Anonymous(35)

There’s a gazebo up ahead, overlooking a pond, so we go inside and sit down. The air smells different than back home, maybe it’s because we’re in one of the biggest cities in Virginia. Taking a deep breath, I gaze out at the pond. “What are you thinking about?” Owen asks.

I nod at the pond. “I’ve always wanted a pond of my own, so that in the winter time it’ll freeze over and I can ice skate.”

Shaking his head, his lips pull back. “You don’t even know how to ice skate, Ells. I took you one time, remember? It was you, me, and Amanda. We met Cam and Richard at the rink.” Amanda had been his girlfriend at the time, and Cam and Richard were two of his friends. After he switched colleges, they’d grown apart.

Bursting out with laughter, I cover my face with my hands. I remember that day very well. “Oh my God, I was horrible. My body was bruised after that.”

He snorts. “So was mine. You dragged me down to the ice with you.”

We both laugh, and it feels good to forget about my problems. “Those were the good ol’ days, weren’t they?” I say. “Do you ever see or talk to Amanda?”

“Nope,” he replies with a shake of his head. “I think she’s married with three kids now.”

“What about Kimberly? Has she tried to contact you?”

His jaw clenches and I’m starting to hate that I brought it up. “No. She’s probably enjoying life with her new boyfriend.”

“I’m sorry, Owen. Maybe by Christmas you’ll have somebody new.”

He looks incredulously at me. “That’s in about three weeks, Ellie. Right now, I’m here with you. Hell, there’s a chance we could be stuck spending Christmas together.”

The thought makes my stomach clench. “Do you really think we’ll have to stay hidden that long?”

He looks out at the pond. “I hope not, but you never know.” That doesn’t help. His gaze meets mine. “But if we do, I’ll make sure you have a Christmas tree. I know it’s your favorite holiday.”

Rubbing a hand over my stomach, I can’t help but wonder what’s going on inside my body. What if I’m pregnant? I’m going to find out in the next week, if I am or not. I want to wrap up the results and give it to Jake Christmas morning. I’ve had it planned, ever since we’d started trying.

“Thanks, Owen. You’ve never let me down.”

His phone rings and when he peers down at the screen, he hands it over. “It’s Jake. I figured you’ll want to talk to him first.”

Excitement bubbling in my chest, I grab the phone. “Hey,” I answer excitedly.

A relieved sigh escapes his lips. “Fuck, I miss you.”

My eyes burn. “I know the feeling. How are you?”

“Good. Just tired. There’s a lot going on down here. Are you okay?”

I look over at Owen. “We’re fine. Have you called my family and Vikki?”

“Yep. Vikki has everything under control at the bakery, and your parents are worried to death. I told them you’ll be okay and that you’re with Owen. Maybe you can give them a call tonight?”

I glance over at Owen and ask if I can call my parents later on.

“Should be okay,” he says low.

I’m not looking forward to answering all of their questions, especially since I kept everything from them for so long. “Owen told me that Bryan’s been caught. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come home soon.”

Jake huffs. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“What? Why?” I gasp, causing Owen’s brows to furrow with curiosity.

“Because according to Bryan’s toxicology reports, he was doped up on Propofol to the point there’s no way he could’ve trekked all the way from our house on down to Route 16. The doctor says he wouldn’t have been able to walk at all.”

So many things jumble through my mind and I can’t grasp it. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”

Jake sighs again. “It means that someone else is a part of this, and the police have no clue who it could be.”

The breath whooshes out of my lungs and I fall back against the wood railing, feeling it jab into my skin. Tears fall down my cheeks and I close my eyes. My voice shakes when I speak. “What are we going to do?”

“It’ll be okay, Ellie. Do you mind putting me on speakerphone, so Owen can hear?”

I do as he says and place the phone between us. “He can hear you now.”

“What’s going on?” Owen asks. And once Jake gets done explaining to him what he’d told me, he peers over at me. “Any ideas?”

I shake my head. “No one comes to mind.”

“I need you to continue as planned and move around,” Jake says. “At least until the police figure out if someone else is actually involved. If there is, I don’t want them finding you.”

“What about you?” Owen asks. “Are you going to stay in North Carolina?”

It’s like time stands still. I know Jake wants to be there to help with the case and he also needs to keep working, but I need him more. “For a few days,” he replies, “but then I plan on finding my way to you guys. I’m not going to let whoever the fuck is doing this keep me from Ellie.”