broken whisper as I fight against the sob I feel in my throat.
Downstairs, we find Blake seated on the long, leather banquette along the window in the bar area. There’s a full glass of water with lemon resting on the pub table in front of him.Mae’s favorite.I’ve never seen him order it. More tears gather in my eyes, but I brush them away.
He doesn’t seem to notice that we’ve entered the room until I sit down next to him. He sits up straighter, adjusting his shirt. His eyes find Patton, hardening.
“It wasn’t him.” I answer the question he hasn’t asked. “He was still boarding the ship. Whoever you saw with the man, it wasn’t Patton.”
He nods. I’m not entirely sure he believes me, but he doesn’t push the issue any further.
“Did you find anything?”
He shakes his head. “Not a thing. If there was anything here, it’s probably already been cleaned up.”
He sounds exhausted. Fed up. Bitter.
I can’t say I blame him.
Still, I owe it to Mae to try to keep him hopeful. To keep him from giving up on her.
I nudge the water glass with my knuckle. “You okay? Sure you don’t want something stronger?”
He smiles halfheartedly with one side of his mouth, not bothering to look at me. “It’s funny… Mae hates my drinking. If there’s one thing we’re going to fight about, it’s always been that.”
