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Paying my rent.
Driving me to work.
An endless list of how much he spoils me that I know is a million times more than most boyfriends do for their girlfriends, regardless of how much they love them.
Gaspar too. Even though I’ve known him a much shorter time, he’s protective of me too. In a single day, with the coffee and my coat and the trip to his farm, he made sure I was full, warm, and having fun while also teaching me about growing the trees.
He’s a good man.
They’re both good men.
But loving two men is wrong.
I jump up and race to the kitchen, fishing my phone out of my pocket.
Me:I’m sorry but there’s nothing to think about. I can’t do this with either of you. Please don’t hate me.
Instead of sending, I consider the reaction. Once Balthazar receives the message, he’ll come here and try to convince me again, so I need to be gone.
I race back to the bedroom and stuff a bag with some clothes and then toiletries from the bathroom. I grab the spare key to Bree and Alex’s apartment from the hook in the hallway and my backpack from the living room.
I know I can’t hide forever but I don’t have to return to work until Tuesday so that will give them time to calm down and accept my answer as final. Hopefully.
I hit send on the text to Balthazar and reach for the knob. A knock from the other side startles me. Both of them would let themselves in.
After what happened with Casey, I’ll never open again to someone I’m not sure of. “Who is it?”
“Detective Gary Wilson with the Metro PD. I’m looking for Seraphina Snow.”
Police can’t be good. I hurry to unlock the door. A man in a black coat and khakis stands next to a uniformed officer. “I’m Seraphina Snow.”
“We’d like to talk to you about Melissa and Craig Oxford. Can we come in?”
My foster parents? “I haven’t seen them in years.”
“Well, no one has seen them in months.”
His face remains neutral, but I can tell he’s serious from his tone.
“That’s weird.”
“Casey Jacobs is also missing.”
My pulse pounds through my body from the mention of his name. Of the unexpected reminder of what he did. “I knew that. After he tried to…” I struggle with saying the word. “…after he attacked me, the police told my boyfriend that he disappeared.”
Boyfriend. Now both my stomach and my heart ache from the word that’s no longer true.
“Well Miss Snow the only common denominator between these two missing persons cases seems to be you.”
The pain from losing Balthazar spins to a sharp point in my chest. The detective thinks I have something to do with their disappearance. “I don’t know anything about either one of them.”
“Then you won’t mind accompanying us down to headquarters for a discussion.”
I try not to panic. I’m innocent. I have nothing to fear. But if I say no, they’ll think I have something to hide. “Sure, if that’s what you need.”
He steps out of the way, motioning for me to follow the officer. My cheeks burn with the humiliation of leaving my building in the presence of the police. I can’t imagine what my neighbors must think of me.
With Bree and Alex out of town, and Balthazar and Gaspar out of my life, I’ve never felt more alone.
