Chapter 14
Liam’s POV
Staring at the area where Nora’s favorite recliner used to be, I stood in the center of the living room. Although the apartment was technically still furnished, it felt empty without her belongings, like a hollow shell of the life we had created
The little hint of vanilla that used to cling to the air after she left the room was gone, too. At first, I hadn’t noticed it disappearing, but now it was clearly gone.
Where I had left the ripped photo, it was on the coffee table. The edges were scratchy against my fingertips when I lifted it up once more. I kept staring at her smile. I may never see that smile. again; I had taken it for granted.
I needed to locate her.
I started by looking in her office. Even though I hadn’t been there in months, I could s
recall the
modern glass doors and the tidy little plaque with her name on it. The receptionist hardly looked up from her computer when I got there.
I tried to seem calm as I said, “I’m here to see Nora Carter ”
Her fingers paused on the keyboard as the woman scowled. I apologize, but Ms. Carter is no longer employed here.”
Her remarks were like a kick to the stomach. “What are you saying? At what time did she depart?
“A few weeks ago,” she answered in a sharp voice. If you’re looking for a forwarding address, she
didn’t give one.”
I gave a blank nod and muttered a brief “thank you before turning to go.
The midday light felt harsh outside, its brightness a stark contrast to the gloom that was
infiltrating my mind. She had also quit her work. She was determined to stop having me in her
life.
For the next few hours, I drove her to the places she used to enjoy the park where she used to jog in the mornings, the bookstore where she could lose herself for hours, and the small coffee shop on Main Street where we had our first date.
However, she wasn’t present at any of them.
She had completely removed herself from my life, and every vacant bench and strange face served as a reminder of this.
Desperation and frustration had set in by the time I arrived home. Staring at my phone, I sat at the kitchen table. For days, I had resisted phoning her phone since I knew it would be pointless. But
rationality was overcome by desperation.
Holding my breath as the line rang. I phoned.
“The number you entered is no longer operational. Please try again after checking the number.
The automated voice sounded icy and definitive..
She had unplugged her phone.
With the weight of her absence bearing down on me like a physical force, I put the device down.
I attempted to call her pals the following day–the people we used to go out on double dates or see at gatherings. The majority of them said they hadn’t heard from her recently and were courteous but evasive. Some people seemed genuinely shocked to hear that she had departed.
However, one call caught our attention.
With caution, her companion Rachel added, “Liam, I think you should let her go.”
“What is the intended meaning of that?” With a hint of annoyance in my voice, I inquired.
I
“It indicates that she had a reason for leaving,” Rachel said. She requires room. Following her won’t make things better.
I couldn’t fight with her, even though her comments hurt. Feeling even more disoriented than before, I thanked her and hung up.
I was searching through old letters and pictures that night in a desperate attempt to find some hint as to where she might have gone. But each memory I uncovered made my chest hurt even more.
The letter with the handwritten words, “Wish you were here,” that she had brought me from Paris was there. Love, Nora.
The ticket stub from the performance we attended on her birthday, where she danced so spontaneously that it was hard not to smile, was there.
Then came the letter she had written me on our second anniversary, which was full of promises we would never keep and words of hope.
I carefully folded it and put it back in the box after reading it twice.
A week passed, and I still didn’t have any answers. Her ghost plagued every aspect of the apartment, making it feel like a jail.
Even though I realized it was a mistake, I made another attempt to contact Isabel The fire was only fueled by her arrogant tone on the other end of the call.
“Are you still looking for your ex–girlfriend?” With a trace of humor in her voice, she inquired.
Chap
1/3
I responded firmly, “Don’t.” “Your games are beyond my patience.”
Her voice was brimming with false innocence as she continued, “Calm down, Liam.” I have no idea where she is, but really? She probably doesn’t want to be discover
Before she could say another word, I hung up, letting the phone fall from my grasp and land on the couch
I had a dream about Nora that night.
As we stood on our former apartment’s balcony, we could see the city lights in the distance. Her hair was blowing in the breeze as she threw back her head and laughed.
However, her smile faded as she moved away when I reached for her.
She murmured, hardly raising her voice above a whisper, “I can’t stay, Liam,”
With a start, I awoke, the vision of her vanishing like smoke.
I made the decision to drive to her parents‘ place the following morning. It was my sole remaining clue, but it was slim because they lived hours away and Nora hardly mentioned them.
The only sound during the drive was the engine’s hum. I had a ray of hope when I pulled onto their street.
However, her mother did not answer the door when I knocked. It was a friendly neighbor who revealed that they had moved a month ago and had forgotten to provide a forwarding address.
