Page 80 of Finders Keepers

I press accept.

“Hello?” My tone comes out harder than I intended.

“Well, hello, Bailey.”

My blood instantly turns to ice, every muscle in my body freezing in place. That voice. The one from my nightmares. The silky, confident drawl that haunts my darkest memories. The one I thought I’d never have to hear again.

The phone nearly slips from my suddenly numb fingers, and I force myself to keep holding it. I can hear Sophie humming “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in the other room, completely oblivious to how our safe little world has just cracked wide open. The sound of her innocent melody makes the moment even more surreal, more terrifying.

I want to hang up. I need to hang up. But I’m frozen, my throat closing up as memories flood back, the screaming, the broken plates, the bruises I had to hide.

“What’s wrong, Bailey? Cat got your tongue?” His voice is exactly as I remember it, that false sweetness masking something dark and dangerous underneath. “Did you really think you could hide from me forever?”

I force myself to look at Sophie, using her presence to anchor me to this moment in time. We’re not there anymore. We’re safe. We have people who will protect us.

But Matt’s next words shatter that illusion completely.

“Tell my daughter happy birthday from her daddy and that I’ll be seeing her real soon.”

The line goes dead.

The phone clatters to the floor.

He knows where we are.

And suddenly, our safe little world doesn’t feel so safe anymore.

Istand in Ms. Lucy’s kitchen, my hands trembling as I arrange cupcakes on the platter. The cheerful purple frosting and rainbow sprinkles mock the heaviness churning in my stomach. Every few seconds, my eyes dart to the window, scanning the driveway, the road beyond, searching for…what? A familiar truck? His face?

“Mommy, are they ready yet?” Sophie bounces on her toes beside me. Today she turns five. My beautiful girl deserves this celebration.

“Almost, baby.” I smooth her hair, forcing steadiness into my fingers. “Why don’t you go play with Tommy in the living room while we finish getting everything set up.”

As she scampers off, the old familiar weight settles back on my chest. Almost a month we’ve been here, four weeks of jumping at shadows having nightmares every other night. The tiny house felt safe, but the fear never fully left.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket, vibrating against me like a warning. Unknown number flashes across the screen again. My heart stops, then lurches painfully back into rhythm. For a moment, I can’t breathe, can’t move, my fingers frozen above the glowing display.

I silence it, shoving it back in my pocket. The walls suddenly feel too close, the air too thin. We need to leave. Pack our few belongings and disappear before he finds us. Before—

“Bailey?” Ms. Lucy’s voice breaks through my spiral. “You look pale as a ghost.”

“I’m fine.” The lie comes automatically. “Just want everything to be perfect.”

She eyes me with that penetrating gaze that seems to see straight through me. “Those cupcakes aren’t going anywhere, dear. Let’s sit down for a minute.”

In the next room, Sophie’s laughter rings clear as bells. I peek around the corner to see her and Tommy trying to keep a blue balloon from hitting the ground.

Run. The voice in my head screams. Take her and run now.

But I can’t. Not today. Not when she finally has a friend. Not when she deserves one damn day of being just a normal little girl celebrating her birthday.

“I can’t take this from her,” I whisper, more to myself than to Ms. Lucy.

“Take what, dear?”

I swallow hard, forcing back tears. “Nothing. Just… today matters.”

“Bailey.” Ms. Lucy’s voice is soft, grounding me as it cuts through the chaos in my head. She places a gentle hand over mine. “You’re safe now.”

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