Chapter 11

Evelyn

Forty-eight hours.

"Thanks, I'll let you know if I hear anything," I say with a shaky voice, desperately holding myself together not to burst into tears again. I lower the phone from my ear and press the red button that ends the call. Kyle's mom and I have been in contact for the last twenty-four hours as they haven't heard from him either and are worried. Looking down, I find that the screen has jumped back to my chat with Noah, displaying his last text message to me.

Noah : I love you too. Will be home at around six. Sleep well.

I had set my alarm for five a.m., got up, prepared his favorite breakfast, got all dressed up, and waited and waited and waited. But he never came. At ten a.m., I tried to call him for the first time, thinking he was stuck in traffic, but he didn't pick up. I tried texting and the messages went through, but he never read them. Around seven p.m. his phone shut off and since then my calls have gone straight to voicemail and my messages don't get delivered. It's the same with Kyle; calls and messages went through until last night, but now they're stuck in a loop.

He's never been gone this long without a word. During all the hits he had to complete before we moved, he always made sure to stay in touch with me.

Tears sting in the corners of my eyes as I curl into myself, clutching my phone. Shortly after his last message, I had a strange feeling. I blamed it on my nerves or the excitement of him coming home soon. But what if my gut was trying to tell me that something was wrong?

My chest burns with every erratic beat of my heart. My body shakes with each sob as I let go of my emotions and let them roll off my shoulders. "You fucking idiot!" I scream, high-pitched and full of distress, as I throw my phone across the sofa.

I was right all along, and yet these two idiots fooled me into thinking that everything would be fine. I let them talk over me, blinded by the fact that they hadn't really failed any jobs over the years. Except for me. I'm the first job he has ever truly failed. The thought keeps replaying in my mind. His perfect record— clean, efficient, flawless— shattered the moment he decided he chose me over his reputation. My mind spirals, each thought darker than the last. What if I set his downfall in motion?

At the sound of nervous wing flapping, my head jerks up, and with the sleeve of my sweater, I wipe away the tears and snot before looking over to the big birdcage in the corner of our living room. Inside is one of Noah's oldest doves, Penelope. He had brought her in days before he left because she was egg bound. He took care of her and asked me to keep an eye on her in case she starts acting differently.

"Sorry, little one." I push myself off the sofa and walk over to the cage, open the small door and let her out. She immediately begins to flap her wings and flies aimlessly around the living room, looking for a place to settle down. Until she finally lands on the back of the sofa where Noah usually sits when we watch movies.

My eyes move from Penelope to my phone on top of the decorative pillows. At the sight of the Polaroid picture of us in my clear phone case, a sharp pain shoots through my chest, like a knife stabbing right through my heart. There must be something I can do. Think, Evelyn, think.

Circling the coffee table, I pick up my phone, swipe my finger across the screen to unlock it, go to my call log, and press Noah's contact again, holding my phone to my ear, but like all the times before, it never rings. Instead, it goes straight to voicemail stating that the number I'm trying to reach is not available.

With a sigh, I lower my phone and scroll through the contacts I've called in the last twenty-four hours. Including Noah, Kyle, Kyle's mom and dad. My fingers stop over one particular contact from a few months back. Riley. I haven't spoken to her in forever. The last time we talked, I just told her that I was able to get rid of the White Dove Killer and that I was safe, but I never told her how and why.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath before pressing her contact and the screen switches to call. I lift the phone to my ear, sit down and wait for her to pick up. As always, after about five rings, she answers.

"Evelyn!" she yells from the other end, and I lift the phone from my ear for a second.

"Hi to you too, Riley," I say, my eyes focusing on my lap where I nervously pick at the fabric of my leggings.

"How have you been?" she asks excitedly.

"Good, how are you? How is work?" I try to sound as normal as I can .

"The last few months have been fantastic," she blurts out. "Since you said you got rid of the Dove Killer, no one has heard from him. Are you sure you didn't kill him by accident?"

I can't help but chuckle. "I'm one hundred percent sure I didn't kill him."

"Well, then maybe you bruised his fragile ego." She snickers.

"No, I definitely didn't." I sigh and Riley falls silent for a moment on the other end.

"Evelyn, are you sure everything is alright?" Her voice is soft, laced with a hint of concern.

"No, there's something I have to tell you."

"What is it? Please don't tell me he's back."

"No. It's something else, but it has to do with him."

"What?" The tone of her voice changes from soft and concerned to confusion and irritation.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting the air out of my lungs with a deep sigh before I speak again. "The reason no one has heard from him in the last few months is because we are dating and he stopped working because of me."

"What?!" Riley yells at me and I lift the phone from my ear, still able to hear her perfectly. "And you didn't tell me this the last time we talked?"

"No, because it's not that easy."

"Well, you 're not wrong about that." She sighs. "You know I have to tell the boss about this, right?"

"No!" I jump to my feet, clutching my phone.

"There is no way I can keep this a secret; you know what he will do if he finds out, let alone that I know about it and keep it from him."

"Riley, please, I will tell him…eventually."

"Oh, really?" The drop in her voice makes her sound like she doesn't believe me.

"Yes?"

"Huh," she hums. "You're not calling just for that reason. What else is going on, Evelyn?"

"Nothing. It was just that," I mutter. Yes, my main goal with this call was to see her reaction when she finds out the truth. Although it could have been worse, I'm not sure if I should tell her what's going on. I can ask her to keep my relationship a secret for a while, but not that the he has vanished from the face of the earth. This is vital information, important to many people in the business, and the boss would need to know.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I wanted to be honest with you because this has been bothering me for a while. "

"Okay," she says. The usual spark in her voice is back but laced with suspicion. "But if there is anything I can do for you, anything , call me. We will find a way."

I nod and a small smile spreads across my face. "I know, thanks for that."

"Of course, you're one of my best friends."