Page 120 of Eyes Like Angel

MARCY: No, I haven’t. I was too busy cleaning up with the bakery shop at a closing hour. Why did something happen?

ME: I was wondering. I haven’t seen her in days.

MARCY: Maybe she’s at the Divine Miracles Church.

ME:typing…

ME: Maybe. I’ll try to see.

MARCY: Just let me know if something’s up.

Then I tucked my phone back in, wondering where the fuck could she be.

***

Around a dark hour, I snuck back inside the towering church and through a stained glass, I inspected if Eva was asleep.

She wasn’t there lying down on a wooden floor, and shot a panic straight through my buzzing head. Where the fuck is she? I used to check on her each time she sleeps at night—every night before I drove back home and fell asleep. Paranoia seeped farther, deeper, and it left a huge wreck, my mind wrangled and strangled into an unconscious mess, a place where I could no longer think and thought of a solid plan.

My fist pounded on a wooden wall.

“Fuck,” I hissed, and climbed back outside.

In my spare car, I roamed around town. Thankfully no one felt disrupted at my driving. If it were a sports car, I turned the engine louder.

But those unimaginable scenarios halted when Marceline called me.

MARCY: Did you find her?

ME: Is she with you this time? Are you with her at Aaron’s place for tonight?

MARCY: I’m not at Aaron’s place with her, and if you were to ask if I’m having a sleepover with him, it’s a no. Sorry, Adrian.

ME: Where the hell could she be? This is not like her. She wouldn’t take off elsewhere.

MARCY: Did you check if she’s at the church? She’s always there or by the bench to feed the birds. Sometimes she’s there at the group bible study, cleaning up artifacts and statues at the hall.

ME: No luck. But I’ll keep on looking for her.

MARCY: She might not be far.

ME: Try to contact Aaron, just to make sure.

MARCY: Okay.

I stuffed my phone in the pocket again and steered the car wheel, my concentration lessened, as my eyes motioned left and right, searching a figure strolling by the block, but none gavea sign. Passing by the street name ‘Heavenly Avenue’, a bright object glinted at the concrete. My right shoe stepped on the gas break as the sudden stop lunged me forward before unbuckling my belt.

From afar, the golden chain with colorful gemstones glinted under the moonlight. I recognized that bracelet.

It belonged to her—to Eva.

I gave that bracelet to her after the Rivers Foundation was over and done, snuck my way in a dark attic to make it as a surprise gift, hence why Mom and Dad headed out for a long vacation. Hard work granted a repayment, and excitement couldn’t contain me I snuck in—a habit.

Where could she have gone?

My mind clicked at a new idea. To my luck, my phone beeped in several rings, and clicked the screen on and the app sent a notification on the lock screen.

Unlocking the passcode, the app lead me straightaway at the map, and the red dot flickered, immediately pin-pointed in the middle of the forest of Fort Heaven, knowing my brawn and brains, and Saul’s inventory had come in handy on installing an app on Eva’s cross.