“Bailout!” they screamed, but I couldn’t.
The ground was closing in with alarming speed, and I was frantic, but no matter how hard I pulled, I was stuck.
I knew I only had seconds, and the only thing I could think inthat moment wasthis was going to break her—butat least she knew I loved her.
Everything went quiet, and I knew this was it—with tears streaming down my cheeks, I shakily let go of the release.
And then I braced for impact.
CHAPTER 47
Intuition
SARAFINA
I stood in my art studio, hands on my hips as I stared at the massive canvas in front of me, desperately struggling to paint. I tried to tell myself that the churning feeling in my gut, the fact that I hadn’t heard from Carter in several weeks, was just an overreaction.
But every day that I didn’t hear from him, it became harder and harder to convince myself that Iwasoverreacting.
I’d made a promise to Carter before he’d left that I’d try to keep my anxiety in check. We’d shared many long, frustrating conversations about scenarios just like this. Where he’d be unable to contact me for weeks or possibly months on end—only he was supposed to eventually call me, tease me about being so worried and tell me everything was okay. That he was coming home.
I knew the rules—anytime I felt anxious about not hearing from him, I had to text him. So I did. All the freaking time I did, and every day that passed without getting a response, was absolute hell.
Today, even with the pit in my stomach that I couldn’t seem to shake, I had somehow managed to get into that elusive flow state while I painted.
Dip, dab, stroke. The smell of the paint, the feel of the brushdragging across the canvas. Those messages would come through. Any day now.
I was humming along to the music when my studio door creaked open unexpectedly, and I spun around ready to rip Vaughn a new one—but I was startled to see Liam standing in the doorway, with Vaughn just behind him.
I read the expression in both their eyes, the tight posture, the worry, and I could suddenly hear my heartbeat in my ears as everything went quiet—numb. I didn’t even have to hear the words, because I already knew.
It was all bullshit. I’d known deep down in my gut that something was wrong. And I’d fucking ignored it. Ignoredhim. I’d gotten so used to writing off that gut feeling, and now my worst nightmare was about to be a waking reality.
I dizzily sank into a chair, eyes shuttering as I waited for the words.
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to come right out and say it.” Liam murmured, “Carter’s missing.”
CHAPTER 48
Pudding Cups
SARAFINA
Inside the Montclair Medical Center, Briar Rose’s private hospital, the smell of disinfectant stung my nose as I rushed down the hallways, refusing to cry.
Liam’s grounding presence followed closely behind, and if he wasn’t clearly on the verge of tears himself, I could have just reamed him. They’d found Carter, and Liam had spent the last week getting him home. He’d known for over a week where Carter was, and he hadn’t said a word—becausehe didn’t want to get my hopes up;which was a horrifying truth all on its own. But precious days he’d known, while I puked my guts up, and now Carter might not even?—
No, I wasn’t going to lose it until I saw him, until I got to his room. Worrying wouldn’t help him, I knew that—but it didn’t matter, the guilt was thick as mud to wade through anyway. I’d known something was wrong for weeks because I’d felt it.Felt him.
My lunch threatened to make a reappearance as the numbers crawled higher on the doors and then,there he was.
Even from the hallway, my throat seized up. Even from here, I could see how black and blue his face was. A strangled noise clawed its way out of my throat as I lingered on the threshold.Liam’s hand was a solid, comforting weight at my back as I hovered in the hallway on the verge of collapsing, because when I stepped through the door, it’d finally be real, but out here, it was just a bad dream.
A few people were already in the room, and they cleared out as I drifted closer, watching the nurse change his IV bag—he was just laying there, so incredibly still.
“Carter?” I approached the hospital bed, already sobbing. “Can he hear me?” I choked out.
“He might be able to. We can’t say for sure.” The nurse shot me a sympathetic look as she finished up. “There certainly isn’t any harm in trying.” She nodded reassuringly as she closed us into the private hospital suite.
