Page 100 of Where We Ended

Guess it was time to start explaining this entire thing with Silas. The one thing I’d been tight-lipped about all these years. Bitterness twisted in my chest as I took a bite of a maple bar and began explaining to my friends how I had married Silas at nineteen and for the first time since meeting these women, telling my story.

About thirty minutes and an entire box of tissues later, my best friends were all crying.

“Oh my god, Natty.” Pen wiped her eyes. “These postpartum hormones are bad enough but girl, you’ve been the fuck through it.”

“It sort of puts into perspective when he showed up, demanding you go with him after the attack,” Laura added.

I glanced back and forth among my friends.

“What are you talking about?”

Callie got up and headed to my kitchen for some water. “I wasn’t there, but I heard about it from those two.” Her voice echoed from the fridge.

My head snapped back in place, staring at Penelope and Laura.

“He showed up that night we were putting everything back together…before we realized he wasn’t with you,” Pen started, but Laura butted in by leaning toward me.

“He walked in like some god of death…it was slightly terrifying and also absolutely so fucking cool all at the same time, and when Killian went to thank him for helping, he brushed it off like it was nothing and just said he was there to collect you. That he’d promised he would be back for you at some point, and that day had come.”

Pen’s eyes softened as if she were going back in time. “When we all realized you were gone, he sort of broke…he walked outside and sunk to the ground.”

Callie returned with four water bottles gathered at her chest.

“So to hear that you guys are married…gawwwd, I’m swooning, Natty.”

My friends continued to chat about it, but my mind was racing.

He’d come for me.

He came for me before he even knew I was missing.

My heart lifted with hope and soothing out all my assumptions and fears. I needed to see him, but I had no idea where he’d gone or when he’d be back. He wouldn’t leave me though.

Not after me losing Red…not after realizing he’d come for me.

It was dusk and Silas still hadn’t appeared or responded to me. My arms were folded over my chest as I stood at my window, watching the backyard and seeing the way the clouds looked like a bottle of orange and purple powder had been spilled.

My phone was clutched in my fist, where I prayed and hoped it would buzz with something from him. Any sort of answer or indication that he was alive and okay.

I had yet to go downstairs, still too nervous about seeing the kitchen without Red standing inside it, sassing everyone around.

My heart felt too heavy for my chest.

The sky continued to darken, which meant I finally closed my shades. The light from below peeked up at me, indicating the guard that was stationed below my window. I hadn’t noticed him all day but now that it was dark, his light revealed that he was changing shifts with someone.

The guards.

I quickly walked across the floor and pulled my door open. Garrison was there, standing against the wall, staring at his phone. He lazily glanced up at me.

“Do you know where he went?”

Garrison’s brow furrowed.

“Silas, I mean…I’m sure he had to have told you where he went, right?”

Garrison gripped the neckline of his cut and glanced down the hall.

“He left around two in the morning, and I think he was headed down to see Alec. Hasn’t been up since and I haven’t heard anything from him…but.”

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