Only Ever Yours

“Where are we?” I croak out, locking eyes with Noah.

“My house.” He brings me over a bottle of water. I accept it and drink it all, the cold water feeling good as it runs down my parched throat.

“Have you heard from Isaac?” I ask once I’ve finished the bottle and set it on the nightstand.

“No. Listen, Camilla…” His eyes fill with sympathy and I look away, not wanting to see it.

I snatch my phone from the nightstand and swipe up, checking for any missed calls or messages from Isaac, but there’s nothing. Only a string of them from Yasmin demanding I call her back. News of the explosion and fire must’ve gotten out.

“He’s alive.” I pull the covers off me and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The room feels slightly dizzy, so I close my eyes, giving my head and body a chance to catch up with each other. This started a couple weeks ago, so I know it’s not because of my panic attack last night.

“Did you not see the aftermath from the explosion? Nobody could’ve survived that.” His voice is soft, bleeding sympathy, and I hate it because I don’t need him to feel sorry for me. “His truck was there, along with all his vehicles. Unless he walked wherever he was going…”

“Maybe he did!”

“Then where is he now?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find him.” I jut my chin out in defiance, and he sighs, shaking his head.

Like a woman on a mission, I quickly use the restroom, ignoring the queasiness in my stomach, slip on my flip-flops, then head out of the room and down the hall, taking note of the rustic feel Noah’s house has. It’s more like a cabin, all wood beams and walls, brown leather sofas and different colored wood furniture. When I get outside, I glance around and see nothing but lush greenery for what looks like miles every which way. His home is in the middle of the woods, and it hits me, how the hell am I getting anywhere?

“Where are we going?” he asks, twirling his keys around his finger.

“We?” I’m going to need him to give me a ride, since I have no purse or money and my car is permanently out of commission, but from the way he sounds, he’s already confirmed Isaac’s dead and has attended the funeral, which makes me wonder…

“Why aren’t you more upset?”

“Excuse me?” He raises a single brow.

“Isaac is like a brother to you, and you think he’s dead, so why aren’t you more upset?”

His jaw ticks, and his eyes dart away from me, ignoring my question by asking one of his own. “Do you want a ride or not?”

“Do you believe he’s alive?” I push. “Is that why you’re not crying?” It’s why I’m not crying. Because I know Isaac is alive. I just have to find him.

Once again he ignores my questions, stalking toward his car and opening the door for me. I get in and he rounds the front, sliding in. His muscle car is loud and growly and I welcome it. The ride to town takes about twenty minutes, most of the road deserted.

When he arrives at a shopping plaza, I look at him confused. “This is Chester Creek Commons,” he explains. “He was supposed to come here to check out the fire alarm that went off, but he never showed up.”

I swing open the door and start walking in one direction, my eyes darting around like I’m looking for a missing dog or child. The farther I walk, finding nothing but shoppers, talking and laughing, ignorantly going through life, the more worked up I get.

I don’t see him anywhere, not sitting on the benches, not walking down the sidewalks… He’s not here. I know he’s not because if he were, he would be with me.

“Maybe he’s hurt,” I blurt out. “The docks, his yacht, is the closest thing to the building. Let’s go there. Maybe he’s hurt and doesn’t have his phone and needs help.”

Noah nods wordlessly.

His yacht is empty. The warehouse, the parking garage, every other boat that’s docked are all empty. When I try to open the door to the building, Noah stops me. “It’s locked. The damage is too bad. The heat destroyed everything. The office, the condo, the destruction the fire caused is beyond repair.

“What?” I tug on the door, needing to get inside, but it doesn’t budge. “What about our things? Our clothes? What if Isaac is in there?” I scream, losing my cool.

“They checked everywhere and confirmed it’s empty.”

“This can’t be right!” I glance around, unsure where to go, where to look. “He has to be somewhere,” I cry, tears filling my lids. “He can’t just be gone!” A gut-wrenching sob tears through my chest, making it hard to catch my breath. “He has to be somewhere!” I repeat. “Isaac!” I yell, banging on the mirrored glass door. “Isaac!”