Chapter Twenty-Seven

In Which Things Put Themselves Back Together

One week, three days, and one hour since Lucia had gone missing.

Elisa was beginning to lose steam.

Every day, she went through the motions. Get up. Check Lucia’s social media. Call all her friends. Share the “missing” post she’d made once again. Try to call Lucia. Wait for any word from the police. She would walk around town for any sign of her sister, while her parents would drive around, and Julieta managed things that could be done from home. Come home. Try to sleep.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

After the first day, she didn’t even have the option of calling Wick’s cell every hour anymore. Soon, the calls had started going right to voicemail, and then, she’d started getting an automated “the number you have dialed is not in service” message. She shouldn’t have been surprised he had experience in slipping off the grid, even if only temporarily.

The trail had gone completely cold, it seemed.

She’d done her best not to break down crying in front of anyone else, no matter how hard it got. Things were stressful enough. She didn’t need to pile on. She had to just keep pushing through, keep looking until they found her.

She missed Darcy.

It was a strange thing to think, in the middle of a crisis, but she really, really missed Darcy. She wanted to cry, and she wanted to cry to someone who had been through this, too—and come out the other side. She wanted to hear her reassure her that it was all going to be fine.

She wanted to believe it was all going to be fine.

Elisa blew off school—she’d emailed her professors explaining why, but she hadn’t bothered to check to see if they’d answered yet. If they understood, great. If not, who cared? There were worse things than having to repeat a course. They’d alerted Lucia’s high school. Maria and Camila had returned there when spring break ended. Elisa was grateful her senior year of high school was at college.

Apparently, other students had found out pretty quick that Lucia was gone, and they had to endure questions, stares, and whispers. Cam, in particular, was having a hard time. Even though they were in different grades, Lucia was her constant companion at school as well as at home. She was barely getting through the day.

Elisa did her best to comfort her, but it was hard, especially when she felt like crying half the time herself.

Charlene and Colin had both been forced to return to work and school but were over at the apartment with Elisa every chance they got. Her father had practically moved back in, sleeping on the couch, and promised he wouldn’t leave until Lucia was found. Willow had scoured all of Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas but hadn’t come across a single clue as to where Lucia and Wick may have gone from there—just that they’d either left or were doing a remarkably good job at hiding. She was now back in Steventon and offered to skip class so she could be around to help, but Elisa wouldn’t let her.

On the third day of Lucia’s disappearance, her mother had said six words that she’d never, ever expected to hear her say of her own free will: “I should have listened to you.”

They’d been fixing a haphazard dinner of microwave pasta and the cheapest garlic bread money could buy. Elisa almost dropped the plate she was holding, certain she hadn’t heard her correctly.

Her mother continued, “Ever since we got that call, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how Lulu is off doing who-knows-what with that creep, and how I could’ve stopped it from happening if I just…”

“Mama, don’t beat yourself up,” she said gently, reaching to touch her shoulder. “I mean, I knew Wick was a predator, but I didn’t tell anybody. I wanted to protect my friend’s privacy, so I just…didn’t warn her, even though I should have. I thought I was doing the right thing. Look where that’s gotten us.”

She sniffled. “Still. I’m her mother. I should’ve had better instincts. I should’ve been more vigilant.”

“There are a lot of ‘could’ves’ and ‘should’ves,’” Elisa said, remembering Darcy’s words to her just before she left for home.

“Yeah. Like I should’ve listened to you. I’m sorry, Elisa.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too.”

Personally, she was in no mood to gloat. She’d never been less happy to be right in her entire life.

She had spent an irritating amount of time on Wick’s social media pages, hoping against hope he’d slip up and reveal something. He was posting semi-regularly, presumably from a new phone, but nothing was geotagged, and he never mentioned where he was—not even a state. He was smart, smarter than he acted—smarter than she had given him credit for.

She was about to make the usual rounds to Lucia’s favorite hangouts, on the off-chance she’d gone to any of them, when there was a knock at the door.

Alejandra, Miguel, and Elisa all practically tripped over each other to answer it, but Elisa got there first. She threw open the door, but it wasn’t Lucia.

