Chapter 152: Madeline
The morning air is crisp, still damp from the salt that seems to live in the bones of this town. My boots tap lightly along the sidewalk beside Liam as we walk toward the harbor. He’s talking about something—probably the dolphins again, or the scuba theory work—but I only catch every few words. My brain’s been in a fog since I woke up.
Well. Not a fog, exactly.
I woke up at the right time. No alarm set, but somehow I just knew when to open my eyes. The first thing I remembered? Not the whale data, not the long night, not even the fact that I was still wearing those tiny sleep shorts under the comforter.
It was him.
Reid. His voice in my ear. The look on his face when I kissed him. The dark heat in his eyes, the way his jaw flexed when he told me how much he wanted me. The things he said. The way he tucked me in afterward like I was something precious he was scared to break.
God. I’d wanted him. Wanted them. More than I’d ever wanted anything. The only reason I didn’t beg him to stay was because I knew he would’ve said no. Knew he was trying so hard to do the right thing. But now…
Now I’m just trying to focus on the harbor in front of me, on today’s data prep, on anything that isn’t the burn he left in my core.
Charlie’s walking with us, her hair pulled into a messy braid and sunglasses already perched on her nose. As we reach the corner near the docks, Liam mumbles something about needing food before he sets foot on a boat. He cuts left toward the diner, muttering about breakfast burritos.
“I’ll wait with you,” Charlie says, leaning against the low wall that separates the street from the harbor walkway.
I nod, hugging my jacket a little tighter. There’s a moment of quiet between us, the kind that usually feels easy. But right now my mind’s halfway between last night and this morning, flickering like a film reel.
Reid’s voice. Trouble, you have no idea how much I want you.
Jake’s hands on my waist the other day.
The quiet understanding in both of their eyes.
“Madeline?” Charlie’s voice pulls me back.
“Hm?”
She tilts her head. “You okay? You look like you’re about to walk into traffic.”
I open my mouth to respond but stop when I hear it.
Ping.
Then again. Ping.
I look down at my phone in my hand, frowning. Three messages. Unknown number.
I freeze. The screen glows.
“hey”
“how have you been?”
“I miss you. I need to see you again.”
My stomach drops. The air around me goes cold.
No.
No no no no.
I can’t breathe. My hands start to shake, phone trembling between my fingers.
Charlie steps closer. “Mads? What’s wrong?”
I can’t speak. I just hand her the phone.
She reads the messages and gasps. “What the—” Her voice sharpens. “Who the hell is this?”
I don’t answer. I can’t. My heart is pounding so fast I feel lightheaded.
She looks at me again, trying to ground me. “You don’t recognize the number?”
I shake my head. “No. But… I changed my number. When I left. No one had this.”
Her brows pinch, but her voice stays calm. “Okay. That’s a good thing. So maybe it’s just someone with the wrong number, you know? Like someone trying to reach their friend or whatever.”
“I—” My voice cracks. “I don’t know. It… it feels like him.”
Charlie wraps an arm around me, pulling me into her side. “Hey, hey. Look at me. You’re okay. No one’s here. You’re safe. You’re not there anymore, okay?”
I nod, but it feels mechanical. My thoughts are spinning too fast to hold onto any of them.
She gently takes the phone again and blocks the number. “There. Gone. They can’t message you again, alright?”
“But what if they try again? What if they find me?” My voice is small. Scared.
Charlie grabs both of my hands. “No one’s finding you. You did everything right. You’re not alone. We’re here. I’m here. And the whole team? We'd burn the world down if someone even tried to come near you. You know that.”
I swallow hard. My chest still feels tight. But I nod again.
“Okay,” she says softly. “Don’t let this ruin your day. You’ve come too far to give him any more of your life.”
I want to believe her.
So I do.
I nod once more, force a shaky breath in, and whisper, “I’m fine. I’m fine.”
Because I have to be.
Liam exits the diner with a breakfast burrito the size of his head and a second one in his other hand, already mid-bite as he crosses the sidewalk toward us.
Charlie’s arm is still looped through mine, her hold casual to him, but grounding for me. Her fingers squeeze once—subtle, strong—just as Liam reaches us.
“I got two,” he says, mouth full, lifting the burrito in offering. “Wasn’t sure if you ate.”
I manage a small smile. “Thanks. That’s sweet of you.”
“Sweet? No. I just didn’t want to share mine.” He grins and takes another massive bite, completely oblivious to the hurricane I just lived through.
Charlie lets go of my arm and stretches like she hasn’t been holding me together for the last five minutes.
“I’m gonna head to the bookstore before I look over the data at the diner,” she says casually, brushing invisible lint off her jacket. Then, as she leans in to fix the collar of mine, she adds under her breath, “Remember—you’re not alone.”
It’s so quiet, so natural, that Liam doesn’t even blink. He’s too busy unwrapping the burrito like it’s Christmas.
I nod, just once. I don’t think I can speak without crying again.
She smooths the edge of my collar like she’s fixing a fold, then steps back with a sunny smile. “Have fun on the boat, Mads.”
“You have fun too,” I say, voice just above a whisper.
Liam’s already halfway down the dock, complaining about the cold and trying to juggle his food and his bag. I follow, walking slowly at first, glancing back only once.
Charlie is still watching me. Still anchored. She gives me a small salute, like she’s got my back.
And I believe her once more.
I tighten my grip on the burrito, tuck my chin down, and keep walking toward the boat.