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Oliver’s panicked voice broke through the fog. “Lex, talk to me. Are they okay? River? Goldie?” He forced me up, making my eyes meet his.

I nodded. “They’re inside, asleep,” I croaked.

Theo came running next, her worried eyes bouncing between us. “We came to bring y’all dinner. We figured after the seizure and the hospital…” She trailed off, her hand resting on my arm. “What’s going on? Is everyone okay?”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, trying to stop the grief that was flowing through me like a flash flood. “I didn’t want them to hear me, so I came out here.”

“What’s going on?” Oliver asked as he sat next to me on my front porch. His voice was quiet, but it was the same tone he had used with me when I scraped my knee when I was River’s age. The same tone he had used when I went to him terrified after failing a math class in high school. The same tone he had used when River was first sick.

I tried to explain, but I didn’t have the words to convey the fracturing in my heart over what Goldie had survived.

“Lexington,” Oliver spoke clearly, worry lacing his tone. “What happened?”

“He hurt her, man,” I mumbled, and I heard Theo gasp softly and felt her sit at my other side. “S-she told me about it… what he did.” I swallowed hard. “She doesn’t need to see this, but…”

“Her pain is worse than your own?” Oliver continued for me.

I nodded. “I would take every ounce of pain, every bit of suffering, every tear, every nightmare from her if I could. I would take it all without one complaint, because then she would be safe. Protected.”

“We’ll protect her,” Oliver insisted.

“How?” I asked. “How do we protect her from a ghost?”

Goldie

Waking up in Lexington’s arms was a feeling I knew I’d never get tired of—a quiet pocket of peace in a world that felt entirely too chaotic. Most mornings, River would crawl into bed and drift back to sleep between us, his stuffed alligator clutched tightly in his arms. In the two weeks since my memories had returned, our days had settled into a sweet, steady rhythm. We'd wake up as a slow tangle of limbs and take our time easing into the morning.

Lexington insisted on making breakfast every day, an arrangement that was frankly a relief to everyone’s stomach—I was an awful cook. Afterward, he’d head off to work, leaving River and me to hold down the fort. We had a steady stream of visitors throughout the day helping keep River entertained. Theo dropped by most mornings with her kids and a packed lunch, clearly tipped off by Lexington about my kitchen woes. I didn’t mind a bit; her kind smile and easy company were always welcome. Fai was often here bringing coffee as the afternoon dragged on and a relief in his soul so palpable that it bled into me.

Lexington would always find his way home with either bags of ingredients for dinner or takeout to share. Our evenings were spent laughing in the living room, reading books, playing games, or even just spending time with each other quietly. It was a quiet, even boring routine, but it was my lifeline.

I knew I needed to speak to the police about what I did remember. They had been reaching out, but Lexington had refused to let them close enough to me to even see me, let alone ask me questions. He wanted it to be my choice when I spoke to them.

“Too many choices have been made for you lately,” he grumbled one evening, slamming the phone down after shutting down another detective trying to question me. “They need to get it through their thick skulls that you’ll talk to them when you’re good and ready. When you choose.”

He was my safe place before my memories came back, but now… well, now he was my best friend. We hadn’t talked about what had happened to me since the night I confessed it all. I had been nervous he would look at me differently, treat me with kid gloves, or even blame it all on me. It was a ridiculous notion, as a part of me knew Lexington would never think that way, but I couldn’t shake away the fear.

Having that secret off my chest was a weight off my shoulders. Now that the truth was out there, it felt like I could move on. Start to move on, at least. A part of me never would be able to, not until the man who did this was caught. But we were no closer to finding him. Darren had called a few times, but I couldn’t speak to him—not until I knew more.

There was only one person I could speak to: the only one who might know who my captor really was. But I was nervous Silas would be angry with me.

The boy who had done his best to keep me safe in that hell was still living with Jackie and Will. I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t gone home. I knew his brothers were still alive and Brooks still lived in town. But Silas was still here, living in a stranger's home. I had avoided him since we had been found, unwilling to face the wounds that we shared that had only recently begun to scab over. But it was selfish to do so. I didn’t regret it—I needed the time away to recenter my fractured mind—but now it was time to face him. I was together enough that I could stand strong for him, the way he deserved.

Lexington pulled his SUV in front of Jackie’s home, putting the car in park and letting out a sigh as he turned off the ignition. River sat behind us, his small legs kicking back and forth, an action figure in his hand. Lexington looked at him with a soft smile and turned his gaze to me. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

I shook my head. “No, but I know I want to talk to him, and that’s enough for now.”

He brushed his thumb over my cheekbone. “I’m in awe of you.”

I couldn’t help but blush at his words. He looked at me as though I were a goddess to him, his eyes full of reverence, his words as soft and kind as his touch. I caught his hand in mine. “Take River to Theo’s and meet me there after, okay?”

He nodded and reached across my body, opening the door for me. “Call me if you need anything?”

I nodded in agreement and jumped out of the car. “See you later, River!” I called behind me.

“Bye, Goldie Girl!” he called, a grin pulling at his chubby cheeks. I smiled back and closed the door, bracing myself… well, I wasn’t sure what I was bracing myself for.

Silas's anger?