Chapter 52 Braedyn
brAEDYN
Ten days. It had been ten days since Vincent’s arrest. Ten days since my world had been ripped apart yet again. But I hadn’t felt it the way I had in the past.
Because I had the Archers. I had Waylon showing up with homemade dinner.
Skylar taking me out to play with Tink and making Owen and me laugh until our sides ached.
Mav checking my wound for infection on the regular and finally taking out my stitches yesterday.
Wylder paying extra attention to me at the Boot and never letting me do anything alone.
Kol offering to watch Owen when I had to meet with my lawyer and the Juniper County District Attorney.
And Orion. Who supported me in his very Orion way.
He sent a care package full of healing items and chocolate cake.
Because, apparently, chocolate cake was Orion’s love language.
And it wasn’t just them. I had Roger and Travis keeping me updated on everything case-wise. Aster and Holly stopping by with flowers and regular check-ins. Aidan, Cora, and Fiona keeping an eye on me at work. Alma and Jack taking extra care at our Compass meeting.
I’d built a community. A home. And that eased the pain of everything. The heartbreak.
I pulled my SUV into the parking spot at the trailhead and stared at the sign: Three Creeks Canyon Trail.
My hands stayed on the wheel, foot on the brake, as I stared at the sign like it held all the answers just out of reach.
The problem was that law enforcement thought they had found their answers because Vincent’s second laptop had a treasure trove of data—not just files on Owen and me but also on Nova, including photos of us from the moment we left Rhode Island.
No one knew for sure if Vincent had taken them or if he’d hired someone because he wasn’t talking. His family had retained some high-powered criminal attorney out of New York, and he’d shut his client right up.
But that didn’t stop law enforcement from going through every inch of that computer. They’d found files containing every article ever written about Nova’s disappearance. Even some sheriff’s department records he’d managed to get ahold of.
The state police and Sheriff Miller were circling him like buzzards. Travis and Roger had shared that there was more than a little talk about Vincent being behind Nova’s disappearance.
Dex’s profiler friend had said it was possible.
From what he could put together of Vincent’s makeup, he wouldn’t want me to have anyone—no help from a single soul.
He’d feel some sort of ownership over me and a need to punish me for not toeing the line.
And while there were other missing persons cases, this could’ve been an outlier or exception.
But something niggled at me. I felt as if I was missing some tiny piece that would make it all make sense.
I stared harder at the sign, my vision going blurry. A car passed on the road behind me, making me blink and clear away the burn in my eyes.
Forcing my hand from the wheel, I turned off the engine. I couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling. So I’d come back to where it all began. And I’d roped Aster and Dex into meeting me here. Just more proof of the amazing community I’d built—it just wasn’t complete without Nova.
“Where are you?” I whispered into the nothingness around me. The burn was back in my eyes. “Are you gone?” Pain ripped at my heart. “I’ll never give up on you, Supernova. Never.”
And I wouldn’t. Even if all that was left to find were bones, I wouldn’t rest until those bones were at peace.
My phone dinged, and I swiped it up from the cupholder. I didn’t usually have service up here, but one tiny bar was breaking through.
Dex
Running ten behind. The groomer wanted to put a bow on Yeti.
My mouth curved as I imagined how that had gone over with Dex.
Me
Can’t wait to see how adorable she looks.
Dex
Stop. I’m burning that bow.
I laughed, my fingers tapping on the screen.
Me
See you soon.
Dex
Stay in the car unless Aster is with you.
It meant something that he was still concerned. Still wanted me to be careful and use the buddy system. Because it meant he trusted my gut.
Me
I’ll be the one in the Bigfoot T-shirt.
Dex
Don’t stop believing. Be there soon.
God, I loved him. I loved him with everything I had in me. It was the kind of love that terrified you. But I was willing to live with the fear because there was such beauty on the other side of it.
A familiar truck pulled in two spots down, and Aster gave me a wave as she parked—yet again giving up one of her rare afternoons off. It was a gift. And so was her friendship.
I snatched my keys from the cupholder and got out of the SUV, sending her an authentic smile. One that said I was so grateful she was here, even though this was damn hard. “Thank you for coming.”
Aster beeped her locks as she hoisted her pack over her shoulder. She looked like she’d done this a million times—and she probably had done it hundreds throughout her life. Her pale-blond hair was swept up in a ponytail, and she had a bandana tied around it like a headband.
That tiny detail reminded me so much of Nova. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it would help me unlock something new.
Aster’s mouth curved, and her smile felt authentic, too. A little sad but also reassuring. “It’s an honor that you wanted me to come. I’ll help however I can.”
“I feel really lucky to have met you,” I croaked. “What brought me here is the worst possible pain, but I’m still grateful for the things that have come out of that hurt.”
She closed the distance between us and pulled me into a quick hug. “That’s the best we can hope for. That we’re able to find the good amid the hard.”
Releasing her, I tried to pull myself together. “Gonna claim all the good I can.”
“Amen to that,” Aster agreed.
“Dex will be here any minute. He was picking up Yeti from the groomer, and I think he might’ve gotten into it with her over a bow.”
Aster arched a brow. “A bow?”
“Don’t ask.” I pressed a button on my key fob, and the back hatch of my SUV opened.
We were planning to do the full hike that Nova and I had done, hoping it would help me figure out what I was missing—or help me let go.
I tried to remember her now. The way she was that day. How her locket caught the sunlight. How her laugh sounded when it caught on the breeze. The way her pale-gray eyes glowed as she teased me. “If I get poison ivy on my hoo-ha, my revenge will be vast, Braedyn Winslow.”
I heard the words as clear as day. And I laughed.
Because my best friend—my sister—was freaking hilarious.
I missed her so damn much. I would until I left this earth.
But I would pay that price over and over for the gift of knowing and loving Nova Monroe.
It was a beautiful sort of pain when you thought about it. The kind that was an honor to carry.
So I took that pain and held it close as I grabbed my backpack and set it next to the tire. I double-checked everything. Water. Granola bars. First-aid kit. Just in case, I pulled out the bear spray that worked just as well on humans as it did on animals.
The wind picked up, rustling the tree branches. Something else sounded. I thought it was Aster. Moving closer, maybe? It was the sound of footsteps crunching gravel.
I looked up, movement catching my eye. There was a flash of color, and then a figure stepped up behind Aster. I opened my mouth to scream, but it was too late. The butt of the gun came down hard on the back of Aster’s head. It was as if she were a marionette, and someone had cut all her strings.
She crumpled to the ground. Not moving. I prayed she was still breathing.
I started forward, but the man made a tsking noise, stopping me in my tracks. It took me a second to recognize the face hidden beneath the ball cap. And then he leveled his gun directly at my head.
“You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?”