Page 22 of Words We Didn't Say

Wherewasshe?

I was overreacting, getting myself worked up over nothing. Eden was okay. She was probably out with the girls and lost track of time. It was Friday night. Yvette was constantly scoping out new nightlife around the city. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d dragged Eden and Andie out to a club at the last minute. Yeah, that was probably what happened.

I sent Eden a quick message.

Zach

Miss you, Denny Dee. Let me know if you want me to pick you up. xx

I waited. No blistering reply. No little dots.

Anxiety wound so tight around my chest I struggled to breathe. I tugged off my tie and tossed it on the kitchen counter as I walked to the fridge. I grabbed one of the fancy juices Eden kept stocked on the top shelf, twisted off the lid, and swigged a sip. My foot hit the pedal for the bin. A flash of colour caught my eye. Brows furrowed, I bent over.

The remnants of ripped photos sat on top of Eden’s uneaten toast crusts from breakfast. Photos of her and me that had been stuck to the fridge with colourful fruit magnets when I’d left forwork this morning. A panicked look darted to the fridge. All the photos were missing. So were the magnets.

Adrenaline pumping, fire igniting tired muscles enough to run, I rushed back to the bedroom. Not even bothering to snap on the light, I threw open the door to the closet. Empty clothing rails. I yanked out every drawer. Eden’s were empty. My heart slammed against my ribs. Sweat clung the cotton business shirt to my skin.

This…this isn’t…happening.

Eden’s clothes were gone.

The throb of my headache split through my skull.

Was Eden pissed off that I didn’t answer her messages quickly enough? Maybe I’d forgotten I was meant to be somewhere. It wouldn’t be the first time…or even the fifth. Work piled up, and chasing my tail to get on top of one email ended up being a cycle of ‘just one more’ that lasted for hours on end. But she understood how important this promotion was to me—to us—didn’t she?

The apartment spun. Forcing one step in front of another back into the kitchen was almost impossible. My eyes stung, but my heart was obliterated. No matter how many breaths I tried to force in, none reached my lungs. I braced my hands on my knees.

And that was when I saw it.

The fluffy cat keychain on the kitchen counter.

My heart twisted. My stomach quickly followed. The juice was out and on the floor in seconds. I couldn’t pretend anymore.

Eden was gone.

And she wasn’t coming back.

6

She didn’t say, “You make me weak.”

Eden

Stalker mode activated.

Bundling the chunky woollen blanket tighter, I sank into the sofa, leaving just enough space to prop up the essentials—my phone and the tub of ice cream I’d stolen from Andie’s freezer.

I snuck a guilty look over my shoulder. The living room was deserted. No rustling in the kitchen, either. Andie was nowhere to be seen.

I grinned.

It was time to devour every scrap of information the internet had to offer. The Worley and Stonewebsite was my first stop, but it wouldn’t be my last. Scrolling down the ‘Our Talent’ page, I scrunched my nose. Who’d curated these mugshots?The black and white photos popping up one by one convinced me that being a lawyer was the most serious—andboring—job in the world.

You want a smile? Let’s add that to your bill.

I stifled a giggle under the blanket, but my grin dulled when Zach’s photo stared back at me. A serious scowl in black and white worked for him. The man certainly knew how to rock tall, dark, and brooding. What talents would the firm list for him? Real ones, like warm hugs, enthusiastic about eating pussy, and skilled at breaking hearts? I doubted it. I kept scrolling.

Bingo.

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