Page 123 of Twisted Truths

Isaac disappears inside with Franklin to get him cleaned up and settled, while Gabriel lingers by the doorway, waiting for me to step inside before he closes and locks the door.

I stand in the middle of the living room, arms crossed tightly over my chest, staring at nothing.

“He knows where we are,” Gabriel says gently. “He’ll be here before the flight on Tuesday.”

Two days from now.

I swallow around the lump in my throat. “What if something happens before he gets here? What if your parents figure out what we did, or Levi says something that gets him into trouble, or—” I shake my head. “I can’t leave without him, Gabriel.”

“You might have to,” he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his body. “He knows where you’re going. You just have to be patient.”

“He shouldn’t be going through all of this alone,” I sob, burying my head in his chest. “I want to be there for him.”

“He knows that,” Gabriel tells me. “The only thing getting him through this whole mess is knowing you and Franklin are safe.”

Pulling away from him, I walk over to the window and look out over the quiet street.

Please, Nash. I need you.

Gabriel finally forcesme into a bedroom to try to get some sleep, but I toss and turn until the first rays of sunlight peek through the blinds.

I hear movement in the living room, so I jump out of bed and rush out of the bedroom, only to find Gabriel pacing the living room with a fussy Franklin.

He glances up as I appear, but his expression tells me everything before he says a word.

No Nash.

“I thought…” My voice trails off before I finish the sentence.

Gabriel shakes his head. “Phone’s still off. No messages.”

I nod and rub a hand over my tired face, trying to will away the heaviness in my chest. He’s probably still talking to the police. Or maybe he’s keeping his head down until it’s safe to move. Both logical explanations, and I refuse to allow myself to think the worst.

The hours crawl.

I’m going stir crazy, but I’m terrified to leave the house in case I miss him.

Hayden Grimshaw comes past to drop off supplies for Franklin and collect the information Isaac stole from his parents.

By the time night falls again, I’ve stopped calling Nash every two hours because the sound of his voicemail is worsethan not knowing. I try to distract myself with the book I brought from Barrenridge, but Anne’s adventures in Avonlea can’t keep my anxiety at bay.

Gabriel is trying to remain calm, but I can see the tension in his shoulders. He hadn’t expected Nash to take this long.

Every time headlights flash past the house, I jump. I haven’t slept and I’ve barely eaten, my stomach completely in knots.

Nash doesn’t show up the next day, and after another restless night, I’m existing purely on coffee.

I’m snappy and irritable as the time ticks down to our flight to Boston. An hour before we have to leave for the airport, I’m pacing the length of the living room, chewing the inside of my cheek raw, and playing with my locket. I can’t do this without Nash. I can’t fly to another country with a newborn. I just can’t.

Isaac is playing peek-a-boo with Franklin on the couch. He’s been so good with him. It only makes me more anxious about having to care for him on my own.

Thirty minutes before we have to leave, there’s a knock on the door.

Gabriel lowers the bottle he’s preparing, and Isaac glances down at Franklin before bringing his eyes back up to meet ours. Hayden isn’t supposed to be here until later this afternoon.

Motioning for us to stay quiet, Gabriel moves towards the door. Glancing through the peephole, his shoulders relax, and he announces, “It’s him.”

Before he’s even finished speaking, I’m moving.