Page 106 of A Love Like That

I rolled my eyes. They knew better than to go out front without an adult. But clearly, they weren’t in the backyard or the house like they were supposed to be either. I jogged back inside, heart pounding, and grabbed my phone, nearly dropping it on the floor in my haste. I shoved my keys in my pocket, fumbling with my shoes. Rex’s leash was still on the hook, so I grabbed that too.

I ran out the back door, calling their names again as I gripped the leash tightly in my hand. I whipped my head from side to side, images flashing through my mind of the worst-case scenarios. My voice sounded hysterical to my ears as I continued to call their names, but it was nothing compared to the sheer terror I felt at the idea of Maddox and Savannah going missing.

My chest grew tighter and tighter. Was this what it felt like to have a heart attack?Oh god.

“Maddox!” I yelled. By this point, I was growing hoarse. “Savannah!”

At the end of the block, one of the neighbors was gardening in her front yard. “Hey,” I panted, jogging up the sidewalk. “Have you seen Maddox or Savannah?”

She stood and dusted off her hands. “No. Sorry. Is everything okay?”

I shook my head, sweat dripping down my back. “I can’t find them.” I couldn’t breathe. “I need to find them.”

“Have you called Tristan?” she asked.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I really did not want to do that, but I wasn’t sure I had a choice. He needed to know what was going on, and I needed his help.

“I’m going to call him and keep looking. Please call us if you see them.”

“Of course.” She pulled out her phone and started typing. “I’ll let the other neighbors know. We’ll help search for them.”

“Thank you so much.” I jogged down the street, listening to Tristan’s phone ring and ring.

Finally, he answered. “Hey, Elle. What’s up?”

“I-I—” I spun around.Where are they?“Rex and the kids are missing.”

“Are you sure they’re not hiding? You know how they love to play games.”

I wiped some sweat from my brow. “No. I’m sure. I checked everywhere. Rex is gone too.”

“What?” he barked.

“I’m sorry. I was working on some paperwork…” I started crying, my words blurring like my vision.

“How long have they been gone?”

I wasn’t sure. It could’ve been minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. If anything had happened…

“I don’t know.” I glanced at the clock on my phone. “Maybe thirty minutes? Longer?”

“Jesus, Ellie.” He sighed, and I could feel his disappointment through the phone. “I’m on my way.”

I curled into myself. This was all my fault.

“The neighbors are out searching as well,” I said, wanting him to know that I was doing everything to find Maddox and Savannah.

“I’ll call the police, but I doubt they’ll do much at this point,” he said in a frustrated tone. “Call me if anything changes. I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay,” I said, and then the line went silent.

Fuck.

I glanced around. Where could they be? I closed my eyes and thought about it for a moment. Where would they have gone? The fact that Rex’s leash was still at home led me to believe they were hunting for Rex. Which meant they could be anywhere. That dog was fast and agile.

I kept searching, until Tristan pulled up next to the sidewalk. “Get in.”

I climbed in the passenger seat, and he barely waited until I was buckled in to drive off. As we wound through the neighborhood, we did so in a tense silence. So far, no one had seen the kids, and it was getting late. And hot. I worried that they were thirsty. That they were scared or hurt. My mind spun with possible scenarios.

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