Chapter 14
How could this be?
Rico stood frozen, staring up at the dark windows of his apartment. A wave of inexplicable panic surged through him. Ever since Maddie had moved in, she had left a light on for him every night.
No matter how late he got home, she would be there–bathed in the warm glow of a lamp, soft music playing in the background as her fingers danced across her keyboard. That light had become a beacon for him, a promise that someone was waiting.
But tonight, there was no light.
Rico’s heartbeat quickened as he rushed into the building, his anxiety mounting with every step. He jabbed the elevator button repeatedly, muttering under his breath as the doors finally slid open.
When he reached his apartment, he fumbled with his keys and pushed the door
90% 15:52
1/6
Chapter 14
open. The sight that greeted him made him stop in his tracks.
The entire apartment was dark and cold, the silence oppressive. The pale moonlight filtering through the windows cast long, eerie shadows on the bare walls.
Rico swallowed hard, his throat dry. He reached for the light switch.
“Snap!”
The warm glow of the light flooded the living room, but it did nothing to comfort him. Instead, it revealed the unsettling
truth.
The doll that used to sit on the sofa? Gone.
The grass–green rug Maddie had insisted
on? Gone.
The little yellow duck cushion she loved?
Gone.
Every trace of Maddie had vanished.
Rico’s chest tightened as he stumbled toward the door of her room. He knocked,
2/6
hapter 14
treetard.
Maddie!” he called out, his voice swaschoing in the empty apartment.
Te. The
Jo answer.
windo
2 barevs knocking turned frantic. “Maddie! Are
quin there? Say something!”
- his th
switch nothing.
e light
Im coming in!” he shouted, twisting doorknob and pushing the door open.
id nothir room was empty.
aled the
The bed was stripped bare. The dresser, nice cluttered with her belongings, was sit on an and empty. He flung open the closet
rs, only to find them barren. Not a gle piece of clothing remained.
Maddie
k cushik c
laddie…” he whispered, his voice aking. “This isn’t funny. Come out.
ase…”
ie hade har
there was no one to answer him. ned asted as
ermmos legs felt weak as he stumbled back
90% 15:52
3/6
- ))
191
Chapter 14
and sat heavily on the edge of her bed. His hands trembled as he looked around the
room. That’s when he noticed it–a photo album and a bank card sitting neatly on the nightstand.
His hands moved on their own, reaching for the album. Maybe it held some clue about where she had gone.
When he opened it, he froze.
The album was filled with photos of him.
Rico flipped through the pages slowly, his breath hitching with each image. Every photo was a snapshot of their life together and on the back of each one was a
handwritten note in Maddie’s elegant script:
“Seeing you eating the breakfast I made in
the sunlight makes me so happy.”
“You still look handsome even in an apron, frying pancakes.”
“You were so cute when you were drunk
909, 35.52
4/6
Chapter 14
httonight–I couldn’t resist taking a
ang
sages
picture.”
“The e drama you and Jane starred in was excellent, but I hate how fans say you two are a perfect match.”
“I went to your celebration party today. Seeing you and Jane kiss…I think it’s time for me to let go.
Rico’s chest felt like it was caving in. He pachad known Maddie liked to take pictures, but he had never paid much attention to what she captured. Now he realized she had been documenting their life together, cherishing moments he had dismissed as ordinary.
berli
new
lie’s
reakia
Then, as he turned the page, his breath caught.
hamA photo of Jane in a swimsuit stared back
at him.
even
YOUT
He flipped through the remaining pages, Iread pooling in his stomach. The rest of he album was filled with pictures of Jane-
90% 16:52
5/6
Chapter 14
photos taken at the beach, at parties, on
set.
But in every image, tucked discreetly in the background, was him.
Rico‘ s hands trembled as he closed the album, his mind racing.
She had seen it all.
The moments he had convinced himself didn’t matter. The kisses he had told himself were just for the cameras. The growing distance he had ignored.
And now, she was gone.
You might also like
Broken
