Chapter 148

Eleanor's POV

Didn't know Jack had his phone out, taking photo after photo—of Julian kissing me, of us sitting together, of the happiness on our faces.

Didn't know his expression was twisted with rage and bitter satisfaction as he watched.

Didn't know he'd been following us all morning. From the diner to the church to here.

All I knew was Julian's arms were around me, and for this moment, that was enough.

---

The afternoon sun was starting to dip toward the horizon—earlier than it would in summer, but later than it had been in December—painting everything in shades of gold and amber when Julian stood and brushed crumbs from his jeans.

"Stay here," he said, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Be right back."

I looked up, shading my eyes against the sun. "Where you going?"

"That old candy shop around the corner. The one that makes those caramel apple candies you love." He was already backing away, that teasing smile on his face. "The ones with sea salt you always say are too sweet but eat the whole bag anyway."

My cheeks heated. "I do not eat the whole bag."

"You absolutely do." He laughed. "Five minutes, Red. Don't move."

"I'll be right here." I settled back on the bench, watching him jog toward the commercial street. "Hurry back!"

He turned and jogged backward a few steps, grinning. "Miss me already?"

"Always!" I called back, and his grin widened before he turned and disappeared around the corner.

I sat there soaking in the happiness. The mild late winter sun on my face—that deceptive warmth that made you think spring had arrived. Lingering warmth of Julian's kiss. Simple, perfect joy of being loved by someone who actually saw me.

This is what it's supposed to feel like. This is what I was missing.

I pulled out my phone to check the time—and that's when I felt it.

Prickle of awareness at the back of my neck. Sensation of being watched.

I looked up, scanning. Families with kids—more of them than there'd been in the depths of winter, drawn out by the milder weather. Elderly couple walking their dog. Jogger passing by.

Nothing unusual.

But the feeling didn't go away.

I stood, suddenly uneasy, and that's when I heard footsteps behind me—too close, too fast.

I started to turn—

A hand clamped over my mouth from behind. Hard. Unyielding.

I tried to scream but the sound was muffled against a palm that smelled like cigarettes and something chemical. My hands flew up to claw at the arm around my waist, panic exploding.

A cloth pressed against my nose and mouth. Sweet. Sickly sweet.

No. No no no—

I thrashed, trying to break free, but the grip was too strong. My vision started blurring at the edges.

Julian. Julian, please—

With the last of my strength, I reached down and pressed the emergency button on my phone—the SOS feature Julian had insisted I set up. Then grabbed the bracelet on my wrist—the silver one Julian had given me, engraved J♡E—and yanked hard.

The clasp broke. Bracelet fell from my hand.

Find me. Please find me.

Chemical smell overwhelmed everything. World tilted, darkened.

Last thing I heard before everything went black was a voice—low and bitter and familiar in a way that made my blood run cold.

"Hello, Eleanor. Been a long time."

Then nothing.

---

Julian's POV

The bell chimed as I pushed open the door of Chen's Candy Shop—a store run by a Chinese-American owner. The familiar scent of caramel and sugar washed over me, sweet and warm, exactly as I remembered from childhood.

Mrs. Chen looked up and smiled, weathered face crinkling. "Julian Vance. Haven't seen you in months."

"Hi, Mrs. Chen." I moved to the display case, already spotting the caramel apple candies. "Can I get a dozen? The ones with sea salt?"

"For that Sterling girl?" She was already reaching for a bag, smile widening. "You two finally figured it out. About time."

My face heated. "Yes, ma'am."

"Been watching you two since you were children." She wrapped the candies careful, placed them in a small white bag. "Always fighting, always stealing glances when you thought the other wasn't looking. Told my husband years ago—those two are gonna end up together someday."

"You called it." I pulled out my wallet. "How much?"

"On the house." She slid the bag over. "Consider it a celebration of your new relationship. I saw your confession video going viral all over the internet. She's finally with you, so don't you dare mistreat her."

"Mrs. Chen, I can't—"

"You can and you will." Her expression turned serious. "Julian, I could tell she's had a crush on you all along. Don't take that for granted."

Something in her tone made me pause. "I won't. Promise."

"Good." She patted my hand. "Now go. Don't keep her waiting."

I took the bag and headed for the door, already thinking about how Elle's face would light up when she saw the candies. How she'd pretend to be annoyed I remembered, even though we both knew she loved it.

Walk back felt longer than it should. Something prickled at the back of my neck—that animal awareness that said something's wrong.

I picked up my pace.

When I rounded the corner to where I'd left Elle, the bench was empty.

My heart stopped.

Bag of candies slipped from my hand, hitting pavement with a soft thud.

"Elle?" Voice came out hoarse. I scanned the area—bench, path, trees. "Eleanor!"

Nothing.

I ran to the bench, pulse hammering in my ears. Maybe she just went to the bathroom. Maybe got a call and stepped away for privacy.

Then I saw it—glint of silver on the ground near the bench.

I dropped to my knees and grabbed it with shaking hands.

The bracelet. The one I'd given her three weeks ago, engraved with our initials inside a heart. Clasp was broken—torn, not worn. Like she'd ripped it off deliberately.

Next to it was her phone, screen cracked, emergency SOS alert still active on the display.

Cold terror flooded my veins, sharp and immediate.

No. No no no—

I grabbed both items, mind racing. She wouldn't have just left. Wouldn't have broken the bracelet unless—

Unless she'd been forced to. Unless she'd left it as a message.

Find me.

I pulled out my phone and called her number with trembling fingers. Went straight to voicemail.

Think. Think, goddammit.

I forced myself to breathe, to look at the scene with clear eyes instead of panic.

The bench. Bracelet and phone on the ground. No signs of struggle in the immediate area, which meant—

I looked more careful. There—faint drag marks in the grass, leading away from the bench toward the parking lot. And beyond that, tire tracks that looked fresh.

Someone had taken her. Grabbed her, drugged her or knocked her out, dragged her to a vehicle.

Tire tracks led toward the old reservoir road.

The reservoir.

Word hit me like a physical blow.

Water. She was terrified of water. Had been since—

Since she was eight. Since someone pushed her into the ocean and she almost drowned.

My hands were shaking as I dialed Wyatt's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Julian? What—"

"Elle's been taken." Words came out flat, controlled only through sheer force of will. "Riverside Park. Found her bracelet and phone. Emergency SOS was activated. Drag marks leading toward reservoir road."

Silence. Then Wyatt's voice, cold and sharp: "I'm half an hour away. Don't do anything stupid. Wait for me."

"Fuck waiting." I was already running toward my car. "I'm going after her."

"Julian—"

"She's terrified of water, Wyatt." My voice cracked. "If someone took her to the reservoir, if they know about what happened when she was eight—"