Page 70 of Here With Me

“But that leaves ten percent. Ten percent that you didn’t think I had a right to know when you kissed me after I brought you home from the ER.”

“Sadie.” David stepped closer and held out his hand.

She looked at it, and then studied his face before slipping her hand into his. He pulled her up and into his arms, running his hands up to her shoulders and down to her wrists. To steady her? Comfort her? To comfort himself? He didn’t know, but he needed the contact. Needed to feel her close to him. “I didn’t know then. Lance called after that, and the school’s principal wants to come home. They asked me if I’d take his place. My hesitation resulted in Lance encouraging me to at least go talk to Wesley.”

Sadie let out a breath. “When were you going to tell me?”

“When there was something to tell. I didn’t want to upset you, and I haven’t decided anything?—”

“Upset me?” Sadie broke out of his embrace, her face flushed, and she walked past him to the front window, keeping her back to him. “So what? You were going to make a decision on your own again, and then what…send me a postcard?”

“It’s not like that. I just…” The walls between them were too much. David stepped closer and turned her toward him. He wanted to pull her into his embrace, assure her he wouldn’t leave. That this time he had no intention of letting go. Except her posture was so rigid. He settled for rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “I just felt like I needed to see it. I don’t know yet?—”

“Yet? But you will make a decision. A decision that will affect my future—Lottie’s future—and you didn’t even have the decency to have a conversation with me. Just a few days ago, you called me your girlfriend. What do you think that means?”

When he didn’t answer, she shook her head. “I get it, we aren’t engaged. But we are too old to just be having fun like a bunch of high schoolers. Either we are in a relationship headed toward something permanent, or we are nothing. I don’t have space for the in-between. Not with Lottie’s heart on the line as well as my own.”

“I get that.”

“Do you? Because I want a partner, David. Someone who is going to share life with me—all of it. The ups, the downs. The good, the bad. The decisions.”

“I want that, too.”

“No, you don’t, or you wouldn’t have done this.” She opened the front door and called for Lottie.

Didn’t she get that this decision was bigger than them? He owed it to his supporters.

The door slammed behind her, and he followed her out. He didn’t want her to leave angry. “What are you doing?”

“Lottie!” Sadie turned back to him. “It’s called leaving. You should recognize it—it’s your specialty.”

David hurried to block her path. “Don’t go. Not like this. Let’s talk.”

“I’ve heard all I want to hear.” Sadie hurried to her car and opened the door. “Lottie, let’s go!”

No response. No little girl’s laughter. No footsteps skipping or dancing. Lottie was nowhere to be seen. Lottie didn’t seem like the type to ignore Sadie. Or to be quiet.

David scanned the yard. Shadows were lengthening as the chill of the evening hours settled across the field. But there was no sign of Lottie.

Sadie put her hands on her hips. “Lottie? Come on, sweetheart. Time to go home.”

Silence.

He lifted his hand to his forehead and looked to the west, the sun on the horizon, but there was no sign of the little girl.

“Maybe she’s in the barn.” David jogged down the stairs and behind the house to the barn, a slight limp in his step. But the barn was too still, too quiet. There was no way Lottie was inside. Still, he called for her.

Sadie came behind him, their voices blending as they called for Lottie. The shadows lengthened as the sun sank even lower, and a bird cooed.

Only the buzzing of a few bugs met them. David squeezed Sadie’s hand, pulling her attention to him as she scanned the space between the house and the barn. “I’ll go look in the fairy house. Check inside, maybe she slipped in the house.”

They’d find Lottie. But even as he assured Sadie, he spotted the corner of something dark blue in the bush. He hurried over and pulled it out. His passport. His passport that had been on the dining room table when the argument started.

“Sadie.” His strong tone stopped her as she put her hand on the doorknob. He held up the passport, she paled and sank to the steps.

No doubt she had drawn the same conclusion. Lottie had heard them, she’d run off, and it was getting dark. It was autumn, but the night lows this fall were already at a dangerous level, especially for a nine-year-old with no coat. His gaze flicked to the edge of the woods then back to Sadie.

Lord, help us. She could be anywhere.

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