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Chapter 32 ~ Carter ~
"Shedoesn'tlivehereanymore." I stared at the long row of doorbell nameplates, suddenly unsure of what I was feeling. "She changed her number and moved. It's pretty clear. She doesn't want to see me again. She just took off."
Don put his hand on my shoulder. "Slow down, Carter. You don't know exactly what happened."
"Yes, I do. She's gone." As I said those words, an unfamiliar emptiness spread through me. When I had broken up with Abigail, I had mostly felt relieved. And when I had sent Isabella away at Cameron's wedding, I had been full of anger. But now... there was simply nothing inside me.
"Yes, she doesn't seem to live here anymore," Don nodded in confirmation. "But you don't know why she's not here. You don't have the slightest idea. Assuming she left because she didn't want to see you anymore is purely your conclusion."
I was still staring at the row of doorbell nameplates where Isabella's name was missing.
"What else could have happened?"
Had Isabella met someone else and was now living with him? The thought felt like a punch to my gut.
Don's right, Carter. You don't know anything. Nothing at all.
I immediately calmed down a bit.
"Maybe something was wrong with the apartment. Maybe she lost her phone. Or it fell in water." Don offered a series of guesses that all sounded quite plausible. When I looked at him, he shrugged. "It could be anything."
"What if she's not even in New York anymore?" After all, Isabella could be anywhere.
"Man, buddy, you don't know that. But even if she's not: So what? Then you'll just go wherever she is and find her." Don looked at me. "Or is Los Angeles too far for you?"
"You think she's in Los Angeles?" I stared at Don, stunned. "How would you know that?"
Don groaned. "I have no idea, buddy. That was just an example. I just said she could be anywhere. How far would you go to find her?"
"Anywhere." My answer came spontaneously, quickly, and felt completely right. Yes. I would go anywhere to find Isabella. Around the whole world if I had to.
"There you go."
"And how am I supposed to find out where she is?" I pointed helplessly at the doorbell nameplate.
"Come on, Carter. Seriously. Being in love must have clouded your brain a bit. How else? How do people find others nowadays and where?" Don looked at me expectantly, as if the answer was obvious and every American first-grader should know it.
However, I was preoccupied with another word.
Love.
Was I in love?
I couldn't get Isabella out of my head. If I was honest... not since I had first met her. During the week we spent together, I had constantly thought about her and imagined in all sorts of situations what it would be like if she were with me now. After the wedding, I had tried hard not to think about her anymore. Which was basically the same as constantly thinking about her.
Isabella was the woman I wanted to have with me all the time.
And that could only mean... Don was right.
I was in love.
"No idea where to find someone," I said now.
Don groaned. "Never heard of the internet? Social networks? Isabella must be registered somewhere and have an account."
Of course. Indeed, any schoolchild could have given that answer. Only I, in my blindness, hadn't thought of it. I quickly reached into my pocket and took out my phone. I needed to know where Isabella was now.
Right away.