Chapter 46

Chapter

Forty-Six

I race backtowards the pavilion, the crunch of my footsteps on the gravel echoing the beat of my heart. My mind is a whirlwind of regret and resolve—I need to make things right with Claire, and I need to do it now. But as reach the grandstands, the person I encounter isn"t Claire; it"s Eliza, and the look on her face tells me she"s anything but pleased to see me.

"Morgan! Where the hell have you been?" Eliza snaps, her eyes flashing with anger. "Do you have any idea what you"ve done?"

I take a deep breath, bracing myself. "Eliza, I?—"

"No, I don"t want to hear your excuses. Not this time!" she cuts me off, her voice rising. "You think you"re the only one hurting? You think you"re the only one who lost something? I lost my brother, too, but have I shut everyone out? No!"

I try to interject, to explain, but she plows ahead, relentless. "And I don"t need to hear about the baseball career you lost or any other sob story you want to throw out there. We all have our demons, Morgan, but we don't let them destroy the people we care about!"

Her words sting, each one a reminder of the pain I"ve caused. "Eliza, please," I manage to say, my voice strained with emotion.

She pauses, her chest heaving with pent-up frustration. The silence hangs heavy between us for a moment before she finally speaks again, her tone slightly softer but still edged with hurt. "Why are you even here? You've already hurt her enough.

"I know," I say, my voice firmer this time. "That's why I"m here. I"m trying to make things right. Now, where"s Claire?"

Eliza"s expression shifts to one of resignation. "You mean after she short-circuited the entire kitchen and half of Mystic Hollow?" Her attempt at humor does little to mask the concern underlying her words.

I nod, anxiety knotting my stomach. "Yeah, after that. I need to find her."

Eliza sighs, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I gave her my keys so she could take a minute. She needed some space."

I swear under my breath.

"Oh, so now you want to be a hero?" Eliza shoots back.

I don't wait a second longer. A sense of urgency propels me forward. I turn on my heel, already mapping out where Claire might have gone. There"s only one place I can think of. I can only pray she's there now.