Chapter 6

Damien stood behind me. He looked at my thin shoulders for a moment. Something moved across his face.

He draped a blanket over me and spoke quietly.

"Nora. Take some time to rest. I've got everything handled."

"Don't feel like you owe me anything. I'm doing this because I want to."

"I have a work trip down south for two weeks. Want to come along? Clear your head a little."

Something warm moved through me. I looked at this man — a man who had treated Margaret with respect, and who was treating me the same way — and I pulled the blanket tighter and gave him a small, grateful smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Calloway."

...

In the months after Nora disappeared, Ethan Sterling walked through his days like a hollow thing.

He used every resource he had. Every contact. Every favor. Nora was gone as if she'd been erased.

He threw himself into work to fill the gap the guilt and the missing left behind. But the moment things slowed down, he'd find himself scrolling through the memories of their five years together.

His fingers would shake as he scrolled up.

He ran to the memorial ground and pulled up six years of security footage. He watched her there — night after night — leaning against his headstone, crying.

The woman who was most afraid of the dark, most afraid of being alone. Staying through every night for him.

Ethan sat on the cold ground and cried until he had nothing left. Then he went to every friend she'd ever had, every former colleague. They gave him nothing but contempt.

He expanded his Pack's territory operations just to move through more cities, always looking, always failing.

And then, one year later, he finally saw a familiar shape.

After I left that city, I opened a small flower shop in the south.

The cost of living was low. The locals were warm and easy to deal with.

Every day I trimmed stems and put together arrangements for customers.

No difficult people to manage. It suited me.

Occasionally a former colleague would reach out to say Ethan was still looking for me. Every time I heard his name, a little more of whatever I'd been holding onto dissolved.

Then one evening, I'd just finished changing the water in the displays and was about to lock up when a downpour started.

A pile of leaves had blocked the drain outside. Water crept over the step and into the shop.

I scrambled to deal with it. While I was mopping the floor, someone walked in.

I didn't look up.

"Sorry, we're closed. If you need something, you're welcome to come back tomorrow at ten."

The person didn't move. They stepped closer.

When they spoke, their voice was unsteady.

"Nora, I knew you were still alive."

"I finally found you."

I looked up.

Ethan Sterling stood there. His eyes were threaded with red. He was thinner. He looked exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with sleep.

I took a step back.

"I don't know you," I said.

Ethan's shoulders dropped at that. He swallowed.

"Nora, I know I was wrong."

"I know how hard those years were. I watched the memorial footage..."

"Nora — were you scared? All that time?"

I looked at him and let out a short, flat laugh.

"Ethan, do you actually think you look devoted right now?"

"What were you doing during all those years I was struggling?"

"You were with Serena. Building a life. Bonded and happy."

"Now that I've finally found some peace, you show up wanting to apologize and ask me if I was scared."

"What exactly do you think that accomplishes?"

Ethan acted like he hadn't heard a word. He grabbed me and pulled me into his arms and sobbed.

"Nora, I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. I was wrong."

"Every day you were gone, I was terrified to close my eyes. I was afraid you were really dead."

"Please forgive me. Please."

The arms I'd spent six years missing felt disgusting now.

I drove my heel down onto his foot and shoved him away as hard as I could.

"Ethan, enough."

"There's nothing left between us."

"I gave you a chance six years ago. You threw it away."

I looked at him, my voice flat.

"Get out."

Ethan's eyes went red. He tried to come forward again.

Then a voice came from behind him.

"Mr. Sterling. My girlfriend told you she doesn't want to see you."

"Girlfriend?"

Ethan turned to look at me. His voice broke.

"Nora, you're lying to me."

"You loved me that much. How could you be with someone else?"

Damien stepped between us. He looked at Ethan with open contempt.

"Mr. Sterling, please respect yourself. We're nothing like you — when we're with someone, that person is the only person."

"If you're not leaving, I'm calling enforcement."

I took Damien's hand tight and walked past Ethan to the passenger seat.

The car pulled away.

In the rearview mirror, I saw Ethan running after us. Then he fell. He hit the ground and sobbed.