Chapter 10
559words
It's all my fault. I knew exactly what kind of predator Jeffrey was, yet I let Lucy walk right into his trap. I should have told her the truth about him.
Damn! I should have put that bastard in the hospital!
My knuckles throbbed as I clenched my fist again.
But right now, finding Lucy is all that matters. I was heading toward her dorm when a frantic figure came running toward me.
I recognized Lucy's roommate, Emily, her face streaked with tears.
Emily skidded to a stop in front of me: "Kane! Lucy's gone!"
Ice flooded my veins. "What do you mean, gone?"
"I woke up and she wasn't there. She's not in class, not in the library—I've looked everywhere! No one has seen her since yesterday!"
I grabbed Emily's shoulders: "Did she take her things? Her bag? ?"
Emily shook her head, tears spilling over. "Nothing. Oh God, what if she... what if she hurts herself?"
"No, she wouldn't—"
She wouldn't do that. Lucy's stubborn and proud, she wouldn't give up like that... would she?
As I turned to go, Emily caught my sleeve.
I looked back to see her face crumpling: "Kane... the baby... it's not Jeffrey's..."
The world seemed to tilt. "What are you saying?"
"Do you really not remember that night at the party? After you both drank from the same glass?"
My mind raced back to that night, fragments of memory suddenly crystallizing.
It wasn't a dream. It was real. Lucy and I...
"Damn it! Stupid Lucy!" I ran my hands through my hair. "I think I know where she is."
I raced to the station and bought the first ticket home. Our hometown was only a few hours away by train.
As the landscape blurred past the window, anxiety gnawed at me. The situation felt horribly familiar—like that night years ago when I'd abandoned Lucy in the forest.
No wonder Lucy has hated me all these years. I knew her fears, knew how much she trusted me, yet I betrayed her for the sake of my own pride.
She has every right to hate me.
The moment the train stopped, I sprinted through familiar streets to Lucy's childhood home.
Lucy's mother's eyes widened: "Lucy? No, we haven't seen her. Is something wrong?"
My heart sank. Had I been wrong?
I stood there, blood draining from my face: What if she really had done something desperate?
Terror gripped me, cold sweat breaking out across my skin, my lungs refusing to work.
Just then, Lucy's mother touched my arm gently: "Kane, breathe. Lucy wouldn't harm herself."
I stared at her, desperate to believe.
Lucy's mother smiled sadly: "I don't know what's happened between you two now, but my daughter has always been stronger than she looks. When things get tough, she might hide away to lick her wounds, but she always comes back fighting."
That's right. Despite her fear of darkness and being alone, little Lucy had still searched for me in that forest, calling my name until her voice gave out.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, shame washing over me. "I've failed her again."
"She doesn't need you to take care of her, Kane. What she wants is for you to notice her."
I stared at Lucy's mother in confusion. Notice her?
Suddenly, it dawned on me. "I know where she is!"