“Bobby?” she said, unable to hide her surprise.

“Hey—Darcy told me what happened,” he said, stepping inside. His blue eyes were shining with concern. “I came as soon as I could. I wanted to see if there was anything I can do to help.”

“Nothing comes to mind,” Mom said, “but we appreciate you coming, anyway.”

Julieta emerged from her room and stopped. Elisa tensed, wondering what she would say or do upon seeing her ex for the first time since he ditched her. She tried not to cringe as her sister’s mouth opened, preparing herself for an explosion.

“Bobby. You’re here,” she said.

Wait, what?

He nodded quickly, too quickly. “Yeah, I… I had to come and see if there was anything I could do to help.”

“Thank you.”

She sounded like she meant it, but her voice was just a touch cooler than it ever had been around him before. Bobby definitely noticed but didn’t say anything in reply. His eyes just darted nervously from Julieta to the floor and back again. Elisa hoped one of them would speak to the other, but neither of them did.

“I was just about to walk around town to see if anyone’s seen her,” Elisa finally said, partially just to fill the awkward silence. “I could use a ride. I can cover more ground that way.”

Bobby nodded, tearing his gaze away from Julieta. “Okay. Sure. I can do that. Anything you need. I—I can’t imagine how awful this must be for all of you.”

In Bobby’s bright red Lexus, checking all of Lucia’s favorite places only took about an hour and a half, and most of that was Elisa hopping out of the car and running inside each location to see if anyone had seen her sister. All the cashiers and managers knew the situation and had promised they’d call if they saw Lucia, but she couldn’t resist going to ask in person anyway. Just in case.

“That’s the last place on my list.” Elisa sighed, slumping back into the passenger’s seat, having just come out of Lucia’s favorite store in the mall. “No one’s seen or heard a thing.”

“And her social media’s still silent?” Bobby asked, looking at Elisa with concern in his eyes. She tried her best to stop herself from sniffling.

“Not a word since the morning she vanished,” she confirmed.

He took a slightly trembling breath. “I don’t want to scare you,” he said, “but are you sure that note she left was really—?”

Elisa nodded. “We already thought of that,” she said. “We gave the cops her planners and old diary to compare the handwriting. Definitely hers.”

She wiped away some newly-formed tears with the back of her hand. He pretended not to notice, turning on the car again.

“When Wick was with Gianna, he’d take her to motels sometimes,” he said slowly. “Gianna told her sister she was going to the library or the mall, but…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “You know. It couldn’t hurt to check out some motels nearby. See if she’s with him in any of them…”

Elisa nodded, trying her best not to dwell too much on that image.

“Yeah. Yeah. Let’s—let’s go.”

…

They hit every hotel and motel in Steventon but found no sign of Lucia. This wasn’t really a surprise; Wick would have to be pretty dumb to bring Lucia back here. It had been a longshot, and they both knew it. So, when Bobby suggested they drive over to a nearby town to see if maybe they were hiding out there, she agreed. She didn’t know if it would do any good. She had to be doing something. Doing nothing was a fast-track to insanity.

“Just twenty more minutes of driving, then we’ll be in Wylit,” Bobby said. The town was nearby, a little nothing of a community, easily accessible via the highway. Elisa couldn’t imagine why anyone would stay there—unless, of course, they didn’t want to be found.

She sighed, nodding, leaning her head against the window.

“Thank you for doing this,” she said. “I really appreciate it. I know my parents and sisters do, too.”

“You’re welcome. I’m just sorry I couldn’t get here earlier.” He sighed, fingers nervously drumming on the steering wheel. “I wanted to come as soon as Darcy told me, but I was trapped at a work thing—actually, I’m still supposed to be there. But Jules was texting me updates the entire time—and when it had been a week and still nothing… I couldn’t stay away another minute.”

Elisa glanced over at him, surprised. “You’ve been talking to Julieta?”

He blushed. “Yeah, I mean, after she turned me down, she said we could be frie—”

“What?”

He went even redder. “I thought she would’ve told you by now.”

“Well, she didn’t. But now, you have to. You can’t leave me with that.”

