Page 249 of Haunt Me

So I try again to put what I feel into words; and I fail again, spectacularly. No words will ever contain this thing between us.

Instead of talking, we just stay here for a few more minutes; here where it all happened. When that man broke her and she broke me and I fell apart into a million pieces. Where I was a selfish idiot.

Where will put ourselves back together. Starting from today.

Eden’s Phone

Eden: I didn’t think I’d send a text to you ever again, old phone. Or ‘F’. F was your name, from ‘Friend’. But there was no friend, only myself. And I couldn’t even dare to say the word ‘friend’, because it was forbidden to have a friend.

So, I thought you’d like to know what happens in the future: I find Isaiah again. I will keep him this time. I also find myself in the future. Not my old self. My new one. She is a little broken, but she is brave. She is happy. And, more importantly, she is here. She survived. I survived.

And, who knows, I might also go on to live.

Stranger things have happened.

Isaiah: I have your old phone. A message just came through—I don’t even know how that’s possible. I just wanted to let you know that I have it.

Isaiah: I won’t read the message.

Eden: I’ve decided to keep my phone alive, so it has a SIM card and it’s working. I didn’t know who had it—I thought it was Faith. She had it turned off.

Isaiah: I am the one who has it now. And it’s not off.

Eden: Read it.

Isaiah: Are you sure?

Eden: You’ve read everything else.

Isaiah: Twice.

Eden: Oh.

Eden: In that case, definitely read this one too.

Isaiah: Will I cry.

Eden: A better man wouldn’t.

Isaiah: Ah, but I am not a better man. I am your man.

Isaiah: Ok. Reading it right now.

Isaiah: Just for your information, I am not crying. But it’s hard to catch my breath.

Isaiah: It’s hard not to be holding you right now. Kissing you.

Eden: Come get me then.

forty-seven

“Isaiah, I’ve lost her.” It’s Faith.

My fingers curl around the phone. “What? What happened?” I am already grabbing my car keys. Faith is panicking—I can hear her breath coming short. “Faith, talk to me.”

I’m behind the wheel in seconds, not bothering to notify my security. If Eden has run away, I have a pretty good idea of where to look first. I start driving as Faith tries to stop herself from hiccupping with panic. Finally, she tells me that Eden has vanished, leaving her phone behind, and she doesn’t know anything more than that. I drive like a madman.

This is not like last time when she almost died, I keep repeating to myself. It’s not then. This is now. And now you are both stronger. You will get to her in time.

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