BONUS
Chapter 546
The quicker I got this over with, the better.
Blackie meows at me from across the room.
“I won’t be long,” I promise, scooping her up and hugging her close, hoping I could absorb some of her
strength and courage.
She purrs softly, grounding me in her quiet way. I set her down gently, making sure she has food and water before grabbing my keys and heading out.
Once I am outside, I quickly get in my car before immediately locking the doors. I live in a safe
neighborhood, but you can never be too careful.
It’s only after I start the ignition that I realize I haven’t thought this through. I just sit there. The engine hums beneath my hands, but I don’t move. I have no plan. No leads.
Noah could be anywhere. This was foolish. What was I thinking?
Aunt Ava thought I was her best shot, but maybe I am not. Sure, I was obsessed with him when we were younger, something I’m still embarrassed of, by the way. I knew him better back then, but like I said, it’s been six years. I probably don’t know him as well as I used to.
I try to think of the one place he would go to but I end up coming up blank. I eliminate the obvious. Not the cemetery- That would have been the first place they checked.
Not a bar or a club–Noah isn’t the kind to unravel in public. He wouldn’t want anyone to see his grief. He’s too proud for that.
And besides, Knowing Aunt Ava, she probably called every club and bar owned by Uncle Rowan and his twin, Uncle Gabe.
So, where the hell would he go?
I rake a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling under my skin. Would it be terrible if I lied? I could just tell Aunt Ava that I couldn’t find him, but then she would know I lied. The thought of disappointing her, of hearing that hurt in her voice, stops me cold.
I was about to give up when something clicked. A memory.
Noah misses her, so he’d probably go someplace that was special to them. Some place that would make
him feel close to him.
A smile breaks free from my lips.
She once told me about a hidden spot. A place that held meaning for both of them. No one was supposed to know about it except the two of them, but for some odd reason she told me.
Chapter 546
+15 BONUS
Without hesitation, I pull out of the driveway and begin the drive north. The further I go, the darker the road becomes. My knuckles are white around the steering wheel, panic clawing at the edges of my
composure.
My mind is screaming at me to turn back, giving me every reason why I should go back home; I ignored it. I am doing this for Aunt Ava.
Yet even with my reasoning, I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I was making a big mistake.
When I finally arrive, I park a little way off and begin walking.
And then I see it. A car.
The moment I saw the car, relief and dread crashed into me. Going head–to–head in a battle for dominance. The wind here was chilly, maybe because it was on top of a hill. It should have cooled me, but
it had nothing on the raging emotions that were fighting inside me and wreaking havoc
A thousand memories come flooding back, each one tugging at old scars. I take a shaky breath and move.
‘Are you sure about this?‘ the voice inside my head asks.
My feet freeze and everything inside me stills at the question.
My brows furrow, and I clench my teeth against the need to turn back and ran as far away from Noah as possible. But I don’t. Instead, I pull my shoulders back and take one step forward, then another, until I’m steadily walking towards the cliff.
It isn’t that long until I spot a lone figure sitting almost at the edge.
Emotions swirl inside me
‘It’s not too late to turn back,‘ it whispers again, but this time with more urgency.
I nod my head, determination settling inside and I resume walking. I am not a quitter. Neither do I break promises…but maybe I should have. I should have broken this one promise and ran like my life depended
on it.
Maybe if I had known what was to come, I would have made a different choice, but I didn’t. I should have known. I should have seen it coming, but hindsight is a bitch like that.
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