Elisa wasn’t sure how much of her interest was her being genuinely invested in the relationship, and how much was just her wanting to distract herself.

Bobby ran a hand through his blond hair, letting out a long breath.

“After I saw you at Pemberley,” he said, “I realized I couldn’t go on without Julieta like I had. I missed her so much it was like my arm had been cut off. I thought about calling her a thousand times, but…I was scared. When Darcy told me she thought Julieta wasn’t into it, I panicked. I cut her off before I could think it through. I figured doing it that way would save me the heartache, but…” He licked his lips, trying to find words. “The further back I pulled from Julieta, the more I realized how much I wanted to be with her. Within two weeks of leaving, I was kicking myself for ever listening to Darcy.”

“Why did you?” Elisa asked quietly.

“Like I said, I panicked. I’ve never felt this way about anyone—I’ve loved women before, sure, but…not like this. The idea that maybe it was all one-sided was…was terrifying. And Darcy’s never done me wrong, at least, not on purpose. I knew she wouldn’t suggest Julieta didn’t love me back unless she truly believed it. So, I panicked, and like an idiot, I left behind the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Elisa listened to him.

And to think Julieta had thought she’d meant nothing to him.

“By the time I was ready to accept I’d made a huge mistake, it seemed like it was too late,” Bobby said. “Especially since she was going out with other people.”

“How’d you know that?”

He flushed with red. “Look, internet-stalking your ex is a very important part of the healing process. Before she unfriends you, I mean.”

Elisa snorted. “If it makes you feel any better, the guy she went out with for Valentine’s Day was a rebound if I ever saw one.”

“That actually does make me feel a bit better,” he admitted. “Anyway, I was trying to get over her—and failing miserably. And then I saw you at Pemberley. After you told me to talk to her myself, I decided you were right.”

“I usually am.”

“I drove over to Steventon that night and showed up at the apartment. Fortunately, Julieta was home alone—I think your mother may have killed me on sight for what I did. Not that I blame her. Jules was surprised to see me, but she agreed to get a bite to eat someplace. I explained everything. I told her what Darcy had told me, and how I had been an idiot and listened to her instead of using my judgement, and how I regretted it every second we were apart, and that I wanted to try again. And…she turned me down.”

“Wow,” she said. She could scarcely imagine that.

“When I asked her out again, she said…she said, ‘How do I know you won’t run off again?’ I said, ‘Because Darcy won’t pull anything like that again.’ And she asked, ‘How can I date a man who can’t make his own choices?’ And I realized…she was right. I told her I loved her, and she called me an idiot.

She said I blew it, and then walked out on me to prove it. I went home, hating life, but the next morning, I woke up to a long email from Julieta. She said that she’d meant what she said the night before, but that she still missed me, and didn’t want to throw away what we’d had. She said she wasn’t sure if it could ever be fixed, but she wanted to try. But she didn’t want to start dating again—she wanted to be friends. She said that we can be friends, and if it grows into something more, great, but it’s a long way off, and in the meantime, maybe we should see other people.”

“Are there other people?”

He laughed. “No. At least not on my side. I’m not pushing anything with Jules, though. I’m just glad she’s willing to talk to me now. And she’s a good friend.”

“She is.” Elisa reached over to pat his arm. “She does still love you, you know. Fixing things may not take as long as you think. But if you ever pull a disappearing act like that ever again, I will bury you alive.”

“I’ll hand you the shovel.”

…

Elisa and Bobby were almost at the last hotel in Wylit when the call came.

“It’s Mom, I should take this,” she said, grabbing her cell phone out of her pocket. She answered the call. “Hello?”

“Lucia’s home.”

“What?” She began smacking Bobby on the arm, and he let out an “ow!” with each slap. “She’s home?”

“She’s home,” Mom said. She sounded like she’d been crying.

“Oh, thank God… Is she hurt at all?”

“She has a busted lip and a bruise on her cheek. I’m grateful it’s only that.”

“Yeah—yeah, me too.”

“You were right—she was with George Sedgwick. And she’s pressing charges.”

“Oh good. Was he with her?”

“No. She showed up alone.”

“We’re headed over right now,” Elisa said.

“No, go to the police station. Your father and I are about to take her over.”

“Okay. Okay, we’ll go to the station… Bobby and I are in Wylit. We thought she might be hiding out here.”

“You were close,” she said. “She said she and Wick were in Parkersburg.”

Parkersburg was about two towns away from Steventon, barely an hour’s drive. Elisa kicked herself for not thinking to check there sooner.

“I’ll be there soon,” she said. “Can I talk to Lulu?”

“I don’t think a full SWAT team could pull her away from Cam right now.”

“Okay, I’ll wait my turn.” She sighed. “See you at the station.”

She hung up, bouncing up and down in her seat. The sheer relief now turned into tears, streaming down her cheeks even as she smiled. It felt like she hadn’t done that in years. Her sister was home, and safe. And if things went well, Wick would never be able to go near another girl ever again.

“She’s safe?” Bobby asked, having already turned the car around to head back to Steventon.

“She’s safe.” Elisa grinned. “We’re not sure where Wick is, but she’s decided to press charges, so hopefully the cops will find him.”

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Relieved,” she said. “Like I’ve been coiled up impossibly tight for the past week, and now I can finally unravel.”

Bobby drove as quickly as possible to Steventon, but as far as Elisa was concerned, no speed was fast enough.

…

“Where is she?” was the first thing Elisa asked when she arrived at the police station, and saw her entire family, sans Lucia, waiting in the lobby. They were all in various states of disarray, but they all looked much more at ease than they had been all week. Camila’s makeup was smudged from crying, as she leaned against her father’s shoulder. Elisa ran toward them, heart pounding. Bobby had come inside with her, but hung back, not wanting to interfere.

“She’s giving her statement,” her dad said. “Your mother and I offered to go in with her, but she insisted she’d be okay alone. We didn’t want to push her…”

“She won’t tell us the details of how she got home or what happened.” Julieta sighed from where she sat on the floor with Maria. The bench in the lobby hadn’t had enough room for the whole family. “She promised to tell the police everything, but she said she needs some time before she tells us.”

“Personally, I’m willing to give her all the time in the world, but I would like to know…” Mom sighed. “The important thing is she’s all right.”

“Talking about me?” a small voice said.

Everyone looked up as Lucia emerged, accompanied by an officer.

What little remained of Elisa’s dignity went out the window the second she saw her baby sister. She almost tripped over Maria in her hurry to run over to throw her arms around her. The tears were back, and more uncontrollable than ever.

“Oh, Lulu, I was so scared I’d never see you again,” she said, blubbering like an idiot. She hugged Lucia tightly, too tightly, unable to fathom ever letting go.

“I’m here, Elisa,” she said quietly. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her older sister, and she seemed to crumble a bit. “You were right. About Wick. About how I should stay away from him. You were right,” Her voice broke. “I’m so sorry, Elisa…”

“Shhh, shh, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not—no it’s not, I scared everyone and ran off with someone you tried to tell me was bad news…”

Elisa pulled back to look her sister in the eye.

“Listen to me,” she said gently, though she was still crying. “He’s scum. This isn’t your fault. He’s the bad guy here, not you.”

“But I—I went with him, I said yes. He never… he never forced me to do anything… At least, not to start with—”

“He’s the adult. He should’ve known better. He does know better It was his responsibility to make sure nothing like this happened,” she said. “He took advantage of you.”

“I should’ve listened to you,” Lucia repeated. “I—I met him in Florida, and—and he seemed so charming and nice and sweet, and, and…and I figured he couldn’t have done whatever it was you thought he did, and…and the fact that you told me to stay away made me want him more because I’m such an idiot…” Her voice broke as a fresh wave of tears spilled down her face.

“You’re not an idiot,” she said. “I should’ve told you the full truth. I should’ve fought harder to protect you…”

“You can’t always protect me from myself.”

“No,” she admitted, “but I can try.”

Lucia managed a smile, though she was still crying, and hugged Elisa tightly once more.

Elisa wanted to stay here, with her little sister safe in her arms, forever.